My FF Penny is now my only doe I am milking. For a few months I wasn't really milking her or feeding for top production, she's just had the doe on her. But I've started milking her now. She's getting grain twice a day and alfalfa pellets. Anyway, I had originally planned to dry her right about now, because she kidded end of January. Well, I didn't get her bred early like I wanted to this year, though she will hopefully be bred soon. Any reason I can't just continue to milk her up until 2 months before her due date? She does have a tendency to get thin, but I've been feeding her well and she's looking real good right now. The grain is 1/3 BOSS and I've been adding a little beet pulp to her rations since I started milking to fill her out a bit. She is only milking like a quart a day now, but we are using it, making kefir and my little sister has a bit with her breakfast most mornings.
No reason at all just make sure she gets at least 3lbs of alfalfa pellets or free choice alfalfa hay each day.
And if she is in excellent health and you have another source of colostrum you can milk those hard to dry off does through pregnancy and kidding also. Vicki
That is good to know. I have three does I'm still milking. I need the milk and I still get about 2 1/4 gallon from the three. They are all in good flesh and are due in February. When is the colostrum coming in, will I recognize it? Will the milk taste different or has a different shelf life? Right now milk still taste excellent after a week in the fridge. I have not tested longer because there was not the need for it.
"and you have another source of colostrum" In women nursing through a pregnancy they will revert to colostrum, triggered by the birth hormones, do goats not do this?
I have another question. If you did milk straight through kidding, would she still freshen and up production? I don't plan to do that, but just curious. Since she's an FF it would mean a big difference in her case!
Ashley being new you really ought to just keep milking and dry your doe up when she is 100 days pregnant. LeeAnn not a clue, I will ask the girls, but I am fairly certain none of our LaMancha crosses had any change of milk...I really just plain don't remember, we used colostrum from the 'clean' side of the barn as they kidded...but yes you could really tell after freshening that they were milk a whole lot more. Vicki
