So I'm milking a woman's goats while she's out of town and I'm doing pretty good (I've milked them before) but I have some questions. One of the goats only gets milked in the morning because the owner is trying to get her to produce less (she doesn't need much milk). When I milk her in the morning, her udder is hard and warm, but once it gets milked, she's fine, and it doesn't seem painful at all. Her milk looks fine (not clots or strings or blood). Is it alright that they get so tight before milking? Also, this goats gets extremely lopsided. One half of her udder is hanging down much further than the other. Is this alright? Sorry I'm a little paranoid, but I want to take good care of these animals.

-- Elizabeth (Lividia66@aol.com), June 30, 2001

Answers

A full udder will feel solid and warm (there's lots of milk in there and lots of blood circulation to an udder). As long as it is softening up when milked, she's not in pain, and the milk appears normal, the doe should be fine. As for the lopsided udder, that happens sometimes when does have been nursed by their young. Sometimes kids prefer one side to the other, or one teat is larger than the other. I want to tell you that you are a rare treat for those of us who like to take some days away from home. I have a house-sitter who's a real gem. She's in college right now for veterinary medicine and I will be so sorry when she is no longer able to do this!!

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), June 30, 2001.

Elizabeth,

we all wish we had a neighbor as well as a friend like you!

nice to know there are people like you out there.

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), July 01, 2001.

I'm going to school for animal science in the fall!

-- Elizabeth (Lividia66@aol.com), July 01, 2001.

Yeah, they can get pretty tight on once a day milkings, especially when they first decrease from twice a day. As Sheryl said, if everything else seems fine, don't worry about it.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), July 04, 2001.