Can a virgin doe have milk?

[Preitler]

Hi,

After I had to wean the litter of my black doe after 4 weeks because of the next kits arriving I put them in another hutch with their big sister, 9 months. They grew up with her around, and I noticed that they sometimes tried to suck at her (Black Fury didn't tolerate any such manners when not feeding time).

Well, that didn't stop after seperating them from their mother, but what I saw now was more like a normal feeding time :shock:. She is a great stepmom, and it seems she likes the kits and her new territory. The kits are much more confident with her around than alone. I know that dogs can lactate without having puppies, but can it be that she really feeds? Or is it just the ritual carried out?

Anyway, she'll be a great first time mom, I'm sure
Just need to find a buck

Preitler

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

I know mammals can be "precocious". Mainly known from "the buck goat that was milked!" story that goes around no and again. not really that uncommon in goats, I hear/read it often enough now. precocious is when an animal produces milk without being bred. even some males have it pop up, ergo the buck goat that was milked. I have not heard/read of it in anything other than goats and a couple cows but I had read it can happen in any mammals. one story of a lady who had a single doe goat and milked for seven years straight and the goat was never around a buck or dropped a kid.

 

[Zass]

Male humans can:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_lactation

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... n-lactate/

 

[Preitler]

Argh, ick. That is a completly other topic, in male humans it's a really, really rare occurance, but the dog of my neighbour lactates about twice a year, she herself sucking her own milk, and smelling awfully sour all that times. :? I'm sure that she would feed a baby bunny if I would be so desperate to give her one.
So, with female dogs it's obviosly quite normal, even without beeing stimulated.

I just wonder if rabbits can produce milk when stimulated by sucking kits.

Well, at least I think it's not a bad idea to keep an adult bunny around the kits, there still ist that feces thing...

Preitler

 

[Susie570]

Argh, ick. That is a completly other topic, in male humans it's a really, really rare occurance,

More common than you might think. There are men who stimulate themselves to produce milk to feed infants.

but the dog of my neighbour lactates about twice a year, she herself sucking her own milk, and smelling awfully sour all that times. :? I'm sure that she would feed a baby bunny if I would be so desperate to give her one.
So, with female dogs it's obviosly quite normal, even without beeing stimulated.

:x ewwww now that sounds gross. That is NOT common in dogs and there may be something wrong with her.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

my dad dated a woman who had a couple of those small fancy lookin dogs I cant remember the name of... she always expected the oldest one (also mom of the two younger dogs, all fixed now) to always mother over kittens when her cat would litter. it just did. and a lot of the times she would go into milk and take turns nursing with the momma cat. once even gave her an orphaned couple kittens and she fed em until weaning and mothered em.

self sucking is an odd thing. common enough with milk goats that they make "goat bras" to stop self suckers or grown does from nursing their older adult mother. when my family had the milk goats we had one that became a big nuisance self sucker for one summer. best milker and she was on a fit for some reason. never figured that out why but she didn't do it after that one summer.

technically what is *supposed* to happen is that during pregnancy their is hormones etc released to prepare the mammary and all to get ready for makin milk. closer to the birth usually the more happens, though I have witnessed some first time goats didn't hardly change from a kid flat udder area into a full blown good milkin udder and teats until the last month really of pregnancy. (ie goats pregnant 6mo). So I guess it all depends. if the doe doesn't mind them there is the crazy possibility of life finding a way and she produces milk. ya never know.

 

[Preitler]

Ah, wow. There's always something out there I haven't heard of before...

Well, Kits are fine and thriving, also the 2 new ones (fat little piglets), I put Big Sis back to mom because I didn't want to seperate them for too long. Black Fury doesn't deserve that name anymore, she settled down and is a really laid back rabbit now. I think keeping a second doe with her did that. No crying-murder-teeth-and-claws frenzies :sabers: anymore when it comes to territorial issues. From time to time they all have garden time together, inspecting each others hutches, big lively bunch of rabbits. I just sit there watching, drinking a beer opcorn: , and thinking that I don't miss much having no TV .