Hello - My does udders started getting larger and I tried not milking to see if she would dry up. But they kept getting larger and it was difficult for her to walk, and they were getting very close to dragging the ground. Long story short, I've been milking her for over a year. First she was producing 2 quarts a week, then we started pushing milking off - we got her to 1 1/2 quarts about every two months, then she started filling up again faster. We are now back to 1 1/2 quarts every 2 weeks. She has kicked and cut her udders when they get full, so severly that a vet to treat the wound. Is there anything I can give her or do to dry her up without harming her?
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I'm wondering if there is a typo in your post. A full udder would produce 1.5 quarts a day -- not every 2 weeks. Are you milking her every two weeks? I don't understand how her udder could be dragging on the ground. Could you post photos?
It's really not a good idea to breed a doe to kid for the first time if she is older than 3 years. I've retired some 8-year-olds and definitely retire them by the time they're 10.
Hi Patricia
This is quite the debacle. So sorry you (and she) are dealing with this. You can start with slowly decreasing the amount of food that she is getting. Taking away the coal from the engine will start to slow her ability to make milk. Also be sure that if you need to milk her for relief, you are doing it as if you were milking for human consumption to help avoid bacteria from getting into her udder. Here is lots of excellent information for you on the subject. ~Tammy
Thank you so much for your reponse. Knowing whats going on with her really helps. She only eats alflafa, orchard grass, and her treats are roasted unsalted peanuts in the shell no grains. I'll start limiting peanuts. She is 8 years old, she and her sister came to me as kids in 2016. I've found a billy, do you think 8 is too old to breed her?
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/precocious-udders-in-goats/
Here is the link :)
tammy