Well the final doe to deliver here had a set of bucklings this afternoon. She delivered without a hitch but has no milk??? Now I have to admit that she was a "rescue" all alone in a barn and needed a place to go -so I took her home and thought I would freshen her and see what happens I wasn't expecting much. Anyway I never new what a "shelf" on the udder was, now I do. But the real problem is that her udder is very hard, but with no milk. Is this what congested is? I can't even get a drop from her. Her temp is fine and the udder doesn't seem inflamed or hot. I put hot cloths on twice this afternoon and rubbed, but nothing. I gave the boys colostrum from the freeser, I am wondering if I should just send her off now and feed the bucklings myself until it's time for them to go too. Does this sound really harsh??

-- Terri in NS (terri@softkits.com), May 05, 2002

Answers

Terri, has she been tested for CAE? The more knowledgable goat people on the board have said often that CAE sometimes causes a rock hard udder. And no, you don't sound harsh at all, just practical. Cara

-- Cara Dailey (daileyd@agalis.net), May 05, 2002.

Cara is correct. Unless she has previously had mastitis, which rarely affects both sides of the udder equally...........congestion or edema is hard, but pits when you push on it with your finger, and with massage you can get some milk out, especially from the teats and bottom of the udder. The congestion may stay in the top of the udder for days. A doe of mine who is sold now, has a shelf in that back of her udder, really feels for several weeks like someone has tucked in some cardboard! It does eventually soften up and this 4 year old Nubian is milking 11 pounds at this gals house! She has never milked that much for me ;( Yes if you are not happy with the kids, or the idea of having to feed her kids every year, than sell her for meat, or to someone who is willing to bottle her kids. Just don't hide the fact that she has no milk. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 05, 2002.

Vicki, I have a doe that just freshened; she is CAE positive but shows no symptoms. I pulled the kids at birth, they're being bottlefed. She has been crying for them ever since they were born and looks very sad about it...

Anyway, she has a large udder, and I've been milking her twice a day. Most of the udder is soft and supple with wonderful texture. Only the medial suspensory ligament is very hard and inflamed. Is it because her udder is so large and puts stress on the ligament? I think the ligament could be tighter and stronger, showing more of a division between the halves, is the hardness just related to the weak MSL?? Or should I be milking her 3X a day to avoid too much weight and stress on it? Hot compresses? I am open to suggestions. The udder is not hot and the milk is normal.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), May 06, 2002.

Hi Rebekkah, the weight of a heavy udder isn't going to hurt the edema, but it will hurt the already saggin MSL. Nothing we every did really helped with the doe with this problems, other than milking and really getting in their an massaging that area. Another do who had true udder edema, we simply had to milk her before she kidded, she went straight on the milking string about 2 weeks before she was due, or else her udder would get so tight it would take compresses and oxytocin to get the edema out. That was also pre molassas information and the lowering of our protein to you bred does. I think the warm compresses can help along with massage of vics etc., just make sure and clean the udder afterwards and don't leave salve on. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.

So you use the Vicks, but wash it off afterwards? I am not keeping the milk, so the teste does not matter.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), May 07, 2002.

I always add the washing it off part. I am really bad about remembering where everyone is from but here in the south, salves, udder butters and ointments left on the skin, especially on the udder make a perfect spot, between the warm udder and moist salve, a place for staph to form. I do oil up the udder after shaving, but would rather have the skin drier than I like to do this all the time. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.