# When to start milking & how to separate kids?



## Blessedfarmwife (Jan 15, 2018)

Looking for milking advice... I have a lamancha FF doe and would like to separate her buckling from her at night so I can milk in the morning and return baby to mom afterward. 

I want to put the kid in another pen at night, but he and mom will be able to hear and see one another with our current set-up...is this okay?


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I start milking on day 2. I start separating on week 3. I don't know if that will be OK with your doe or not. Some reject pretty easily. Can you put him in something that will stop the nursing but continue the ability to touch and smell? Like a very large dog crate?


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

This is a thread I would like to watch closely and hope can help me get more comfortable as I will be starting this soon, myself.

@mariarose you say you start milking on day 2... can you elaborate on that a bit more? Just the occasional small milking through the day or...?

@Blessedfarmwife I hope you don't mind me jumping on here with questions, too.


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## Michelle S. (Feb 26, 2018)

Following.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

New-goat-mom said:


> @mariarose you say you start milking on day 2... can you elaborate on that a bit more? Just the occasional small milking through the day or...?


When kids are born, I milk a few squirts out of each teat to ensure the plug is out. I make certain kids latch on and drink. After that drink, if I need colostrum I milk out a small container to put in the freezer. Through that day and into the next I watch and make sure no one is being rejected.

After 36 hours, the colostrum is no longer being made, but newborn milk is and it is different from more mature milk. That evening I put her on the milking stand and milk out anything that the kids have left. It is usually a lot because the kids haven't found their full guzzling potential yet. I often fill a bottle of newborn milk and put it in the freezer. I often give the rest to the dogs. After that, the doe takes a place in the regular milking lineup. I just put the babies on the stand with her and milk out what they've left in there.

This enables me to ensure there are no sides not being emptied, no mastitis, etc. and stimulates production. FFs have been on the milkstand regularly in late pregnancy eating and being fondled down there. Kids learn there is nothing scary about milk time as they get to stay with mom. After a couple of weeks, they often just want to stay with friends and play.

In week 3 I start the following regimen

http://glimmercroft.com/Udder.html


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## VeggieGoat (Jan 17, 2018)

I'm going to follow this as well. We are going to breed in a few months. 
What if you want to keep the kid on until he/she weans? Can you milk while that is going on or can you milk after the weaning?


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## Blessedfarmwife (Jan 15, 2018)

This is so helpful, thank you for the detailed replies.

I am letting mom and baby stay together before weaning for the first 2-3 months but want to begin morning milking also.

My main concern is separating baby from mom...will seeing/hearing him and not being able to get to him be too much stress through the night? The birthing pens we have are set up in our goat house, so they are separated by woven wire fence.


mariarose said:


> When kids are born, I milk a few squirts out of each teat to ensure the plug is out. I make certain kids latch on and drink. After that drink, if I need colostrum I milk out a small container to put in the freezer. Through that day and into the next I watch and make sure no one is being rejected.
> 
> After 36 hours, the colostrum is no longer being made, but newborn milk is and it is different from more mature milk. That evening I put her on the milking stand and milk out anything that the kids have left. It is usually a lot because the kids haven't found their full guzzling potential yet. I often fill a bottle of newborn milk and put it in the freezer. I often give the rest to the dogs. After that, the doe takes a place in the regular milking lineup. I just put the babies on the stand with her and milk out what they've left in there.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the details! We also saved up some colostrum, but froze it for the "just in case!" Good idea letting baby on milk stand too!


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## Blessedfarmwife (Jan 15, 2018)

VeggieGoat said:


> I'm going to follow this as well. We are going to breed in a few months.
> What if you want to keep the kid on until he/she weans? Can you milk while that is going on or can you milk after the weaning?


Yes, most people I have read on, separate doe and kids at night and milk mom in the morning before returning kids to her.


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## Blessedfarmwife (Jan 15, 2018)

Blessedfarmwife said:


> Yes, most people I have read on, separate doe and kids at night and milk mom in the morning before returning kids to her.


You can wean and continue to milk as long as you are regular with your milking and mom is still supplying!


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## Blessedfarmwife (Jan 15, 2018)

New-goat-mom said:


> This is a thread I would like to watch closely and hope can help me get more comfortable as I will be starting this soon, myself.
> 
> @mariarose you say you start milking on day 2... can you elaborate on that a bit more? Just the occasional small milking through the day or...?
> 
> @Blessedfarmwife I hope you don't mind me jumping on here with questions, too.


Absolutely no problem! The more questions and responses from those with experience, the more I get to learn too!


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## Kath G. (Jul 13, 2017)

The article at Glimmercroft is assuming you're going to keep the kid on until he/she weans. You can absolutely milk while that is going on, but you will get more milk after the kid is weaned.

@Blessedfarmwife, separating where mom & baby can see each other is (imho) the ideal; I love my new mamas to learn to trust me with their babies, and I think this helps things along when they can see and smell their babies. The first night or two, it's strange for the both of them; after that, it becomes old hat very quickly. Start this routine cheerfully and calmly; spend a bit of extra time & attention on the mamas and the babies, and they quickly respond to routine.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

VeggieGoat said:


> What if you want to keep the kid on until he/she weans? Can you milk while that is going on or can you milk after the weaning?


If this question is meant for me, I milk from day 2 through the lactation. The kids get all the milk they want from the mother until weaning, and then I continue to milk. the method is in this this link.

http://glimmercroft.com/Udder.html


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Yes, for a while I only take what the kids leave. So some months I have very little, and other months I'm flooded. As the kids learn to eat solid food, I get more milk. I strongly encourage my dams to raise their kids.

At weaning I start milking the doe 2 times per day, because the kids are no longer keeping her empty. Then I take her back down to 1 time per day, because that is my preferred milking schedule. 

Every lactating doe, even my meat goats, get milked. So right now, I have a doe who gives me 3 squirts, and a doe who gives me a gallon, and does all in between. But if they are in milk, they are put on the stand and emptied out.

I've had a few dams who rejected when they could no longer touch and smell, so that is when I learned to use the dog crate.

I hope this clears up what I do, how I do it, and why I do it that way amongst all the other possible ways I could do it.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I start separating at 2 weeks old. The kids get locked into half of a small shed. The dams generally go to the big barn after the first few nights spent in the shed.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I look forward to seeing a video????


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