Milk supply is dwindling

Since you got these animals as 2nd and 3rd fresheners it could be that the previous owners dried them off about this point in their lactation and they are conditioned to dry off now
I'd keep milking them and milk at least 2 times per day

OneFineAcre said:

Since you got these animals as 2nd and 3rd fresheners it could be that the previous owners dried them off about this point in their lactation and they are conditioned to dry off now
I'd keep milking them and milk at least 2 times per day

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Sadly we made that mistake when we first got our goats due to time constraints and illness Some were sold as soap/pet goats. The milk tasted great and they gave a LOT, but after several years of drying them off early they just couldn't keep up for the 10 months. Lesson learned.

Don't give up on your girls just yet, keep milking and see how they do next year

KleinsCoop said:

Our buck was sick last week with scours. But he was separated and treated with neomycin and pepto.

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What was going on with your buck? Why was he scouring? Did you run a fecal?
I picked up on that part because if there is a parasite issue with the buck then there may very well be one with the does.

High parasite loads can lead to reduction in output.
Generally around 3 months after kidding the goat should be checked for parasites (Fecal). Many give a dewormer 30 days prior to kidding as the increase in hormones also cause the "worms" to reproduce at very high rates. This helps them going into kidding and production without the added stress of parasites. If that was not done and you are seeing a drastic decrease their loads could be high.
Are you familiar with FAMACHA? That is a quick way to check for possible anemia- NOT the tell tale of actual load.

As far as production goes... that half gallon a day ... doesn't mean you will get that. Much depends on the feeding program.
Although directly after kidding we do feed our does more alfalfa hay we do not feed alfalfa hay all the time. We want to see our does produce on grass hay, limited feed etc. Protein is necessary for them to produce but so is fiber.
It is hard for us to get alfalfa here. Last year we had to ship it in from NY, PA, and VA. That got old and expensive.
Take a look at what you are feeding. What are you feeding?
What type of hay?

We experimented a bit last year and went to higher protein and did get more milk. One doe increased by almost 4lbs. However we went back to our original feed as the fiber content was lower in the new feed and we noticed the decrease in butterfat. The goats also did not like the feed and would flip the feeder.

Like others have said sometimes their udders can be trained to short lactation. Hopefully that isn't the case.

IMO a sudden drop would mean a temperature check, eyelid check, and a fecal. We run our own here, so easy for us and I get immediate data.

Not sure I will be around for the reply but I will try to check in.

Are you milking them out well? If they were used more for raising babies and NOT primarily for milking, as the kids demand slows, so will production. Just a thought.

Others have definitely mentioned all other things I can think of for your question. I feed pretty heavy for the gals who milk heavy .. are you giving them enough extra concentrates?

It takes more to make milk than make a baby. I use alfalfa pellets, steamed flaked barley, oats, BOSS, pasture, good mixed grass hay and treats -- carrots, greens, occasionally some horse feed (I use Blue Seal) or Purina Enrich 32 for added protein, vit/min. My mini nub has nursed trips for 4.5 mos and still has a heavy bag. The kids are almost as big as her now.

My saanen is hard to get to dry up! She's one that wants to keep on milking. Even in late pregnancy, she doesn't want to dry, even lengthening milking times, etc. She's giving me a gall a day & nursing twins for last 3 months. Twins are weaning, So I have to milk more now (2X dy). Milk doe all her life and she loves it.

Last -- were your girls from "milking" lines (even buck). Not every member of a breed has been bred to increase the milking capacity of that line. That's why I ask. For instance, a daughter of my saanen who gives me huge amounts, was sired by a Nubian buck from very heavy milking lines. I anticipate her to be another great milker. Some owners are not THAT interested in length or quantity of lactation, just a cute goat that can be milked until they get tired of doing it. That's just a consideration for any future milkers, since you want MILK.

My does start dropping in production about now. When they go into estrus is when we see the biggest change -- like a drop to a pint. Eventually, you do want to dry them off when they're toward the latter stages of pregnancy so the kids will have milk. I just did CL shots which means we're pretty much done for the season.