# Pink milk problem



## Alma (Oct 2, 2005)

My Thelma has pink milk these past few days and its mainly due to a mix up of concentrates fed to her while we were away for the weekend. She got double rations of a new lactating goat feed. She's off all concentrates now and on browse, hay and water for the past four days. The milk is still pink and there's been no injury other than possibly a new to her experienced milker was milking her while I was away but that has never been the problem at other times . My question is how long does it take to run thru and clear up ? I'm only milking her once a day these days as I also was trying to dry her off and don't want a increase in milk production right now. Any words of advice from others I live on the coast so we don't have any strange plants that she gotten into lately. We have to watch for that in the spring mostly. Alma


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Pink milk is normal in a doe who is not being milked or being milked roughly by someone who doesn't know what they are doing. The swelling from the surge of milk bursts small capilarries under the skin, giving you pink milk. It goes away when the swelling goes away. It can also be from an udder injury, why having an udder that is tucked high up under the thighs and not swinging down around the hocks, where udder injury can happen is desirable. Keept her milked. vicki


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## Alma (Oct 2, 2005)

Vicki , Thanks for your reply, my vet (who is great with goats) and I live in the far eastern area of Newfoundland and there aren't too many milking goats farmers mostly meat breeders. That is what he said when I talked to him yesterday morning. It seems that even tho my friend was an experienced milker she is a faster type of milker. I am a very slow and gentle type and that could have done just what you said, damaged her udder by being rougher than what she is used too :baby04: . I have to watch her now carefully as having the blood in the udder can make her subseptable to getting an infection and it turning into mastitis. But I am still milking her out and she's going down in production as I have taken her off her milking rations as well but I can't dry her off until this clears up. I have to keep an eye on the temp. of the udder in case it starts to get very hot. It should clear up in a couple of weeks and if not (inabout five more days) we might have to put her on some pen. to clear it up as it might be a infection there now. We live in a rural area about one hours drive from the vet but I have everything here that I need and he's great at returning my calls. Bye for now, Alma


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## Alma (Oct 2, 2005)

Well, Thelma is milking nearly white milk again, it is clearing up very well and her udder is not getting any warmer than normal. She is getting gently milked like I normally do and this seems to be working along with multiple milkings thru out the day when I can .Thelma isn't a milking goat as in pure bred. Here on the island of Newfoundland many of the different breeds of goats have been mixed up lots over the years with Sannens, Toddenburgs, British Alpines and some Boers as well. It has produced some nice goats in the long run and because we have had the same thing happen over time with sheep and ponies the breeds have become distinct in themselves. Similiar to what happened with the Kinder type goat. ( they have many different types of markings, similar to all mentioned, they tend to produce nice meat type goats if people are into that and they do produce about 4 liters(mine do) a day each. I have been milking two of them for about a year now and I really do enjoy the milk for our family of two growing boys. When they don't drink it all I try to save a bit for making fresh goats cheese. I am now up to four goats having just rescued an Toddenburg pure bred and when she's back in top shape I might breed her with a pure bred Toddenburg buck that's in my area. How old is too old for breeding in goats? I had sheep and as long as they were healthy they were able to produce well into the age of ten to twelve. Are goats about the same? Thanks for any input and this is my first time on this type of chat line and its great just for reading all about goats, etc. Bye for now, Alma


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

I have to watch her now carefully as having the blood in the udder can make her subseptable to getting an infection and it turning into mastitis.
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This is not true. Masitis enters through the teat canal (orifice). She was probably more thorough than you are at milking, and perhaps massages after milking more thoroughly, so hence the burst capilarries. She may also have missed a milking and the pressure of the extra milk in the udder, burst the capilarries. And Pen will do nothing if you do get mastitis...Mast = breast Itis is inflammation of.....pink milk is not mastitis and can not turn into it.

Yes goats are like that as wells as sheep, as long as she is in good health she will actually live a lot longer life being bred and milk, rather than remaining dry. Most of our does kid until at least 10, several 12. vicki


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## Alma (Oct 2, 2005)

Hi again, I 'm sorry that we were not able to chat clearly as that is what the vet said to . The part about it turning in to mastitis is that if any possible infection occurrs it would be from getting in thru the teat canal therefore to watch in case it does happen. My friend that was milking is a milker of cows and this is the second time this has happened after she has milked my goats so I don't think she is the better goat milker at all just cows and goats are different. It does mean tho that its not that easy to go away from your flock and let others do the milking. But luckily the first time was a bout of surgery that I had to go into hos. and this time it was a short business trip. Oh well such is the life of having kids and Kids!! Take care , Alma


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