When to start milking after birth

[BellaM]

Hi everyone, I have a 4y.o Saanen doe Nougat, who is not a great milker. She has great udders with lots of milk INITIALLY. This will be her 3rd kidding.

With her mom I don't start milking until the babies are at least 3 months old and I leave her babies with her for a year and we get lots of milk!

But by 3 months old, Nougat has just about weaned her babies and is drying up.

My question is, when can I start milking Nougat without affecting the babies? I'm not a fan of separating them but I'll consider everything.

My thinking is if I start milking before she weans the kids I might be able to improve her milk production?

What do you think?

 

[Mini Horses]

If you want to have her raise the kids AND still get milk from her after weaning, start when kids are 3-4 weeks. They will have gotten colostrum & starting on a schedule that isn't every half hr. The does system adjusts to this.

Milk is very much supply & demand. If you let them wean, the doe has already begun making less. Many separate kids & bottle feed for a good milker. That is best for a consistent flow. She'll fill for 2x day milking. For some, bottling is hard on their schedule, after all, a kid drinks a little & often. Some have success with crating kids at night, milk mom in morn & leave kids with her all day.

I have Saanen & love them. I also have meat breeds. So both methods have been used...bottle & share. For the best results, to keep as milkers, it's bottle feeding. Currently I'm milking 1x day, an older doe, who raised a kid this year. This works for my personal need & schedule. If I want more quantity or training a FF for a miker, I bottle kids.

Obviously the doe needs a good amount of feed for optimal production. I'm sure you know by now

 

[Mini Horses]

This is if she has twins. Singles, watch, collect & freeze colostrum. Keep both sides milking out, even if you give milk to chickens, etc. then milk for yourself at about 7-10 days out. After milk stabilizes for taste.