# Milking with kid



## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

Hi, If I milk a doe that has a 4 wk old kid, should I milk one side (teat) and leave the other for the kid to nurse? We started this weekend of separating the kid during the day so we could milk in the evening and then putting them together at night. Does this sound like a reasonable plan at the kids age?


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

You need to milk both sides when you milk, but I separate at night and milk in the morning starting at 2 weeks old.You should be fine, just milk both sides.


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## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

Ok, I was just afraid of not leaving enough for the baby and starving it.

Thanks!!


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

How many times a day are you milking her? As the kid grows it will need more and more milk. If you are looking to grow a good kid, then the kid should come first in line for the milk.


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## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

She is only milked once a day, in the evening.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Perfect  You'll be fine...and when you get to the "last" of the milk at milking, bump her udder gently and you will get more. It stimulates them to "let down" the rest, just like when the kids "bump" mom.


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## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

TDG-Farms said:


> How many times a day are you milking her? As the kid grows it will need more and more milk. If you are looking to grow a good kid, then the kid should come first in line for the milk.


My Nubians are having their first babies in April, and I am looking forward to milking for the first time. I've been wondering how this works, too. If the moms and babies are separated during the night, and I milk in the morning, what will the kids eat during the day? How quickly does the doe make more milk for the babes?

Thanks!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

The doe will have enough milk for the babies...it has worked for me.


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I separated my doeling and her mother last year to milk and had no issues. I've always read if they have a kid nursing they will retain at least some milk for the babies.


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## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

Well, we have been separating the kid during the day and, although she acts as if she is starving when we put her back with her mama, it seems to be working ok. Last night we milked 2 of our does....we have 3 and will start milking the other this weekend....and got 5 1/4 cups of milk between the 2. I understand that we would probably get more if we milked more often but, I really don't know if that is an option. My husband and I have 2 kids (ages 5 and 7) to get ready for school in the morning and we both have jobs during the day. We live too far to go home during the day, so....... I read on another website of different foods to give them that might increase milk production. Alfalfa hay is one of the things and, although it's expensive around here (about $15 a bale) we might try that. I would love to be able to get a gallon a day like others have talked about.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

NickandDonna said:


> Well, we have been separating the kid during the day and, although she acts as if she is starving when we put her back with her mama, it seems to be working ok.


My hubby was talking about doing this because we only milk at night too. How long have you been doing it? Does the baby seem to be growing ok? I said no cause I was thinking that at night, they mostly sleep and during the day they would be wanting to eat. So...this makes me wonder if I should let him separate them during the day.

As for the alfalfa, you can try it. This is the first year we've ever used alfalfa and we haven't seen an increase in milk production at all.


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## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

We've only be separating them since Sunday (2/9) so it may be too soon to tell but, so far, it seems to be working ok. We are going to start separating the other doe and her kid this weekend so we can milk her. Her kid was 2 wks this past Tuesday.


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## GoatieGranny (Jul 26, 2013)

The does are able to hold back some milk for their kids. We've always used this practice and have never had problems with it. The kids always run at her after we milk and dive for their breakfast. They walk away satisfied and go back for more as they need it.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Well, looks like we are going to try this too. Gotta redo some pens so we can move goats around and make it feasible. Our babies are a little older than yours (except Tab's boy and he can squeeze thru the panels anyway) so maybe that will make a difference? I'll let you know how mine do too!


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## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

Since, like us, you are also only milking once a day, how much milk do you get from each doe? We get about 2 1/2 cups from each. It seems like such a small amount after reading that others get a gallon or more.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Well, last year we were getting almost a 1/2 gallon each from our girls. This year....however...oye. We lost one of our big producers so are milking a FF and our oldest doe and one of the ND's. Every once in a while, hubby manages to bring in a pint or 2 but most days it's barely a cup. The FF has twins on her so not expecting a lot from her until we wean anyway. The ND should have way more than she does, but she has just not picked up body condition after kidding out with 2 HUGE babies (we sold the biggest one as a bottle baby and thot that would help, but it hasn't yet). Cinn, our main milker, has a bigger kid this year than in previous years. I really think baby is just taking everything extra. Last year, I had more milk than I could possibly use and a bunch went to the pigs. This year, it's been hard to keep milk in the fridge.


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## Hurkett_Hill_Farm (Jan 12, 2014)

I start to milk my girls 2 weeks after kidding. Separate at night, milk in the morning but I don't milk them totally out (leave some milk for the little ones). About 6 weeks old, I started to give the kids a little bit of grain when I put them in the barn in the afternoons. This way I got a bit of milk in the evenings. Sold the kids at 10 weeks and milked twice a day until 3 months before the girls are due again. 


