# Any hope for Blown Teats?



## Rashashea (Jul 17, 2012)

We just purchased a small nubian herd and 2 of the does have blown teats  I don't know alot about this condition but it concerns me. The woman we purchased them from told us she had been milking them twice a day by hand and I have a milking maching and would like to transition them to once a day milking. Is that possible with blown teats? I milked them this morning and the oldest doe who's teats are the most damaged was not a happy camper. My daughter had to hold both her feet while I tried to gently put her teats into the milkers. I finally got them in there and started to milk her and she seemed to be "ok". She never cried out like she was in pain but if we let her feet go she would kick the milkers off. The younger doe done better but she did not give much milk. I tried to milk them by hand to make sure I had milked them out but couldn't seem to get that to work. Any advice is greatly appriciated. We are new to the milking world.
Thanks so much
Rashashea


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Look through recent threads as there has been a lot of conversation about this recently as well as pictures have been added.

I don't know, but I would think going from hand milking to a machine would make any doe uneasy. Give her time. And perhaps a machine, set right, would be better for her than hand milking as the pulse and pressure would be constant and even.

Again, I don't know, just thinking out loud.


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## Rashashea (Jul 17, 2012)

Happy to report that milking went a little easier today, tried to speak very softly and be very gentle and it seemed to help. Still not easy to get them on the milk stand but they were more calm once we got the milkers on.
Thanks 
Rasha


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Perhaps they just need time to adjust to new routines and surroundings. You are on the right track with staying calm and getting them used to the way you are going to be milking them. Like Cindy, I am thinking the machine would be better for a doe with teat problems.
Welcome to the world of dairy goats and to the forum!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

There is no getting them in there. Simply line up the orficie in the center of the inflation and let the suction suck, it will slowly creep the inflation up the teat, as it milks the milk out of the teat. A blown teat is really a secondary milk source, a second udder if you will, so you milk it out first and then she lets milk into it when the teat is deflated.

Teats blow from pressure, so obviously moving them to once a day milk, if they are filling their udder and teats between milkings every 12 hours, is going to make their teats worse/bigger. Honestly if you are not going to take on every 12 hour milkings and for my doe who had this, 3 times a day for the first couple of weeks until her peak lowered, you should cull them first to someone who does milk every 12 hours for 10 months, or better someone who lets kids nurse and milks also. 

It took some doing to breed this out of my doe in her daughters, but she was such a good milker and with the buck that clicked we kept not just a daughter but a grandson! Vicki


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## Rashashea (Jul 17, 2012)

Thanks Vickie,
Your advice to let them milk out her teats first really helped and she was much more content today at milking time. She gave quite a bit of milk too :biggrin
Thanks


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Glad it's going better for you Rashashea.


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