Forum

Milking only one side-- strange situation

Posted by Juliana Goodwin on June 10, 2011 at 11:54am in Home Dairy

Hi guys...as some of you know my doe was nursing a single kid for nearly a year and was nursed on only one side.  the first time I milked her I was able to empty out her "off" side of some rather watery looking milk, only a very small amount, and it never refilled.  She is producing nicely on the other side. 

 

If I continue to milk just the one side, am I going to make her lopsided for life :)  ?  When she freshens again will she develop both?  Thanks

 

Juliana  PS they've all been wormed with Positive Pellet, I'm now waiting to check their eyelid colors again...

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Replies

  • Cheryl K. Smith November 27, 2011 at 10:58pm

    I think it's important to have a CMT kit on hand and test from time to time, or when you have something that is abnormal. Even if I was not getting milk from one side, I would continue trying to milk it. You might be able to get them to even out. But I would be concerned that if it is watery, it could potentially be mastitis or another problem that made the kid avoid that side.

  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle November 22, 2011 at 10:33pm

    Without more information, it's hard to say exactly what's up. On our farm, once a doe is making a pound or less a day (one cup per milking), we may cut back to once a day milking. Usually within a week, they are only producing about 1/2 a pound (one cup) at that single milking. At that point, we just stop completely, and most does never fill up again. I can't imagine a situation where you would milk a doe every three days. You're just confusing her body about whether or not she's supposed to be producing. I'd suggest that you simply do not milk her again.

  • Debbie Nightingale November 21, 2011 at 2:21pm

     

    I have a doe who is being dried off.  We are now milking every 3 days.  Today she didn't have much and it was watery and had clumps in it.  I'd have thought mastitis, but she wasn't red, swollen, hot or in pain.....could it be the drying off process?

  • Juliana Goodwin June 10, 2011 at 8:13pm
    Well, that's a relief!  Thanks again for always being right there to advise!

    Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
    I've had this happen twice with first fresheners who had single kids, and in both cases, they had a nice full udder the next freshening. Of course, that's no guarantee that it will always happen, but I'd say the odds are in your favor.
  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle June 10, 2011 at 7:20pm
    I've had this happen twice with first fresheners who had single kids, and in both cases, they had a nice full udder the next freshening. Of course, that's no guarantee that it will always happen, but I'd say the odds are in your favor.
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