I'm torn about what to do about her. On the one hand, she has this same trouble every year and it makes life difficult for all of us since she can't support twins at first. I can't, in good conscience, sell her to someone unless it was to someone who wanted only a pet and didn't want to breed her because they'd end up with the same problem. On the other hand, I have so much time invested in her. When her udder softens up, she's a good milker. She has calmed down on the milk stand and hops up on it willingly. She's a leader and the other goats will follow her and she will follow me, so that makes it easier to handle the other goats. It doesn't seem fair to just toss her out because of a few weeks of udder problems. But, is it fair to continue to breed her? Is it a genetic problem that will pass to her babies or is it something that was caused by the mastitis she had the first year?
I really just don't know what to do about her. It's too difficult to have a doe that can't be bred because it makes pasture rotation too complicated when I have to keep the does separated from Billy. That's the reason I sold Rosie last year and I thought I had finally simplified matters.
**sigh**
On another note, I've been checking on Daisy every few hours, for the past few days because I'm sure she is going to have triplets. I don't want a repeat of last year, so I want to be present at the birth.
"Just put me out of my misery."
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3 comments:
If she helps you enough with the rest of the herd... I'd consider compromise. YOU keep a pet. Have her spayed. This is only one goat. Remember that!! This is only 1 experience for your book of memories. She'll pass. You'll grieve. And then, you'll have to learn how to do her job. And you'll grieve even more. But if you do away with her in any fashion... you'll hate yourself for a really long time... over a goat. Okay... there's the 2 worst set of consequences. Choose one. And then... find the kahlua.
I think the good out-weight the bad. I would keep her and continue to breed her. Even though she has problems with her udder..it does eventually work out and and you are able to sell her babies AND use her milk. I think the issue here may be that you need to be a bit more proactive with her udder..you KNOW she has this problem but do you aggressively try to combact it before or do you wait to see if its going to resolve on its own and then you treat the problem? This is something she isn't going to grow out of so you'll have to adjust your thinking..but only you can make that decision because you're the one having to do all the work.
I searched and searched for an answer to this problem. So far, the suggestions I've had is to massage her udder and give her vitamin C. In the past, massaging has had no effect. Vitamin C may or may not have helped, but I did start the vitamin C about a week before she kidded. I don't know what else to do.
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