Milking questions

NH homesteader

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Okay. So I am only milking one goat right now, a Nigerian second freshener. I get a little under a quart a day and she freshened in early March. I get much more milk in the morning and I am wondering if anyone milks once a day rather than twice, and if so how much would this reduce the amount of milk I get?

Also, is it true that if you dry a doe off early they will have difficulty with maintaining a full lactation in the future? I found out after buying her that she was dried off about a month after weaning her kids as a FF. So just curious how long she will produce for me this time around
 

misfitmorgan

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If i milk twice a day i get almost 4 quarts, if i milk once a day i get a little over 2 quarts, on my first freshener Saanen.

The mini goats i only noticed a difference of maybe 1.5-2 cups...one doe only gave an extra 1/2 cup milking twice a day so she got dropped to once a day lol.
 

Green Acres Farm

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I have been told milk reduction is only 25%.

I have also read that when you switch to once a day milking, it will drop dramatically, then build back up to close to the old amount.

Can't say if that is true or not, that is just what I have heard.
 

goatgurl

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I only milk once a day and am getting about 3 quarts form one ff and 2 quarts from another. I let them nurse their kids all day and then separate them at night and milk in the morning. i'm happy, babies are happy and mamas are happy. plus moms take the kids out to pasture and teach them how to be goats. but I don't need lots of milk, if you do milking twice a day increases production.
 

NH homesteader

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Thanks everyone. Because it's just her I'm milking (for now) I'll more likely stick with twice a day. I don't get that much milk to begin with so even a 25% drop would be bad! Haha

I love this goat and will always have a Nigi or two but I'm excited to have my mini alpines to milk and I really want a Lamancha to round out the herd! I want more milk! I want enough for drinking, making cheese and making soap. But this year is my first time milking so I bought one doe in milk to see how I liked it. OK I'm addicted now!
 

babsbag

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OneFineAcre

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If you milk once per day, it will reduce the amount.
How much can vary.
Yes, drying them off early can/will condition them to dry off early in the future. It may not have an effect on yours if she is still milking. But whose to say she isn't producing less than she could have been had she been milked longer as a FF.

I think you should keep milking twice a day for as long as you can
 

babsbag

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Yes, drying them off early can/will condition them to dry off early in the future.

I have heard this before but have also read otherwise and since I have no first hand experience I don't have an opinion but would love to see an actual study that has been done. But how would they ever do a study on this since every goat is unique? If they dry off a FF early and she dries up early the next year what's to say that she wouldn't do that anyway? Have you seen any studies on this? And what is considered dry? Many of my goats are still raising kids when I am done milking for the year so while they aren't "dry" they aren't fully producing either.

I have also read this "Some research has shown that the buck a doe is bred to actually influences the amount of mammary tissue that develops since it it the fetus (with that bucks genes) that sends signals to the mammary tissue to form."

If that is the case why would some dairies breed their FF to boers?
 

NH homesteader

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Thanks I will! So, will this years lactation influence next year's? Or does the first one influence all that come after it?
 

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