Edited to add: I'm unsure if the smaller side is smaller because he is not using it and so it is drying up and needs to be milked more often or if it's smaller because he is emptying it and leaving the other side full, so the full side needs to be emptied.
How to fix uneven udder on doe with single kid
We have a first-time freshener dam-raising a single kid. The buckling is 10 days old and we have not started milking the doe yet because I wanted to wait to be sure she was no longer producing colostrum, but now she is definitely lop-sided. I know this is going to sound like a crazy question, but how exactly do we correct this? I mean, are we supposed to milk from the smaller side several times a day to increase production or from the full side to balance it? I don't feel like we should be emptying completely yet because the buckling is still so young and I want him to get all he needs. My children and I are still pretty new to milking, so we would really appreciate any tips or advice.
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When the kid gets to 2 weeks you can seperate him at night and milk her in the morning.
When I seperate them I milk the doe all the way out at night and just dump the milk or feed to the chickens so that it's not lopsided.
As the kid gets older he very well could start nursing on both sides.... That's what both my single doelings did this year, left one side full for a while, I milked it out and then they started nursing on both sides when they were a little older.
When I seperate them I milk the doe all the way out at night and just dump the milk or feed to the chickens so that it's not lopsided.
As the kid gets older he very well could start nursing on both sides.... That's what both my single doelings did this year, left one side full for a while, I milked it out and then they started nursing on both sides when they were a little older.
I would milk the full side now so she doesn't develop mastitis.. even if you just milk a little to relieve pressure. You don't want her to get super tight/full and her udder to get hot.
Thank you. Just wondering, do you dump it because it may still have colostrum or is there another reason?When the kid gets to 2 weeks you can seperate him at night and milk her in the morning.
When I seperate them I milk the doe all the way out at night and just dump the milk or feed to the chickens so that it's not lopsided.
As the kid gets older he very well could start nursing on both sides.... That's what both my single doelings did this year, left one side full for a while, I milked it out and then they started nursing on both sides when they were a little older.
With singles especially, it's good to milk the excess twice daily (once a day is ok depending on if they have them uneven or not) from the start. We don't drink the milk until 2 weeks after the birth but I still milk from day 1, at least once a day, to keep them even and producing well. We separate overnight at 2 weeks and milk in the mornings. But I also milk out excess in the evening.
You can tape the smaller teat to force the kid to nurse on the larger side while milking and then milk out in the evening. Repeat until they are switching properly.
You can tape the smaller teat to force the kid to nurse on the larger side while milking and then milk out in the evening. Repeat until they are switching properly.
Colostrum should be gone 24-48 hours after kidding for sure. I personally just dump it cuz it's usually a small amount and not really worth it to go through all the clean up to strain it and stuff 🤣 and the dogs and chickens love it lolThank you. Just wondering, do you dump it because it may still have colostrum or is there another reason?
Jubilee had wonderful advise !!! This will give you the best results. In the future you can always milk and freeze for other kiddings. Colostrum is so valuable when needed.
Thank you everyone. I will definitely keep that in mind to start right away next time. Is it too late to fix the udder this time since we waited almost 2 weeks? Or has anyone had luck fixing an uneven udder that wasn't milked from the beginning? My daughter was hoping to show her at the county fair later this summer.
This is what I would do and teach the kid that side as well.I would milk the full side now so she doesn't develop mastitis.. even if you just milk a little to relieve pressure. You don't want her to get super tight/full and her udder to get hot.
Keep showing the kid the other side and eventually the kid will go back and forth when older.
I would milk her out just enough to make her soft, when needed. This will tell her body not to over produce.
Uneven udder, she may or may not be uniformed, it is a wait and see.
It could just be un even rn since one side is full and the other empty..
This evening I noticed the buckling was nursing on the full side. Could the small side already be drying up? Can that be corrected if we try to milk from it a few times a day?
Have you milked that side to see what the milk looks like?
Test for mastitis on that side?
If the smaller side is ok and milk is there. The kid may just be going back and forth.
Test for mastitis on that side?
If the smaller side is ok and milk is there. The kid may just be going back and forth.
I would milk her completely out, both sides. Then watch multiple times through the day to see if that smaller side is filling or he is eating it all. Maybe even go ahead and tape it for a few hours and see if it fills. If not, likely it's dried up. It could be possible that he is emptying that side then going to the other only when he can't get anymore from the empty side. Otherwise, he could have been nursing the current full side and not the other and it has told her body she doest need the milk from there.
If your goal is milk after babies are gone, and productive udders, they will need to be milked while kids are on. Even if they only give you a small amount after the babies eat. As the babies grow, the moms start to wean them a little at a time. So if you aren't milking excess, then her body says "we don't need this much milk anymore" and she will make less and less as she weans the kid slowly.
If your goal is milk after babies are gone, and productive udders, they will need to be milked while kids are on. Even if they only give you a small amount after the babies eat. As the babies grow, the moms start to wean them a little at a time. So if you aren't milking excess, then her body says "we don't need this much milk anymore" and she will make less and less as she weans the kid slowly.
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