[LynninTX]

ahem how long in advance of kidding might a goat switch to colostrum from milk????

I have a doe with no confirmed breeding date (actually I have 4 out of my 12)....

We pen bred.

I have her in with the buck again now with batch #2 since we had no confirmed breeding.

My first confirmed due date on any doe is 1/10/08 HOWEVER given the date the does were put in with bucks the first POSSIBLE due date is 12/27/07

It is suspected by a milking child that this doe gave colostrum this AM. Sigh said child dumped it...

OK in a few hours dd will milk and we'll see what we see....

NOW

the child in question IS the one who noted last yr that a doe we THOUGHT was open... had colostrum and she kidded about a week later.

So what is the earliest a doe might give colostrum before kidding and crud now I have to get my tushie in gear and do all the prekidding stuff with her NOW.

OH doe in question is a 2nd freshener MM who kidded b/d twins last yr.. Sondra this is Aria the calico one.

I am NOT NOT NOT READY!!!

 

[Sondra]

um doubt she will have more than two but you never know. I don't know the answer to your question abt time frame tho. Aria is Arial's baby right??

 

[LynninTX]

I *think* so... I lost my emails when my computer crashed

hmmm no she could not be.... I have her down as 2nd gen on the computer... My paper from you is buried next to my bed... {{blush}}

NO I do not expect anything other than twins... all the mm except Karat twinned last yr... Karat gave a single

 

[NubianSoaps.com]

3 or 4 days perhaps? I got the ole "mo.....omm!!!!" when asking the girls if they remember anything the last time we talked about this on the forum...I don't dare ask again Vicki

 

[LynninTX]

Hmmph

OK so what else might be going on here?

no way was this doe exposed to a buck any earlier...

hmmm....

Thank you

 

[Sondra]

could be just higher butterfat count in later lactation

 

[Linda Carney]

Is it really true? Regardless whether the doe is milked through her pregnancy or not she will have colostrum?

Linda
Cedar Leaf Nubians

 

[Sondra]

This is from a friend of mine that raises pygmys

I love physiology, but it is a complicated process!
A sequence of many hormones release and stimulate colostrum production: oxytocin, prolactin, ACTH, prostglandins, estrogen, cortisol and absense of progesterone. Others are involved as a result of these, but I'll omit that info for sanity purposes.
Milk that is in there after being dried off is just fat and protein. You have to have the parturition sequence of hormones to initiate colostrum.
If dried off 2 months prior to parturition, the lactation curve will be similiar to prior periods. IF NOT dried off then, the curve will be dramatically reduced.
Colostrum production starts 24-48 hours prior to parturition due to the hormones above.

 

[Linda Carney]

Sondra,

Are you saying that there may be a small window that colostrum is produced?

Linda

 

[LynninTX]

I do not know yet on goats... but on humans if you nurse through a pregnancy your milk WILL change to colostrum... I am nursing through my 3rd pregnancy now...

 

[Linda Carney]

Lynn -- I've never wanted to cheat at anything before, but I needed just a little more milk to push my sales over the edge. My LaMancha, Maple, is so much more aggressive than my Nubians, that I cannot imagine her not getting enough for her needs plus that of her babies. She is 5 years old and was not in the best condition when she came to us, she looks so much better now. My only regret was cheating her kids out of her colostrum, not too important because she has more antibodies, immunities etc. for her old farm than for my farm where the kids will live.

At least I have hope that she will have colostrum -- just have to watch for it and process it.

When I process pre-kidding colostrum, is there any of it that is best? First day, second day, third day? Is the quality better as the kidding gets closer or is the first colostrum going to be my best qualilty?

Linda

 

[LynninTX]

Wish I could answer your questions. I milked 1 doe through last yr... but she had a cloudburst vs a pregnancy.

So far all my does this yr are drying up... not that I intended to milk through... but was rather watching what they did.

Based on HUMANS I would think the best colostrum would be right after kidding.... but I frankly have NO IDEA if that translates to goats.

I think I'd be tempted to use an older does colostrum as the first feedings who was not milked through just in case if you have it available.

But LOL obviously I do not do that with MY babies.

 

[NubianSoaps.com]

Or you can just come here and get colostrum to heat treat

Poor Linda is trying to fill my milk customers orders this winter while milking 1/3 as many goats

Linda you are soo atune to your goats, I am sure you will see a difference in the milk/colostrum. Use the first days, but then heat treat that does milk for 3 or 4 days and use it on the kids, then back to milk sales. You have to heat treat...135-140 for 1 hour this transitional milk because the colostrum in it at pasteurizatrion 165 would turn to little erasers. You can tell when it's back to all milk because when heated to 165...I just put a coffee cup in the microwave and see if once boiled the milk is smooth...it's all milk, still little crusties, it's got colostrum still. Vicki

 

[LynninTX]

Totally understand meeting customers... Doing that here too... just surrendering when a goat hits .1 per milking... LOL