# Plugs in teats



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

What causes plugs in teats? I have one doe that seems to be having this alot this year. She's had them in the past. She has a baby on her 24/7 plus me milking, so I would think it would stay clear. This morning she had one that was very difficult to dislodge. It looks like a little white curd with a tiny bit of blood on it. No fever, no lumpiness or heat in the udder, no stringiness in the milk. Should I be looking toward mastitis or could this be dietary - like two much protein? She's a month fresh.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Is the kid not nursing the side and you are no taking the milk out daily? When a teat starts to dry up it builds a keratin plug to keep dirt and debrie out of it for the dry period.

A calcium deposit is super hard, you can barely crush it with your nail, so cottage cheesey stuff in a 4 week fresh doe would have me wondering what is going on. At 4 weeks fresh I would expect most little things found in a strip cup to be long gone, most edema gone, milk increasing every Monday....so if she was here (but I do not let kids nurse) I would be taking a milk sample. Vicki


----------



## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Is Monday the day does increase their milk each week in Texas? Mine seem to prefer Wednesdays.


----------



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

This is my doe with one teat, so the kid is nursing and I am milking twice a day. She's been giving well. I saw a little decrease, but the kid is growing so much I was crediting him for taking more. She gave 3 lbs this morning, milk looks fine. Guess I better get a test.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Sully, it's just the day I weigh milk, they had better increase or that means their grain amount goes down 

Angie you can also just freeze it, if it's not alarming than just wait it out. Vicki


----------



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Ok, I'll do that, maybe give her some vit C and echinecea too. I was thinking to pull her calf manna. Early on it seemed to cause her edema, but I added it back.


----------



## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Ok, I knew there had to be a logical reason, but I like being a smart alec! hehehe


----------



## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I am thinking calf manna may be to blame for my doe's udder suddenly feeling firm. So I am backing off using it also. It helps her milk production but not worth it if it causes a hard udder.


----------



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Her udder was alot softer today after pulling the calf manna. Could it affect it that fast? Well, you know calf manna has anise which boosts production in humans. I saw a tiny fleck this morning, but nothing like yesterday.


----------



## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

We have a five year old fifth freshener who has always passed these little bits of cheesy-looking matter in her milk, usually one out of one side or the other at least once a day. We're on milk test and her somatic cell count is no higher or lower than any of the others, so I've never worried about it.


----------



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

That's comforting!


----------



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Well, update - found as long as I don't feed more than 1/2 a cup calf manna, I don't get the plugs. Apparently it just doesn't work for her in higher amounts.


----------



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

swgoats said:


> Well, update - found as long as I don't feed more than 1/2 a cup calf manna, I don't get the plugs. Apparently it just doesn't work for her in higher amounts.


Good to know, Angie, as I feed Calf Manna, as well. Thanks for the update.


----------



## Shantel Bryan (Jun 15, 2017)

I have the same problem with my doe. She is a second freshener. She is milking well as long as I can get those plugs out of her but today she bled when I pulled it out. The baby does not nurse I use a machine then feed the baby out of a milk bucket. I use only grain in their diet, but just started probiotics yesterday. Should I stop? How do I get these plugs to stop it takes me half an hour to milk her out with them in?


----------

