Little Milly dropped her first kids yesterday. Many, Many thanks to the ladies who recommended a baby monitor!! She had absolutely no interest in the kids, and those babies needed tending! Her udder seems very congested to me, and I'm having trouble getting more than a little milk to let down. I don't have any reason to think this is mastitis. And she did just test CAE clean. Anyone have suggestions for this, or does it usually seem to clear up on it's own with time and patience? I am doing the warm cloth and massaging. Thanks.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 06, 2002

Answers

My last holdout las tyr for kidding freshened with a congested udder or udder edema. Here is what I did that worked, apply warm washclothes or warm packs to udder, massage well, do this several times a day. I also applied Vicks Rub onto her udder to help with the congestion. This is a method a friend of mine swears by, and it worked. It took about 2 weeks for her udder to uncongest. she was/is also a heavy milker too.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), January 06, 2002.

We also use Bernices way. Also oxytocin will help also. One thing to look at is the protein level of your grain. To much protein in your does grain can lead to edema. Also one doe who just simply always does this is milked early, about a week before she is due to kid, before she udders up really good, I simply start milking her, twice a day, doesn't affect the pregnancy at all, and I just save the first 12 hours of colostrum. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 06, 2002.

Thanks for the advice. I am using a 50/50 mixture of two feeds. One is only 12% and the other 16%, so that she is only getting about 14%, plus alfalfa hay. I am thinking that's a little on the low side if anything? What percent protein do you recommend?

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 06, 2002.

If your alfalfa is 19% and your grain mixture is 14% combined, then your TMR (total mixed ration) is 17%, and yes that is high. Not for growing kids, but certainly for adult goats, especially bucks! If your alfalfa hay is lower than the 19% than your TMR would be lower, get it? We aim for lower than 16% always, and with our hay at 17% our grain should be cheaper than it ever has been, but alas it is not! Vicki

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

Thanks, Vicki, I didn't realize the alfalfa was so high. I actually thought I was giving them less protein than I really should.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 07, 2002.