# Doe leaking colostrum?



## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

I have a doe that is roughly 137 days bred. The last few days she has started to get the typical end of pregnancy look, her hips are starting to get pronounced and her flanks are pretty sunken in. Her tail head is very loose and its very difficult to find her ligs. She has been resting a lot pawing as she lays down just typical misery lol.All this seems pretty normal to me. However this morning when I went out to feed her she had a glob of hay and dirt stuck to the end of her teat. so I gently grabbed the teat to bring the end up to pull the debris off. When it came off it was wet, gooey and very sticky. and there was white colostrum that shot out as I pulled it off. 
Now I had this happen once before about a year ago with a different doe but the fluid was very yellow not milk like. I was told then that the wax plug was removed and she was open to contamination. So now,I am concerned about infection. I had a doe one time that had drops of milk on the ends of her tats the day before she kidded however her udder was huge and tight. This does udder is not. 
I know not to milk it, but I am wondering what can I do to prevent infection? Its obvious to me that she was leaking and I have been back down to see her and the dirt and hay is clumped up again. I was thinking of putting deeper hay in her stall but she is just pawing it away to lay in the dirt.


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

Here are a few pictures from this morning after I shaved her and got the debris off her teat.


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## hyamiranda (Jul 24, 2009)

Can you tape the teat to prevent the leak? I don't know much but would treat it with your teat disinfectant and cover it.


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

I was wondering the same thing. I was even thinking of getting liquid bandage and applying it to the end. 
I dont know why the plug has com out, its not like her udder is huge , tight and ready to kid. But it seems like every time she lays down is when the milk comes out.


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## hyamiranda (Jul 24, 2009)

Is she a FF? If not, has she ever had a leaking problem before while milking? I don't know what would cause it either unless it's just a predisposition toward it. Good luck.


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

not a FF second time. I just bought her , but dont think this was an issue before. 
Thanks for the well wishes.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Just start milking her and teat dipping. She is a very good milker, no leakage, although I only milked her for 8 weeks or so this last winter. Save the colostrum for her kids, it will hurt nothing. At no time do you want a doe leaking. Vicki


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

wow ok! I thought it would be bad to milk her! Thanks so much Vicki! 
I love this site every time I visit I learn something new!
I still have one bottle of frozen colostrum I got from you also. Just in case.
One more thing...
At what stage/ day does the milk turn from colostrum into milk? 
And I do heat treat before I freeze the colostrum correct?


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## HeritageFarm (May 4, 2010)

Actually, I usually am milking our heavier producers 2-3 days before they kid. Get lots of colostrum that way!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Yes, but just gather as much as she gives you this next couple of days, she may not even make more until a few days before kidding. Some of the does simply would come into milk being milked early, others after you took it out, they didn't make more until the day before kidding. We did it to relieve congested udders. You can tell when it is no longer colotrum but milk, by putting it in the microwave and cooking it, milk will simply boil, colostrum turns into little erasers. Yes even though she tested negative when she came here and before the sale, always heat treat and pasturise for sales, can't keep them all.

Use a little of my colostrum between all the kids, then move to the colostrum you heat treat, since she is young. Vicki


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

Thank you so Much! Honestly I have never heard of milking prior so I am relieved to know there is something I can do. 
I am going to go milk her and I will keep you posted on what happens. Thanks again!!!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Yeah and besides that you are itching to start milking??  V


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

Hahaha I guess so! In truth I am just anxious for babies!!!! LOL

OK so I only got 2 squirts from that side. That was it! The other side was still plugged and I would have had to really apply pressure to get it out and with only getting 2 squirts from the other side, I didnt bother. 
So she is all dipped and done ...I guess till she kids?
Now I did stick the squirts in the microwave to see what it was. I turned it on for 30 secs and after about 10 secs it was an eraser!Haha thats a first for me!
OK so her udder has steadily been growing all day. And she has colostrum. Her ligs are barely there. Should I be expecting kids sooner than later? 
As by calender she is day 137 with 150 being June 6th. Is it possible she will go in the next few days? Or is this normal for day 137?

Also she is on camera come visit if yall want!
themysticalmini.net click on Splendor Creek


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

If you let the end dry really well you can apply a dab of super glue or white glue and let it dry realy well, perhaps that will help. Vicki


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

That does not look like a ready to milk udder to me.
She should go to term. Ours go 155 and the last week have a very full udder.
be sure to dip her daily even if you do not milk since the orifice is open and it is too hot to lay on bedding.
Your personal profile does not say where you are located.
Please add your state for better understanding of your questions. Thanks

And Ted- you are not influencing how much colostrum is produced by removing it. You are stimulating normal milk to be produced in typical following timeframe. Colostrum is limited in duration no matter when you start milking. I would advise against it unless there is leakage. It is so important to get good colostrum to give kids a great start hopefully you are handling it carefully and freezing. It is possible that you are also reducing and diluting oxytocin response by milking before labor has started which is part of the uterine cleansing cycle. The oxytocin released for milk letdown decreases as lactation progresses and lasts less than one minute after kids are vigorous. If you are dam raising it is also important in stimulating mothering behaviors and does milked before labor can reject their offspring if the concentrations of oxytocin are not concentrated enough in the brainstem receptor cells.
Lee


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## HeritageFarm (May 4, 2010)

Uh-oh, I didn't know that. A goat person we talked to said it was OK. Well, thanks for telling me!


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

Thats weird because when I look at my profile my location is there. However I did add it in my siggy to make it easier for members.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Excellent- thanks
L


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## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

You are getting answers all over the place. Here's another one. One of my LaMancha's had an *unplanned pregnancy* this winter, and I didn't realize it in time to get her dried off. She was full blown milking when she gave birth. I thought I had a few more weeks to get her dried off, but she gave over half a gallon the morning before she kidded. She had one doeling who has prospered and obviously never lacked for colostrum.


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## hyamiranda (Jul 24, 2009)

Rose said:


> You are getting answers all over the place. Here's another one. One of my LaMancha's had an *unplanned pregnancy* this winter, and I didn't realize it in time to get her dried off. She was full blown milking when she gave birth. I thought I had a few more weeks to get her dried off, but she gave over half a gallon the morning before she kidded. She had one doeling who has prospered and obviously never lacked for colostrum.


In a case like this will it transition to colostrum around birth or continue with the milk it was producing?


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

hyamiranda said:


> Rose said:
> 
> 
> > You are getting answers all over the place. Here's another one. One of my LaMancha's had an *unplanned pregnancy* this winter, and I didn't realize it in time to get her dried off. She was full blown milking when she gave birth. I thought I had a few more weeks to get her dried off, but she gave over half a gallon the morning before she kidded. She had one doeling who has prospered and obviously never lacked for colostrum.
> ...


good question!


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## Holly (Mar 27, 2009)

I want to thank yall again. Shelly is doing fine this morning. She didnt have any leakage. Her udder is a bit bigger than yesterday morning but looks like she is back on track. 

Did I mention I am very excited for these kids or kid? My very first pure bred Nubians and The sire is AWESOME! (wink wink Vicki!) 

Praying for a little doeling to keep! 

These last few weeks are torture!


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## Poverty Knob Goats (Apr 13, 2010)

Good luck.
Thinking Pink for you. :biggrin


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