Goat udder: description and structure, proper care and possible problems

In order to regularly receive high-quality milk, the udder of a goat must be well looked after, to prevent inflammatory and infectious diseases. When buying animals, you should pay attention to the structure of the milking organ: it must have an anatomically correct shape with symmetrical nipples, without ulcers and cracks. If signs of illness appear on the udder, then you need to contact a veterinarian who will determine the diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment.

Description

The udder is the organ in which the goat's milk accumulates. It is important that the milking body:

was free of defects;
had symmetrically spaced nipples;
was the correct form;
showed no signs of illness or injury.

A goat's udder produces milk just like a cow's. The organs of these animals differ slightly: in a goat, it consists of two halves separated by an internal membrane, having an autonomous circulatory and nervous system, a single nipple departs from each. Each half is functionally independent of the other.

In a he althy animal, the udder looks symmetrical. As the goat ages, the organ stretches and sags, as the ligaments that connect it to the abdominal tissues weaken.

Udder device

The udder consists of 3 types of fabrics:

glandular, which produces milk;
connective, surrounding gland that gives shape to an organ;
ducts that output the generated secret.

Synthesis of milk occurs in the alveoli that make up the glandular tissue. The inner alveolar cells take nutrients from the blood and convert them into liquid for feeding the kids.

A he althy goat has white milk, no blood inclusions. Properly functioning alveoli, having accumulated a secret, remove it through the ducts after a signal from the brain. In the context of glandular tissues look like a bluish-red loose mass. The structure of the nipple is simpler: it consists of several skin layers superimposed on each other. Secretory ducts, descending along the nipple, narrow. At the end is a sphincter that holds the secret, relaxing when the goat is milked, or when the goat is fed.

It is believed that goats with large udder veins give more milk. In fact, this feature often indicates the development of varicose veins in an animal.

Nipple shape

Normal nipples are oval, come out symmetrically from the halves, are located closer to the front. With a he althy condition and the correct structure of the milkings, the process of obtaining milk takes no more than 5-10 minutes. Goats that produce a lot of milk:

ball-shaped udder;
nipples are not too big;
Nipple direction is vertical and slightly angled;
nipples are moderately elongated.

Don't buy a goat with droopy udders and irregularly shaped teats. She won't give much milk.

Proper care

If the abundance of milk is determined by the shape of the udder, then the quality is determined by the he alth of the organ and regular care for it.In a diseased organ, milk is formed with a sour taste, a low percentage of lactose and fat. It quickly becomes unusable, not suitable for the production of dairy products. Goat udder care includes 3 essential activities:

Wash before every milking. Warm water is used. After the procedure, the udder is thoroughly wiped with a clean towel. To prevent cracking, you can treat the skin with baby cream.
Massage is a procedure carried out after washing. It helps to improve blood circulation in the tissues, due to which milk is produced more abundantly. Each half of the organ is massaged separately. With hands lubricated with cream, lightly rub the halves, then pat, gently wrinkle. Actions are repeated 5 times.
Lubrication with vegetable oil is a procedure to prevent the appearance of cracks and ulcers due to the drying of delicate and sensitive skin.

Possible problems

He althy hairy udder, pink nipples, without bumps, knots, tumors, ulcers, cracks and rashes. Diseases of the organ are inflammatory, infectious, and also associated with improper care and maintenance. If a goat has an infection, then it must be isolated from the livestock. Possible goat udder diseases:

Mastitis is an infectious inflammatory disease that occurs either in a dairy goat, or when the animal is in a draft, in cold, damp, unsanitary conditions. The udder completely or partially hardens, becomes painful. Milk becomes tasteless, acquires a curdled-watery consistency. In the acute form of the disease, pus is noticeable in the milk, the temperature rises in the goat, and the back of the body swells. Urgent veterinary attention is required, he prescribes antibiotics and topical ointments to relieve symptoms.
Swelling of the mammary glands is a consequence of impaired blood circulation in the capillaries.The problem is often observed in pregnant and giving birth to goats. The udder swells, making milking difficult. For prevention, juicy and sour food, s alt are removed from the diet of a pregnant goat, and the portion of hay is increased. A secret is milked from the swollen udder every 3 hours, the organ is gently massaged beforehand. And after milking, a therapeutic ointment is applied to restore blood circulation, for example, Troxevasin.
Furunculosis is a bacterial pathology, accompanied by the appearance of cone-shaped, pus-filled inflammations. After about a week, the boils burst, the pus comes out, and dry scars remain in their place. It is impossible to milk a goat: firstly, it is painful for her, and secondly, drinking contaminated milk is dangerous. The causes of infection are non-compliance with sanitary standards in the barn or hypovitaminosis in the animal. The goat is treated with penicillin and streptomycin antibiotics. Closed boils are smeared with ichthyol ointment, opened boils are sprinkled with streptocide.
Smallpox is a viral disease, accompanied by fever and rashes in the form of vesicles and pustules on all parts of the body.A sick goat refuses to eat, her eyelids swell, mucus flows from her nose. If there are no complications, then the pet recovers after about 3 weeks. Treatment is symptomatic, iodine, zinc ointment are used. You can drink milk, but only boiled milk.
Papillomas are benign neoplasms resembling human warts. They do no harm, sometimes they disappear on their own. To remove papillomas, the goat's udder is smeared 3 times a day with a product prepared from 10 g of salicylic acid, the same amount of lactic acid and 80 ml of collodion.

Many farmers cull goats born with extra teats, and for good reason. This feature is not a defect, but a unique goat can produce a lot of milk. Cracks in the udder are not uncommon on large farms where hygiene is difficult to maintain. Wounds are lubricated with antiseptics and ointments that accelerate healing. Nimble goats can injure the udder. The bruised place is compacted.Your pet may have a fever. The problem is not terrible: the sore spot is gently massaged, a warm compress is applied to it.