First Fresheners

[GAF]

I have a Saanen FF who is giving 2 quarts a day.
I also have a FF Nigerian Dwarf who gives a quart a day.
Should I expect an increase in milk production in future years, or is that about as good as it will get?☺

 

[Southern by choice]

Never base anything on FF ... to many variables.
2nd Freshening you should see increase and by 3rd freshening you will see their true production.

these are some variables
# of kids
Bottle or dam raising
x per day milking
feed consumption- grain and hay type etc
Parasitic load
difficulty in kidding
what the doe was bred with ( example a std bred to a dwarf for minis will produce a smaller udder on FF and not produce as much as if they were bred to another standard- their udder usually doesn't reach its capacity because it grew and produced according to what the body knew it needed to)


I would think your Saanen would give a bit more but don't give up on her just yet.

 

[GAF]

Thanks!

 

[TAH]

Our lamancha mix gave a gallon as a ff and is giving on 2 freshening a gallon a day. I don't expect her to start producing more next year.

 

[Southern by choice]

Our lamancha mix gave a gallon as a ff and is giving on 2 freshening a gallon a day. I don't expect her to start producing more next year.

You should. She should produce more.


keep in mind production is only part of the equation. Always look at duration.

Some goats come in with a bang but fizzle out quickly.
Some goats come in with nothing but increases slowly.
Some goats will do great for 3-4 months but then drop drastically.
Some goats will not make it past 6 months.
Some goats produce less but are more consistent.

What I look at is the following...

Can the doe do a 10 month lactation?
If first freshener, if not 10 months then how long.
What is the average # per day.
I rather have a doe that produces less but is so consistent through at least 8 months out of the 10 ... this IMO is a good doe.
Of course all the above (variables) are taken into consideration.


I see many goats that fizzle and have only 3 good months out of the 10 that it makes you wonder why. A doe may do 12# but then boom after 4 months that doe goes to 5# and then 4# and down from there then IMO that isn't that good.

Nigies that don't do well on 10 months but are really good producers ... IMO it is still probably a good doe. Nigies are year round breeders and maybe because of their size they were "wired" that way, to breed more than once in a 12 month period. Not meaning to tax the doe but lets say 3x in 2 years... that is not a problem for a Nigierian. Smaller kids that wean sooner that all other dairy breeds... makes sense to me.