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Barnyard Buddies:  My goat won't dry up! any advice?  |
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ramonaj
True Blue Farmgirl
118 Posts
rhonda
gibsons
british columbia
Canada
118 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 27 2009 : 5:45:28 PM
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Hi all,
i have a 4 year old Nubian who has been lactating for over 2 years. i've been trying to dry her off for almost a year, so she can have a rest before i breed her again. her herd sister dried up no problem at all, so i have no idea what to do at this stage. i last milked her 5 weeks ago and her udder is still full! not hot or too tight so i don't think it's all that uncomfortable, but i'm kind of stumped as to what to do at this point. i thought if i stopped milking her, she'd dry up and her milk would be re-absorbed. any advice would be very appreciated. her daugher is now pregnant and i'd like their kids to be fairly close together. i've considered just milking her anyway then breeding her in the hope that she'll make colostrum before she kids again. my neighbor, who is very experienced with goats has never heard of this...
thanks very much for any help.
happiness to all sentient beings |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - Dec 27 2009 : 6:27:13 PM
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Well, How do you dry up your goats? Do you just stop milking them? When I want to dry them up I start milking them only half way for about a week, than milk a little less for half a week, than I stop. It works really good. So I might try that. Let me know if that helps!
Hugs,
Channah
If you can dream it, and if you are willing to put forth the work and effort, you can have anything you envision. |
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ramonaj
True Blue Farmgirl
118 Posts
rhonda
gibsons
british columbia
Canada
118 Posts |
Posted - Dec 27 2009 : 10:28:53 PM
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hi Channah,
Thanks for your reply. I did the ease off milking thing for quite some time, then finally decided that i was going to stop as she just kept on giving milk. someone told me recently that they had a goat that gave milk for 5 years, so maybe it isn't all that unusual. i appreciate her milk, as I use it for soap making as well as food, but I think she needs to rest before giving birth again. i wonder if others have had the situation where a goat is still lactating when getting ready to give birth? Have you? if so, are there things I should do to increase her strength for birthing? Last time I gave her lots of molasses for the iron, as well as some herbal preparations, but she had never given birth before and i don't know if i should do something different if she's still lactating while pregnant. Thanks
happiness to all sentient beings |
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southerncrossgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
631 Posts
Gena
Harmony
NC
USA
631 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2009 : 04:36:39 AM
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I usually decrease their food. Also, make sure that there is not another goat nursing on her, Believe it or not another grown offspring may still nurse on her when you aren't around. I would stop milking her at all.
Good luck
"A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"==Cinderella |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2009 : 05:06:31 AM
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Rhonda. I milk my goats til they are 3 months pregnant. Then start drying them up. I decrease the feed (grains) and only milk every 4 days. Milk all the way out. Before this, though, I am only milking once a day. Sometimes every other day. So then when they are dried up they have about a 2 month break. I let the does raise the kids, too.
All mine were bred in Oct. and Nov. I had already dried up 3 of the does then because their production had gone down so much. I am milking the one Nubian now every other day and only get about a oint now. I could just stop milking her now and probably not have to again. She pretty easy. I just hate to stop now because I'll miss the milk.
They should all kid in March and April. I give them grain while in milk. Then when not in milk they just get hay and are on a grass pasture with some bushes and trees to browse. About a month before kidding I'll start giving them some grain again. Also about 6 weeks before kidding I'll give the does CDT shots. At kidding they all get a big bucket of warm moalsses water. That's all they want. Then start helping them with the milk. The kids never milk her out enough so I help. Fot 2 weeks they get all they want. Then if I need milk I'll put the kids up at night and milk in the morning. I try to start weaning about 6-8 weeks old. Then back to twice a day milking.
Did you say this doe has never had a kid? And you said the other doe is pregnant. Are you sure this one isn't also?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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ramonaj
True Blue Farmgirl
118 Posts
rhonda
gibsons
british columbia
Canada
118 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2009 : 09:12:08 AM
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Hi Kris,
her kid is over 2 years old and is now pregnant herself. i guess i've been really lucky to have a goat that has been producing that long. i think my mistake has been to have milked her so much at first, to make cheese, then to let it go on way too long. as long as i know it won't deprive her of too much nutrition to breed her while she's still lactating and that she will hopefully still make colostrum for the new one, i'll stop fretting about it. I've had a really steep learning curve with these goats. thanks all for your replies.
happiness to all sentient beings |
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Barnyard Buddies: My goat won't dry up! any advice? |
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My goat won't dry up! any advice?
