Goat making milk without being bred

[MySweetChickens]

I have a goat named Bell who currently lives with a pygmy goat and a donkey she herself is as mix of a lamanch and alpine goat (spelling?) The donkey is un-fixed and still in tact he will be fixed this week we scheduled a appointment since we recently got him a few months ago and have been saving to fix him since he is a 3 year old adult. He has been seen twice breeding Bell the goat and now she is producing milk and getting bigger. We were told she wouldnt make milk unless pregnant now i know there is no way for her to have donkey children so is she having a false pregnancy because of the donkeys deeds? Or is she just wanting a child? Or do we just have some neighbor that bred their male goat to ours unknowingly. We dont know of any male goats near bye but 4h is big around here with male and female goats alike and breeding.

Thanks everyone

 

[cassie]

What you have is a precocious milker. It isn't real common but it isn't exactly rare either. I once knew a Saanen doe that gave a gallon of milk a day for years and she had never been bred. Occasionally bucks from high producing lines will produce milk too. Go ahead and milk your doe. She will be a lot better off if you do. And yes, the milk is normal.

 

[MySweetChickens]

Ok thanks so much cassie good to know

 

[MySweetChickens]

Oh one more question (sorry!) How can i make her more comfortable with it she kicks and hopps and grunt/whines when she is milked after a while she is three and apart from being given treats wasnt handled too much will she just get more tame with time or should be fo something to make her more comfortable

 

[cassie]

Do you have a milking stand? You really need one. You ought to be able to find some instructions on how to make one on the internet or in any book on dairy goats. The milking stand not only elevates the goat to a comfortable height for the milker, but has a head lock and a feed box for grain. It may take time, but she should calm down as she learns to associate milking with relief of her udder and the grain she gets while being milked. Just keep at it. Milking at a regular time helps too.

 

[MySweetChickens]

Alraight thanks so much!

 

[Peaches Lee]

This actually happened to my little goat, who I think is a Saanen mix or maybe purebred, hard to tell, I'm not a goat person (she was a rescue). Turns out, high quality alfalfa isn't the best thing to feed your goat LOL! And she went into milk after that! Had the Vet out to look at her and yup, milk it was! And would you believe the little brat would milk herself! Goats, nothing but trouble I tell ya!

 

[cassie]

This actually happened to my little goat, who I think is a Saanen mix or maybe purebred, hard to tell, I'm not a goat person (she was a rescue). Turns out, high quality alfalfa isn't the best thing to feed your goat LOL! And she went into milk after that! Had the Vet out to look at her and yup, milk it was! And would you believe the little brat would milk herself! Goats, nothing but trouble I tell ya!

Why do you say high quality alfalfa isn't the best thing to feed your goat? If you have dairy goats and want milk, it definitely is. If you have non breeding animals for pets, it may not be.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Why do you say high quality alfalfa isn't the best thing to feed your goat? If you have dairy goats and want milk, it definitely is. If you have non breeding animals for pets, it may not be.

Because I had zero need for a milk producing goat (that was quite painful and uncomfortable.) She was a rescue and is a pet.