Drying up my goat

My 7 year old has never had a baby and I have never milked her.  Her udders would look full every year and then go back down.  The last couple of years they didn't go back down and this year they got huge.  The vet said I had to milk her.  Now it's every day or every other day.  I have no use for the milk and want her to dry up.  I tried to stop milking so often, and stopped giving her grain, but she gets huge and then I milk her.  When I am done milking, her udders are still big and hard as a rock with two big hard lumps.  Before I have the vet come out, is that normal?  

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  • If you have hens, you can also make ricotta for them.  They love both the ricotta and the whey.  In fact, mine prefer the whey to water. It is also wonderful for the eggs.  When I put the whey in the garden, I usually put it where tomato plants will be planted - that calcium is great for it.
    Our cheese instructor said she also uses whey for lemonade and her children love it. I've used it for cocoa also. Of course, there are many things you can use it for in the kitchen for cooking - anything where you would use water and many things where you would use milk.

    Maynie36 said:

    So I made goat cheese today and it was easy and makes good crumbles for salad.  I’ve never liked goat cheeese but this was good. And thank you for reminding me the whey will be great for my garden that I just planted today.  Thanks for the suggestions 

  • So I made goat cheese today and it was easy and makes good crumbles for salad.  I’ve never liked goat cheeese but this was good. And thank you for reminding me the whey will be great for my garden that I just planted today.  Thanks for the suggestions 

  • You can use milk for fertilizer, and it also makes wonderful soap. What about yogurt or ice cream or pudding?

  • NO luck with the sage.  Anyone in Sonoma County want raw goat milk for anything?


  • She won’t eat sage at all.  
    Maynie36 said:

    Thank you. I’ve heard about the sage. I’ll give it a try. 

  • Thank you. I’ve heard about the sage. I’ll give it a try. 

  • The milk should be warm because her body is about 102 degrees, but if the udder feels hot, that would be a sign of mastitis. You do usually see some little clumps or stringy stuff in milk when they have mastitis.

    Women have used sage to decrease milk supply for eons. I've never used it with a goat, but you could try that. With most herbs, I just a tablespoon or two and let them eat it.

  • It does not feel hot.  Her milk is warm but not stringy or clumpy.  There hasn't been any blood or discoloration.  I freeze some of the milk and it is sort of yellowish frozen.  Any recommendations of what to give her?

    Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

    If you feel hard lumps when her udder is empty, that could be mastitis. Does it feel hot? Is the milk stringy or clumpy? I assumed you would have mentioned if you saw blood, but sometimes you don't see it until the milk sits overnight, and then the blood settles on the bottom of the container.

    Have you ever thought about making soap, if you're not a fan of cheese?

  • If you feel hard lumps when her udder is empty, that could be mastitis. Does it feel hot? Is the milk stringy or clumpy? I assumed you would have mentioned if you saw blood, but sometimes you don't see it until the milk sits overnight, and then the blood settles on the bottom of the container.

    Have you ever thought about making soap, if you're not a fan of cheese?

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