My turn for blood in milk

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My first freshener who is not nursing a buckling has had this weird almost fleshy little flecks in her milk for three days. She doesn't have any stringiness to the milk at all, no warmth in the udder that is unnatural, no smell, it doesn't seem to pain her either. When the milk sits there is blodd settled at the bottom. I am straining it of course. I just can't figure out what the deal is?

On a totally different note, what can you do to stop a doe from eating the ears of another doe at the manger constnatly? I've threatened her with the sale barn, smacked her ears, talked nice to her, cajoled her, sung songs to her while I milk another doe, and still, she persists in being nasty. Yes, she is half Alpine...so, ideas? Thanks!!!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), March 24, 2002

Answers

Hi Doreen, contrary to popular opinion about Nubians :) my bloodline milks, and milks alot. It is actually very common for us to have blood in the milk off and on the first several weeks of lactation, in first fresheners. The udder is stretching to hold all that milk, you want to make sure you don't let it stretch to much because it stresses the attachments. This stretching bursts tiny capilaries in the udder, we have seen blood red milk, pink milk and milk that you couldn't see their was blood in it until you let it sit in the fridge. I pasturise it anyway, in fact right now I am pasturising every drop I can get! I am waiting on one of my best milkers to kid, I need her milk!!!

LaMancha's are notorius for biting Nubians ears, we had no choice but to put up more feeders when we had both breeds! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (Nubians) (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 24, 2002.


THANK YOU!!! That must hurt:(.

I guess I will upset them and move them then. It is just irritating to have to constanly be yelling at hat doe to stop.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), March 24, 2002.


You could try smearing something with a nasty taste on the victim's ears. Vick's vapor rub?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 24, 2002.

i wouldnt rub vicks on the ears , simply because if she (the victim) has any open cuts it will burn like crazy, i would use plain petroleum jelly, since they dont like the way it "feels" in thier mouth or use udder butter, if she does have cuts on her ears...

idealy i like to have two holes in the feeder for each goat, that doesnt happen , but , i have noticed all the goats have a faveorite "hole" in the feeder, is this a new goat that maybe is using the alpines fav eating spot?

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.


This isn't a new goat. Mine each have their spots complete with a very short chain to keep them from breaking eachother's necks over breakfast. The problem seems to be that the fight against bottom goat status is never over for the alpine, and her favorite place is wherever the Nubian is. She has mellowed out a lot, but she just can't seem to resist those ears at feed time. They have one station between them at the feeder. I haven't done the vicks thing yet, thanks for the tips!!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), March 27, 2002.


Vic's? Geeze how about Tabascco? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (Nubians) (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

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