The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Katgold on May 29, 2016, 08:34:36 am
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We've had our Saanen nanny for a couple of weeks. The first 10 days or so she stood well, even as we were learning how to milk. However, she is now increasingly reluctant to stand. She'll allow about half the milking to be done (1ltr, about 10 minutes of milking) then kicks and tries to walk away. She isn't a fan of goat mix, but does like wheat so we've been doing a mix in her bucket. Our milking set up is as close as possible to her previous owner, but still no dice.
I thought maybe we were being to firm in milking her and she was sore, but she seems more irritated by me going a bit gentler/slower.
I can build a milking stand, but she seemed fine previously just being tied. I've done a search around sore udders, etc and she doesn't seem to have anything wrong in that front.
Any help or advice would be hugely appreciated.
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If this is your first foray into milking it could be that your technique is causing her some discomfort. It might be worth asking someone local to you to come and see if they can offer any advice. If you are catching udder tissue as well as the teat that would be sore for her. Are you straining the milk to check for clumps or any blood? Try giving her udder a really good massage so that you can check for any lumps in the udder tissue. Some goats are just more tolerant of things than others. When I injured my hand my OH had to learn to milk and I was really glad that it was my old lady in milk at the time as she will put up with people learning on her - my others wouldn't and would kick the bucket over.
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Yes. There are a couple of lumps in her udder. No blood or any problems with her milk. So it is probably a technique issue. Other than working on that is there anything else I should be doing?
Thank you!
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Ok, so now having looked up again how to milk online, I think I am definitely catching udder tissue and not just the teat and there is a lump just where I am catching it. The previous owner taught us to milk and I think that I misunderstood what I was doing.
going to keep working on it.
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Squeeze the teat between the botton of thumb and forefinger to hold milk in teat and squeeze out milk with the rest of your hand. When finished milking massage udder especially where lumps are as may be milk that has not been stripped out. Udder cream will also help health of the udder or even baby zinc oxide cream.
Also watch out for clots in milk if there's little bits like cottage cheese can be start of subclinical mastitis - teat dip with capriclease fron goat nutrition or some people use a solution of milton from supermarket. Udder cream can also help if clots get worse or more like water and clots or goat unwell speak to vet.
Also saanens are prone to sunburn, a lot of saanen keepers put suncream on he udders particularly hot sunny days after mostly being inside most of the winter. So if she has sunburn that could also make her more sensitive.
Good luck, patience and you'll get there.
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Thank you for all of the tips!