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Curious questions

659 views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  StaceyRosado 
#1 ·
When a doe gives birth and I want to milk her I should wait 1 or 2 weeks to separate the kids at night and milk her in the morning?

When I milk her in the morning I'm assuming the kids will be hungry, so how would I know how much I can take without robbing the munchkins?

I've read different angles on this and just wanted to know what my friends at GS were doing. Still waiting in my doe to deliver... But I think it can only be a few more weeks.... Hoping.....:)
 
#3 ·
You can feel if there is milk in there or not. Once you get used to milking, you can tell the difference between an empty udder and one that has some in it. I would leave enough so they can get a pretty good drink.
Okay. From my standard doe, even if I got just a quart in the morning that would be enough for me, and then once the kiddos are weaned, I'll just milk out:) Sounds like a plan...
 
#5 ·
My Nigerian had bucklings - twins in her first freshening and triplets in her second. Both times I let the boys nurse. at 2 weeks I started separating them at night and then milking her in the morning. I milked her out completely. (or what I thought was completely) and then put her and the boys together. They didn't seem to have any trouble getting enough to drink! I later learned that some (perhaps all) does instinctively hold back a bit on the milk let-down when they know they have kids to feed.
 
#6 ·
If you look up Fiasco goat farm on google you'll find their website. Go there they have tons of info on milking, weaning, and stuff like that. I'm new to dairy goats too and have learned a lot from her site. :)
I've read their website, but I've read books and have talked to different people regarding this very thing, and I've gotten several answers really. I think whatever works for you comes in, but I didn't want to rob the kids of their nutritional needs, was my main concern.
 
#7 ·
we pull our kids at 2 weeks if they are strong and doing well....we milk mom in the AM...we milk her out...she will hold up milk for the kids..so dont worry about them going hungry, she will have plenty for them...
 
#9 ·
I always use that time to work on kids with the bottle. Hungry kids will take a bottle and then I can sell as bottle kids or just use it as a tool to friendly up the wild ones. I give them back a little of moms milk after I milk her out completely.

See i found that the moms didnt want to nurse their kids after I milked them. They wanted their hay and to ignore their kids (for a time) and I knew this wasnt helping the milk production if I didnt milk her all the way out (remember supply and demand).

The kids will take a little (couple ounces) from the bottle and then be hungry still so they will still hound mom for milk and that will encourage her body to produce more as the demand is there. They also start eating grain and hay sooner this way.
 
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