[Sara]

I was wondering if when the boys turn three weeks old on Tuesday, if I could seperate them during the day, instead of the night. And milk Holly when I come to take care of them every evening at 5.

So they're schedule would look like this:

8 AM: Holly, Thomas, Indy go out in the pasture, Babies stay in
5 PM: Holly gets milked and everyone goes in.

OR

8 AM: Holly Thomas Indy go out in the pasture, Babies stay in
3 PM: Holly gets milked and everyone goes in.

Which one would work better? And is this okay, will the babies get enough to eat?

 

[Muddy Creek Farm]

Could you possibly lock the kids away at night and milk Holly at 8am? Or don't even lock them away at all (since it is still pretty cold out) I wouldn't want them to lose to much body heat.

 

[Sara]

I can't get up there at 8am >___< And the older goats go out in the pasture, the babies stay in the shed with there sweaters on and there puppy house.

 

[Muddy Creek Farm]

Some people don't seperate them at all. They just milk the doe and put her back with her kids. I would say once they start eating grain and hay really well and they actualy eat it (not just nibble lol) then I would first try the 8-3pm schedule and see how that works.

 

[Sara]

I wouldn't be able to do that, I need her udder to be full every once and a while to stretch the teats and develop capacity.

 

[goathappy]

I would do the 5 pm milking. Your boys are big enough, they should be eating hay and grain now, and if you plan on milking her for a while, you need to stimulate her production and milk her yourself. If you keep letting the boys nurse all the time, as they grow, she will stop making as much milk for them which means less milk for you.

 

[Sara]

Thank for the advice Sarah. They are growing so well they've more than double their weight in two weeks. So I figured it would be okay, but I'm a newbie and wanted some second opinioins.

 

[StaceyRosado]

I would try it for a week or two and if the boys seem like they aren't getting enough or are missing mom to much then you can try it again when they are older.

I would wait till they are a 4 weeks though as 3 weeks is still very young to be separating. I always wait until they are at least 4 -6 weeks before I separate.

 

[Sara]

I think I'm going to try it, and I weigh them anyways every 5 days as my Science Project so if they stop gaining at a steady rate I'll stop seperating them.