Savingdogs-Saving the chickens

[savingdogs]

Thank you Shiloh, that was very informative. I have not tried "bumping" each time but perhaps I need to. Maybe I just need to try more ways with Ginger. Maybe I just need to hold the cup right under her with the teat practically in the jar? I noticed that the technique with Molly that works excellent on the one side doesn't work on the other. I'm so glad I have "coaches"!

I can feel that my does have different types of udders but I can't explain it yet. Gingers seem to be larger and divided more and hang lower, Molly's have larger teats, and Molly's seem more like a compact little ball but it is so much easier to get the milk out, it seems like Molly's shape is better. Ginger has supernumerary teat but they don't give milk and don't get in my way. Those are not the problem. It is like no milk goes down into the teat like it does for Molly. I can feel Molly's teat fill up and get rounded. Gingers just seems to stay up in the udder (and I see her nursing her kid right afterward and they get it out fine). Maybe she isn't letting it down for me and I need to "bump". Or go back to having a kid sit in front of her again maybe.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Thank you Shiloh, that was very informative. I have not tried "bumping" each time but perhaps I need to. Maybe I just need to try more ways with Ginger. Maybe I just need to hold the cup right under her with the teat practically in the jar? I noticed that the technique with Molly that works excellent on the one side doesn't work on the other. I'm so glad I have "coaches"!

I can feel that my does have different types of udders but I can't explain it yet. Gingers seem to be larger and divided more and hang lower, Molly's have larger teats, and Molly's seem more like a compact little ball but it is so much easier to get the milk out, it seems like Molly's shape is better. Ginger has supernumerary teat but they don't give milk and don't get in my way. Those are not the problem. It is like no milk goes down into the teat like it does for Molly. I can feel Molly's teat fill up and get rounded. Gingers just seems to stay up in the udder (and I see her nursing her kid right afterward and they get it out fine). Maybe she isn't letting it down for me and I need to "bump". Or go back to having a kid sit in front of her again maybe.

Massaging to get the milk to let down will help lots.
Do it at the beginning, and then near the end to help get the last bit out.

 

[savingdogs]

Yes! with Molly massaging works excellent so I know what you mean.

With Ginger, it feels hard and full but it never squirts down into the pail. What little I get out goes sideways.

I had to change my clothes after yesterday or smell like milk!

 

[Farmfresh]

Here is a hair brained idea ... please read it as such.

What if you tape recorded the babies? Like separate them from her for a while and make a tape of the crying for Mama. Then play that when you are trying to get her to "let down" her milk. A crying baby works for people mamas. ???

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Yes! with Molly massaging works excellent so I know what you mean.

With Ginger, it feels hard and full but it never squirts down into the pail. What little I get out goes sideways.

I had to change my clothes after yesterday or smell like milk!

Her teats face out? Or her holes are on the side?

 

[savingdogs]

Ha ha! you are right. I'll have to see if my techy son can rig that.

Usually I just challenge that something can't be done and the men around here try to prove that it can. Sheesh. Living with three men can be a challenge! (two are my teenagers) Other times they can be mighty helpful. Especially when I offer to cook something like cake.

 

[savingdogs]

Yes! with Molly massaging works excellent so I know what you mean.

With Ginger, it feels hard and full but it never squirts down into the pail. What little I get out goes sideways.

I had to change my clothes after yesterday or smell like milk!

Her teats face out? Or her holes are on the side?

I'm not sure what you mean but I think they face down? I'll have to look again where the holes actually are but I think they are in the middle. Maybe they are on the side and that is the problem? I kind of can't figure them out. When she is extremely full it seems to work but if not it squirts to the side. I'll have to see where the hole in the teat is.

These are my first goats, sorry..........

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Yes! with Molly massaging works excellent so I know what you mean.

With Ginger, it feels hard and full but it never squirts down into the pail. What little I get out goes sideways.

I had to change my clothes after yesterday or smell like milk!

Her teats face out? Or her holes are on the side?

I'm not sure what you mean but I think they face down? I'll have to look again where the holes actually are but I think they are in the middle. Maybe they are on the side and that is the problem? I kind of can't figure them out. When she is extremely full it seems to work but if not it squirts to the side. I'll have to see where the hole in the teat is.

These are my first goats, sorry..........

Oh, its ok! Knowing the mechanical/physical why might be helpful in figuring out what to do. Hence the question.

I have heard of milking hard or smaller does with the thumb tucked in the hand, to aid in directing the milk.
I have yet to get a chance to try that though

 

[savingdogs]

Well it never occurred to me that milking each one could be so different. Now that I realize a different technique is needed I'll experiment more. I think she isn't letting it down when I think of how full it seems to feel compared to Molly.

Ginger is significantly bigger than Molly and eats a lot more. It would make sense to me that she would still be making as much as her even if she has two kids. They are sisters but Molly looks like the nigy mom and Ginger and Donald more like the nubian dad.

 

[savingdogs]

Well I've joined a Meniere's disease online support group....I decided y'all heard enough about all that jazz and found some folks just like me....it is comforting and upsetting all at the same time. I didn't realize I'm so normal for someone like me.

They jumped me ahead to what my doc is going to tell me next visit, because of my new second condition he called migraine related vertigo and they call MAV at my new site, but look at my new diet restrictions he is gonna bring up:

nothing aged, cured, pickled, or fermented (cheese, beer, wine, alcohol, vinegar, soy sauce, yoghurt, sour cream)
no caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, colas)
no artificial sweeteners/sugar substitutes (especially aspartame)
no nitrates (deli meats bacon, proscutto, pepperoni, salami, etc)
no sulfates (red wine, dried fruits raisins, apricots, etc)
no nuts
no MSG (monosodium glutamate

I already had a low sodium diet and have to avoid wheat and can't have eggs at all. I can't have too many beans or roughage at the same time because I have irritable bowel syndrome too. I have always just cheated and had chocolate and occasionally wine even though it isn't good for Menieres. I just try to be moderate. But obviously this is why I'm still so sick.

I had been drinking decaffeinated beverages already. I already knew I couldn't have anything cured, pickled or alcoholic, but CHEESE........yogurt........bacon, which I only ate in tiny amounts before anyway because of the sodium and nitrates, but NONE......

I wanna bawl.

Actually, I am bawling. My goats milk cheese.............I won't be able to have any!!!!!!!!!!!

It is bad enough I can't eat my chicken and duck eggs, but now I can only have my goats milk raw. How will we save money on food if I have to have weird things from the store?

And I bet my doctor is going to tell me raw goats milk isn't a good idea for my immune system.

I'm sorry guys, but I'm just flat out depressed.