[Maudlin-Matilda]

Our kids are now two weeks old and although it took a week for mum's milk to come in, they seemed to be feeding fine (although they are still taking a 250ml bottle between them last thing at night).

However, the day before yesterday I noticed that mum's teats were a bit pink and instead of being finger-shaped as they usually are, they were more like a cone shape.  I also found what looked like a small graze behind one teat.

I called the vet and she said that this was not mastitis as I had thought but that one of the kids was not feeding properly and creating a build up of milk in the udder and then swollen teats.  She advised us to keep and eye on it, milking her off if she appears swollen and treating the graze with our usual udder cream (I use Cheno Unction with added rosemary).

The problem is that even now her milk is in, her udders are tiny compared to those of the Saanens we practiced on and we just can't seem to get any milk out of her by hand-milking.  In fact, even the owner of the 'practice Saanens', who is a brilliant milker, could only get a tiny bit.

Her one teat was swollen again this morning and we managed to get a tiny bit of milk off her.  Around half an hour later, we checked and found the teat had gone down and the udder was flaccid, so assumed the kids had fed.

Mum and kids are all fine otherwise but I would appreciate any advice that anyone can offer to improve things. 

If it's relevant, we're pretty sure that mum is an Alpine/Nubian cross but don't know for certain.

[Carl f k]

Our gg x togg has cone shape teats and I struggled to get milk out of her at first..it is just practice and finding your pun technique..did buy a udderly easy Milker which works great was a relief to empt her udder.

[Maudlin-Matilda]

Thanks for that.  I don't want to sound negative because I'm hoping that we will get our technique right with the milking as soon as possible but what should we do if we can't get any milk out of her?  I've had a quick look at the Udderly Ez Milkers and they look grand but they are also a lot of money.

[Carl f k]

We started to get milk out by using the tips of our fingers tho get started but it did take ages, once some of the pressure is relised from the teat you can get your hand around it and milk as normal. I do it by hand at the moment because the kids don't leave us much and the uz doesn't work because there's not enough milk but when it was bulging the uz was a godsend.

[Carl f k]

If u were local to me you could borrow mine I'm in west mids

[Maudlin-Matilda]

Thank you again for the advice and the offer of the milker.  We used to be right beside you in Shropshire but now we're in Ireland so popping over isn't an option!

[Dogwalker]

It sounds like the kids are feeding and getting the milk out, but your not.  Is she just not letting down for you.
I've got one GG who can hold her milk back when I milk her but there's plenty there for the kids.  Last year with one kid she wouldn't let me have any from 'his' teat. She could even hold back from a milking machine.
 
Keep an eye on her udder but it doesn't sound like a problem.

[Maudlin-Matilda]

That's really interesting because when the kids feed off her she starts cudding straight away but when we try to milk her she just stands looking stoically into the middle distance!

All seems well down there today so fingers crossed that you're right and she's just holding back.

[Maudlin-Matilda]

Thank you for the advice by the way.

[Anke]

You will need to persevere with her... some of them (and I think maybe GG's more so than others) are really good at holding the milk back. If you want to continue to milk her after the kids are off I would take the kids away from her at night time (hurdle across the pen so she can sniff them but not feed), then milk some milk out in the morning and let her have the kids during the day. I would also milk her out nightime as the kids go to their "own bedrooms". Then the teats should not be too full and it may be easier for you to get going on the milking. If you think the kids need some more milk, a late night bottle may be great for them to bond with you.

[Dogwalker]

That's really interesting because when the kids feed off her she starts cudding straight away but when we try to milk her she just stands looking stoically into the middle distance!

All seems well down there today so fingers crossed that you're right and she's just holding back.

Looking stoically into the middle distance sounds easy, try milking with a fidgetty, foot in bucket, sitting down even though tied up tight, complaining doe.
She was better once the kid was seperated at night as Anke suggests and is fine this year.  Stick with it

[Anke]

That's really interesting because when the kids feed off her she starts cudding straight away but when we try to milk her she just stands looking stoically into the middle distance!

All seems well down there today so fingers crossed that you're right and she's just holding back.

Looking stoically into the middle distance sounds easy, try milking with a fidgetty, foot in bucket, sitting down even though tied up tight, complaining doe.
She was better once the kid was seperated at night as Anke suggests and is fine this year.  Stick with it

Or having BOTH hind legs in the air and doing the can-can  ... but they do calm down eventually...

[Lesley Silvester]

They do indeed. When I started milking my girl, she danced around and kicked her legs up so I was forever moving the bucket and the whole process took ages. I tried holding one leg up but she just attempted to lie down. She also had sticky out teats so I could only aim one into the bucket at a time.

Now she hops up on the milking bench and stands there until I'm finished, either chomping on her food or cudding. After a while, she looks at me over my shoulder as if to tell me to hurry up. Her teats seemed to move round as well so I can milk both sides at once. Once I'm done and she's had her treat, she hops down and follows me (and the bucket of veg or just grass) to the goatyard.