Sent from my iPad using Goat Forum


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Just to give an idea on what I do here with my Nigerians, granted I don't have 2 legged kids but I do work a full time job away from home.
When my does freshen I will get each kid nursing as quickly as possible, once kids have nursed I will milk out about a half cup to a cup of colostrum depending on the number of kids the doe had. The following morning before work I give the new mama her feed in her stall and will feel her udder, if it's tight and full I will milk her enough to soften, leaving plenty for her new borns. With a doe who has a single, I milk once to twice a day to build capacity as milk production is based on supply and demand, with does who have multiples I don't milk except for when she's tight just to relieve the pressure, back pressure tells the udder to slow production and if her kids are nursing eagerly and growing well and she still has a tight udder I will take it 
I normally milk at 4 am and 4 pm but during the first 3-4 weeks I only milk at 2:30 pm when I'm home from work then I start separating at night to get a full milking in the mornings. 
As far as upping production, alfalfa pellets are an economical replacement for alfalfa hay and there is no waste, I also feed a 20% dairy goat feed and will add beet pulp shreds to a doe's ration if she looks to be losing condition.
Even with my Nigerians, some may frown upon the amount of feed they get but with so-so hay I feel they need the added nutrition from the feed.
During lactation my girls get a mix of 3 cups of 20% dairy pellets and 1 1/2 cups alfalfa pellets twice a day, I feed crushed alfalfa/timothy cubes in the early afternoon at a rate of 2 cups per goat and plenty fresh water, freechoice loose minerals and hay feeders filled with the grassy hay I currently have.

With my now 2 week fresh first timer, she has a single doeling on her 24/7 I milk at 2;30 - 3pm and get 1 1/2 cups from her, as her kid starts eating grain she won't nurse as often as she is now and I also weigh my kids each week to ensure they are gaining. This 2 week old baby started out at 3lbs 4oz and is now 8lbs 6 oz so I know I'm not taking from her nutrition


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## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

Wow, the size of the baby sounds really small compared to ours. We weighed both within 24 hrs of birth and the first one weighed 10lbs 2oz and the other one weighed 9lbs 5oz. Note: They were from different mothers, not twins. Their dad is huge though! When he stands on his back legs with his front legs on the fence, he is slightly taller than my husband, and he is 6'. I'll try to attach a photo....if I can figure out how.


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## NickandDonna (Jan 13, 2014)

Also, all 3 of our does are first timers so could that have anything to do with how much milk they are producing? 1 doe lost her baby because she couldn't push it out and we were at work so were unable to help. We milk her every day but only get about 2 1/2 - 3 cups.


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm (Feb 1, 2014)

NickandDonna said:


> Wow, the size of the baby sounds really small compared to ours. We weighed both within 24 hrs of birth and the first one weighed 10lbs 2oz and the other one weighed 9lbs 5oz. Note: They were from different mothers, not twins. Their dad is huge though! When he stands on his back legs with his front legs on the fence, he is slightly taller than my husband, and he is 6'. I'll try to attach a photo....if I can figure out how.


Hah!
My Nigerian quads last year weighed *2 pounds each*!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

NickandDonna said:


> Since, like us, you are also only milking once a day, how much milk do you get from each doe? We get about 2 1/2 cups from each. It seems like such a small amount after reading that others get a gallon or more.


Well, last night was our first time. We got just under 4 cups from Nutmeg (FF with twins) and just over 4 cups from Cinn (have gotten a half gallon from her in the past years). So, yeah, your 2 cups is a little low. I'm guessing you aren't going to get a gallon unless you pull the kids permanently and milk 2x a day.

What are you feeding and how much? I know you've said in another thread (or at least I THINK it was you) but I can't remember. How much water are your girls drinking? If you can increase their water consumption, that should help increase milk.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

3 days in a row now and we're getting 1/2 gallon from our 2 girls each night. The babies are chowing down on hay and grain during the day and still growing like crazy, so looks like this is going to work for us. So glad I saw this thread and decided to try the daytime separation! Now I just have to figure out what to do with all that milk....guess it's time to find soapmaking supplies, huh?


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

kccjer said:


> 3 days in a row now and we're getting 1/2 gallon from our 2 girls each night. The babies are chowing down on hay and grain during the day and still growing like crazy, so looks like this is going to work for us. So glad I saw this thread and decided to try the daytime separation! Now I just have to figure out what to do with all that milk....guess it's time to find soapmaking supplies, huh?


Or start drinking the goat's milk you can also make cheese and lotion :laugh:


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

We DO drink it...at least I don't buy milk to drink so whenever we drink any, we drink the goats. I make cheese. But that IS a lot of cheese. Hmmm...I need to freeze some tho for when we don't have milk.... I'm considering the lotion too. Are you the one that makes lotion bars. Guess I need to start a new thread asking for actual recipes.


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Yeah I make the lotion bars. I also make a lot of cheese it is fun.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Ok...pm me the recipe for lotion bars please????


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