The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: countrywoman on January 22, 2012, 04:53:56 pm
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I use Goat Nutrition Dairy Wipes before milking and gently dry the teats with a clean sheet of good-quality kitchen paper afterwards, then apply Capritect Silver udder cream to avoid chapping. I know this makes a difference because when I have not applied it - for reasons I'm about to explain - the next day the teats will be dry/scaly.
However, even though I place a small blob of cream in my hand and get it as warm as possible, my milker strongly objects to cream being applied. She is generally quiet while being milked and doesn't make a fuss when I pause in milking and then touch her again, it is only the application of cream she dislikes.
Should I continue to use it on the grounds that although it annoys her it is for her own good, or should I stop? Is it the texture of cream she minds? Does everyone use cream?
Any thoughts appreciated!
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Keep using the cream she will get used to it, or, try a different brand ,any udder cream will do the job.
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I never use cream, I just use baby wipes, rather than udder wipes and don't dry her off after wiping her. Ellie's udder seems to be fine with this. I think the baby wipes have a skin cream in them.
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I thought it might be that the cream felt cold - but the wipes are chilly too and she doesn't mind them. I can see the sense in using baby wipes because they would have some sort of skin-softening product in them.
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Some goats seem to not like the udder cream and other don't mind it at all... My GG girls do the "Gay Gordon's" with both (hind)legs in the air if I even as much as try to put some udder cream on (but their udders seem to stay soft without it anyway), the BT's don't mind at all.... All of them are ok with standard Dairy wipes before milking, and NOBODY likes teat dip... but they all get it!!!!
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I stopped using udder cream as both my milking goats never really needed it but I have to say it made my hands tingle quite unpleasantly - the one I had was quite minty to smell and I wonder if that causes udder tingles? savannah hates it so we use wipes and dip and that's it.
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The minty udder cream is good for getting rid of lumps in the udder (not mastitis ones, just general lumps) I was told. I have used it a few times on my BT girl, who had a massive lump in between her two quarters, and lo behold the lump is nearly gone! But the minty one does dry the skin, so I only used it a few times and was advised to have both types and alternate between them.
the standard udder cream is also very good for chapped skin on lambs (after fly strike for example), or human hands...
I think it depends on the goat - if you don't need it I wouldn't use it.