Not sure if this is the right forum for this picture.....

[maggies.family]

So as the title says, i'm not really sure where to put this picture. We just got Bluebelle on Monday. We have noticed since the first day we went to look at her that her udder is "odd". We questioned her previous owners and they said it's been like this for about a year. She doesn't seem sick, she doesn't seem to be in pain or have any issues, but I can't help but think this isn't right. The previous owners said one of their other goats had this problem, they took her to the breeder because they were concerned about mastitis, but he said it wasn't, so they assumed Bluebelle is "normal". Bluebelle hasn't nursed in a year, so I am told. Here is the picture.....what do you guys think?

Like I said, she doesn't seem to have any issues with it. So I don't know. Any info would be greatly appreciated! I plan on having a vet check her soon, but it wont be this week
Thanks!

 

[ksj0225]

The size of the picture makes it hard to see. Can you resize the picture or post a different one?

 

[maggies.family]

I can try. I am on dial up internet and it takes for.ever to try to resize. But I will see what I can do.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

That does not look right to me. I am betting that she wasn't fully miilked out at the end of her last freshening... I would try milking the enlarged side and see if a little calcium stone squeezes out... it may tak a couple of squeezes to get anything to come out.

 

[maggies.family]

ksj0225--can't resize it. Photobucket lets me get to the editor, but then it wont load the picture. <sigh>

Livinwright Farm- Thanks! I will see if her previous owners can come over and do it for me. We don't know how to milk yet. LOL! From what I was told they just removed Clover from her and didn't really wean. I assume they are like humans and we have to do a weaning process, not have them quit cold-turkey. I was wanting to breed her in August, but want to make sure she is healthy first before doing so.

 

[helmstead]

Oh, you can do it! It's not hard, and no time like the present to get in there and try.

I'd milk whatever is in there out. She dried off abnormally, and probably had some mastitis while she did that was left untreated. You never know about sneaky nursing, though!

Like I said, milk it down, see if it fills again. You won't really know if the udder was damaged on her last lactation until she freshens again.

 

[maggies.family]

Thanks helmstead! I honestly have NO idea how to even try! LOL I don't want to piss her off forever! ROFL

By damaged, does that mean she possibly wont be able to nurse a baby? I know nobody can know until it happens, but just trying to get an idea of what can happen.

 

[helmstead]

Tell ya what, get a latex glove, fill it with water, poke a pinhold in a finger, and milk it... Pinch the top, then close your other fingers and voila, milk (or water LOL)

A damaged udder can be blown or have scar tissue or be congested. Blown teats are harder for kids to nurse at first, but they get the idea eventually (you have to milk a blown teat down for kids, because when they're full, they're HARD and too big). Udders that have had mastitis in the past are also more prone to it in the future.

We have a Nubian doe with a blown teat (Scarlett) from the same deal...owners weaned the kids and turned her out to pasture, she engorged, etc. She is 8 years old, if memory serves...we've had her 3 years now. While that side is a little harder on our hands, and is starting to loose elasticity, she milks like a champ and dam raised kids on it back when we didn't bottle raise.

 

[maggies.family]

Thank you SO much for the info! It is greatly appreciated!

Me thinks I will send my husband in to try to milk her. She has a mad crush on him, so she may not care that he doesn't know what he is doing! lol I swear, she has got it bad for him! ROFL

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Just whatever you do, don't pull down on the teat like you would a cow... that will damage her. This is 1 of several good video examples showing proper hand movement for milking goats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6paCyLqp9JM