False Udder?

[Elyse Nicholson]

Hello!

I have a 9 year old doe that hasn't been with a buck for nearly 5 years  and lives nowhere near an intact male (nothing within 20miles). However, I noticed this week that she seems to be developing a udder. She's had kids before, so I've always noticed that her teats hang down a bit more than my non-freshened does, but now it appear there is an udder forming. I tested one of the teats and sure enough, milk came out. Both sides are like that. I asked a dairy friend and she said it might be a false udder and that it'd go away. But I noticed its getting bigger today. 

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and (if so) if there is anything I should be doing? Or what causes it? Thoughts? Tried doing some research, but didn't find much. Just wanted to understand it more.

Thanks in advance,

- WG4 

[Elyse Nicholson]

Thanks for all the guidance! Her udder does not seem to be getting any bigger, but is still present. No signs of redness, lumps, or heat......just a small udder.

[Patty Meyer]

Yes, you did.  However, I don't know how much you have to worry.  Goats do get milked and then dried off all the time, so I'd say not any more than anyone else who dries up a doe they've been milking.  If you have no interest in milking her, watch her udder for heat, redness, or lumps.  Those would be the signs that something bad is going on.  Or, you could start milking her once or twice a day and see if she takes off producing for you.  It is okay to milk once a day if you don't have the time or a schedule for twice a day.  There is an interesting article HERE about once a day milking if you're interested in giving it a try. :)

WorkingGoats4 said:

Interesting. Wow. Thanks for the expertise! So, I did test the one teat and got some milk.....did I break the plug then? Do I need to worry about bacteria? It was just one squirt.

[Elyse Nicholson]

Interesting. Wow. Thanks for the expertise! So, I did test the one teat and got some milk.....did I break the plug then? Do I need to worry about bacteria? It was just one squirt.

[Deborah Niemann-Boehle]

Ditto on everything Chaverah Farm said. Unless you plan to milk her regularly, do NOT milk her at all. When a doe starts to form an udder, there is a plug in there that keeps out bacteria. Once you milk her, that plug is gone, and bacteria can get in. At least that's what the books say about it. I've had a couple of does with precocious udders and never milked them, and they did go away. There is someone on this list, however, who has been milking a doe with a precocious udder for a few years.

[Kare]

I had a doe who did this once. I was told it was a precocious udder, which could be a positive thing if you want milk :)m just start milking her :). If not, it should go away on its own. My does did.