# DHI



## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

OK, I didn't see a topic on DHI so I thought I would start one.

Does anyone do milk testing? Through the AGS or ADGA? I really want to learn more about and I would love to put some of my goats on it. It looks like it's a bit of an investment. Could anyone give me more info? :shrug:


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## Sonrise Farm (Sep 18, 2008)

I wanted to do DHI as well but there are no testers in our area. Good idea for a topic!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I was wondering that also, RunAround! Thanks for bringing it up! I have only one registered doe, but I thought it would be a neat thing to try...and this time being her third freshining I hope her capacity increases! Don't know if there are any testers around here though


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## harmonygoats (Nov 20, 2007)

We do milk test with adga. We do ours through Langston. If you have a friend nearby that is willing to become a tester, that would be the easiest way to go. You only test once a month and send your milk samples to whatever lab that you sign up with. If yours milk enough they may be able to earn their star on a one day test. Most of ours don't milk enough for one day but they do end up earning their stars in their lactation. If you want to become a tester or know someone that does then you can call Langston and request the info. They send a video and a test. Then yearly you have to redo the test. It's interesting to see what their butterfat and protein levels are and the total amount of milk they have given to date.
Silvia


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Silvia, so you do it through Langston? Because I live like right by Langston's goat research center, but I guess I didn't realize they do all of that.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I learned a little bit about it from a breeder-friend. She was so helpful. For our area, she went to the NWODGA (NW OR dairy goat association). They had a "class" on how milk testing works. 

You have to either buy an approved milk scale or bring one that they look over and "approve" it. It gets very complicated with paperwork and such. She showed me all the papers, lots of stuff to fill out for the labwork, etc. It confuses me but if we ever get the chance to do that, it would be neat for sure. I'm going to look more into one day milk tests at shows.


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## harmonygoats (Nov 20, 2007)

Yes the scale needs to be a dairy scale. We send ours to Langston once a year and get it certified. The paperwork is only confusing when you first sign up. When they get everything into the system then monthly about all you do is add the milk weights from the milkings and pull samples. They send a box to put the samples in and we just mail it back. The box looks a little ragged by the end of the year. If you are on test and then you think your doe might make top 10 you will need to do a verification test. Those are usually offered at one day milk competitions. See if you can get a friend to get certified as a tester, I've been certified since I was 15. It needs to be a non family member to do your testing for you.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I suppose if it's a daughter-in-law, that's considered a family member, right?


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

i'm hoping to do one day tests with a few of my girls this year in ags and ndga


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

How much milk do they have to produce on the one-day tests?


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

not quite sure.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I'm guessing it's at least two pounds. . . . I'll look at ADGA and AGS sites.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Here's how it works for ADGA (taken from website):



> Any goat that receives 18 or more points will be awarded an automatic *M designation. Points shall be given for quantity of milk, for period of time since last kidding, and for butterfat as follows:
> For each pound of milk, one point figured to one decimal place
> For each complete ten days the goat has been in milk since last kidding, one tenth (.1) of a point, with a maximum of 3.6 points
> For each .05 pounds of butterfat yielded in the milkings, one point


It's interesting that ADGA requires that a doe make more milk in 305 days than AGS in order to earn their star.

I looked at the One-Day-Test schedule on ADGA's website. Does anyone know if that is a complete listing or just some of the scheduled tests? Of course, they're not even close to us. . . . :sigh:


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## harmonygoats (Nov 20, 2007)

I think on a one day test they need to milk around 10lbs for the day to be able to get enough points. We have a couple that could but most of ours only give about 8-10 lbs a day. For a 305 day lactation I think it averages about 5 a day to be able to earn the star. On adga in the production section it tells you how much at what age is required.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

> I think on a one day test they need to milk around 10lbs for the day to be able to get enough points.


Oh, I'm talking about the "little goats".  My little girls couldn't milk that much in a day.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Olivia....can you imagine one of our "little girls" giving 10# a day?! :ROFL:


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

Their udders would be dragging on the ground. lol.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

When Binky was giving me just under 5# at her peak, I thought she was going to explode then! :ROFL:


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

i would get a little basket, attach it to a rollerskate and attach it to my doe so she could walk..


either that.. or make her little goat stilts and get her a bra


10# would be like.. hell for those little girls

bird at her top, produced 4.2 #


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

That would be a very interesting sight!!


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## harmonygoats (Nov 20, 2007)

LOL that would be a funny sight to see. Just send adga an email and they would be able to tell you.


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