# Milking First Fresheners



## WestfallFarms (Mar 1, 2013)

I recently heard that it's important to milk out first fresheners for a full 305 days, min. to develop their udder and that by not doing this, their lifetime production potential drops. Any thoughts about this?


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

WestfallFarms said:


> I recently heard that it's important to milk out first fresheners for a full 305 days, min. to develop their udder and that by not doing this, their lifetime production potential drops. Any thoughts about this?


Well, you obviously can't MAKE a doe keep producing that wants to dry herself up. Some lines aren't great milk lines, and can be lower in general...I don't have a "rule" for the girls. They milk however long they want to. When it comes time to dry off, it depends on a few factors how fast that'll happen and what I may have to take away to aid her and make the process quicker.

I wouldn't say milking longer allows her to develop an udder, as she does this early on until she reaches her peak. Her body knows what it's doing. 

I would say, long term lookin from a commercial standpoint, we want our girls in milk as long as possible. A goat naturally dry at 250 is way behind a goat dry at 305. A lady milking to her full potential, long term is going to produce more per advantage of pounds per day. Naturally lifetime will be much lower on an early dry doe vs a late dry doe. Just depends on the genetics she's carrying.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I would say its fairly true -- except that as mentioned some are just not able to produce as much. 

You set a goat up for how long their lactations will be in life in most cases by how long you keep them in milk on their first freshening.


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## WestfallFarms (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks for the responses. I realize that some goats (first freshers or senior does) will simply not produce as much or as long. My question was meant to be more general, though the article I read was adamant about the full 10 month lactation. I assume they were speaking largely to high production/commercial herds but the same principles should apply (loosely) to any farm, I would think.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

WestfallFarms said:


> Thanks for the responses. I realize that some goats (first freshers or senior does) will simply not produce as much or as long. My question was meant to be more general, though the article I read was adamant about the full 10 month lactation. I assume they were speaking largely to high production/commercial herds but the same principles should apply (loosely) to any farm, I would think.


Absolutely. I can almost promise you they were referencing to commercial herds.


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