# I didn't know...



## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

As a newbie, I didn't know that when you milked a goat, the empty udder doesn't look like a deflated balloon.

I thought I'd start a post of revelations. Feel free to add yours. =)


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

As a newbie, I didn't know ANYTHING about goats. Still don't. :lol


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

JamieH said:


> As a newbie, I didn't know that when you milked a goat, the empty udder doesn't look like a deflated balloon.


Are you sure about that? I thought they SHOULD look like that. When they don't, it's a meaty udder.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I didn't know I couldn't feed a goat like a horse.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

MF-Alpines said:


> JamieH said:
> 
> 
> > As a newbie, I didn't know that when you milked a goat, the empty udder doesn't look like a deflated balloon.
> ...


We prefer to call that mammary tissue


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

MF-Alpines said:


> JamieH said:
> 
> 
> > As a newbie, I didn't know that when you milked a goat, the empty udder doesn't look like a deflated balloon.
> ...


It looks less full, but not completely flat and empty. LOL with the girls all running high fevers, then a tangled kidding resulting in a dead baby, then a possible messed up ear/legs, this has been quite a week for me. With my luck I've got meaty udders.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

There's got to be some glandular tissue in there. Is that what you meant - that as a newbie you thought it would be totally empty?


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

In the early stages of lactation right after parturition there is edema in the udder and it will move out with milking. 
They will after a short time milk down more completely. You will never have completely flat and empty as there must be glandular tissue to produce the milk. No glands - no milk. Give them a while to settle in to their new stage of life.
Lee


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## Angelknitter12 (Feb 16, 2012)

I thought they ate a lot more, and were more of a pain to care for.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

I milked my doe back in highschool, but that was so long ago... as a re-newbie, I did think it would be more balloon like. I'm not ashamed! lol.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

My best milkers seem to retain the same shape to their udder, it just gets smaller, but not saggy.


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## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

When I was a newbie, I didn't know they were going to TAKE OVER MY LIFE! :crazy


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

:yeahthat :yeahthat :yeahthat


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

I never realized I'd wind up learning so many medical procedures I could practically be a vet tech. I don't think I even vaccinated a kitten myself until I started giving shots to goats.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Can you believe I passed up vet school cause I used to pass out at the sight of needles :lol. Still get faint if they come near me, but who would have ever thought I'd learn to draw blood?!


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Just learn to take x-rays, and you'll be good to go, eh Kathie? 

I didn't know that I would EVER want to keep goats until I met some. When I got them, I didn't know they would become my own little business instead of just my pets that gave me milk.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Before I visited the farm where I purchased my first goats I had no idea they squatted to pee.


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Jamie when you have a high producer, though still called a meaty udder, they are expected to have some glandular tissue left. Our Gwenie has never had a "flat" upper udder. She milks like a monster-would love to milk 16 lbs a day but we have here maintained at 13. So NOT all udders in the upper area will go down 

When we first got into goats I thought it was a short lived excursion We fell in love with them and thats that.
Tam


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

I have a 2yr old FF that milks down to nothing. Right after milking you'd think that she's a dry doe. Never had one do that, all the others still have *substance* to their udders after milking. So, I didn't know a milking doe could have that empty of an udder after milking.  LOL


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I had one like that as a first freshener, but the next year she had more tisse.


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## H Diamond Farms (Jun 3, 2011)

fmg said:


> I didn't know that I would EVER want to keep goats until I met some. When I got them, I didn't know they would become my own little business instead of just my pets that gave me milk.


 :yeahthat

Never ever imagined I would be a goat owner, let alone where I am today, lol. I was just "going to get a couple for milk". Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight


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## kerryandjennie (May 27, 2011)

I didn't know that baby goats could drink out of my toddler's sippy cup!


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## feistymomma (May 20, 2009)

My does still has shape to her udder. I milk until nothing more will come out. It is much smaller, but still has shape to it.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

As a newbie I never realized how useless the "All About Dairy Goats" books were. I thought I was doing great until I got my first goat.


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## marytx (Mar 17, 2008)

I certainly never imagined the day would come when I could stick my hand right up into a goat's uterus and reposition kids for birthing. :O


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Mar 2, 2009)

I didn't know how much I would like them, I had no idea I would love the milk so much, and I never expected to find milk time such a pleasant time. I also didn't realize how much I would learn about them, their nutritional needs, medical treatments ect. 

And I didn't realize how addictive they were going to be. Why didn't somebody warn me!!! LOL


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

:yeahthat


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Every udder is different! But they do change a lot over the first several weeks after freshening, and most of ours at least seem to gain more tissue with subsequent freshenings.

My husband looked over at me one day as he was assisting a doe and said, "I never in a million years thought I'd be out in a barn with my hand up a doe's butt!" LOL He had never been around livestock of any kind until he married me. Now twenty years later he's the number one goat midwife in our area and gets calls from anyone who is having kidding issues;-)


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## Greylady (Mar 28, 2012)

My husband looked at me one day while milking and said who would have ever thought we would be doing this! :biggrin Are we having fun yet? YES!


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## Greylady (Mar 28, 2012)

Oh, I didn't know they did not have upper front teeth! :lol


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## Dan N TN (Apr 15, 2012)

I AM a newbie and don't know squat. I didn't believe that ANY goat could be cute ..... until I saw my first baby nubian with it's long floppy ears. Yeah, big tuff 33 yr old country boy.... LOL!!


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## In it for the Bucks! (Mar 12, 2012)

I never knew that I would become "The goat lady". And that everyone would be asking my opinion even tho I don't know everything. Think I have all the answers just because I have goats. I didn't know that I would become the valley's midwife for animals because I have goats. And I didn't know about feed rations ie. % of protien, copper and such, and how it effects the amount my goats will give. I didn't know alot and I am very happy at still learning and hope I never stop!


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## JBarG (Mar 14, 2012)

I didn't know that my husband...after 7 years of having milk cows and now goats, would also fall in love with goats and ask me if "after you have the baby, can we go out andd milk together?" Huh? Who are you, and what did you do with that other guy? LOL Not complaining...just didn't think it would EVER happen....


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I didn't know how many different things I could use a milkstand for. Just discovered today that it makes a pretty good restraint device for my dog while I give him a haircut! Worked great!


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## feistymomma (May 20, 2009)

I didn't know that a goat would love to run up behind you and bite you on the butt.....my doe Candy loves to do this....and it hurts, even with one set of teeth.


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## Greylady (Mar 28, 2012)

:yeahthat


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Kick that goat good next time she tries it!!


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## IndyGardenGal (Jun 11, 2009)

That saying you were avoiding a breed because of their reputation means you'll end up with said breed, and in love with said breed. Dang floppy eared baby isn't helping


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Mine will sometimes scrape me with their bottom teeth. My bulldog did the same thing. So strange.


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