We bought another Nubian milk goat on Saturday. She had a baby in June so she is still in milk. I would have preferred that she was not in milk because I didn't want to milk again until this spring and I also thought it would be better for the goat to have time to adjust to us, it's new pasture mates and our routine first. But all of the goats at the farm where we went had kidded in June, so all of them were in milk. I did not foresee the problems I would have, though.
She seems to be distraught, looking and calling for her baby; not eating much. Her udder is very full, but she will not let me milk her. We have to force her onto the milking stand and while I try to milk her, she kicks, jumps, twists, bucks, and fights it the whole time.
I've decided to just risk letting her dry up on her own because it is just too stressful for both of us. Hopefully, she won't get mastitis and be ruined as a milk goat. She has good bloodlines and should be a good milk producer in the future if we can keep her healthy.
2 comments:
That's sad..looking for her baby..
Yeah, she was very interested in Rose at first - sniffed her and nuzzled her, then shoved her away. I kept her in the barn yesterday, but all this morning she has been standing staring at the little boys in the next pasture and calling, "Muuuuh!" She has finally calmed down and is out there laying down.
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