# Timeframe for drying off?



## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

My two Nigerian Dwarf does are (hopefully) bred to a nice lil blue-eyed buck. Both should kid in mid to late May. Both are currently in milk. 

I know I should have them dried off 2mo before they kid... but since this is the first time I've dealt with this, I'm curious how long I should take in drying them off. My larger doe seems to be doing the job herself. Production went down to only 1/2c each milking (at 2x/day), so I'm now just milking her in the evening and getting a cup. I see her easily being dry by mid March, if not sooner. 

My other doe though is still giving a cup 2x/day. Some days slightly less, but then she bounces right back again. I don't want to dry her up sooner than needed as I LOVE my goat milk... but I don't want to mess up and run out of time either. She's small to begin with, so I definitely want her dry when she should be so she can provide extra support to developing those kids - of which I plan to retain a doeling. 

Is there a good rule of thumb as to how gradual to dry them off? She is a FF and I am interested in milking through in the future so I don't have to deal with yearly breedings. I've heard that the first year kind of "sets the pace" for future milk production, so I don't want to lessen her future productivity either. Suggestions?


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Most of my does drop production and by the time it is getting close to when they have to be dry, I just quit milking them. Most of mine will not even get full, maybe half then their udder starts going down. 

Their bodies know what to do


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Go to every other day milkings when your doe whose giving 1 cup starts giving less.... the doe whose still on 2x a day, you can cut her to once a day by the end of February then start the dry off process with EOD then stop by the end of March..... be aware too that the amount of grain they get while pregnant also determines how big kids get in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, I cut my pregger girls grain by half in those last weeks as I have had the nightmare of needing to pull 5 and 6lb kids...decreasing amounts of grain will also help the drying off process as well.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

Good to know about the grain... I probably would have increased it for extra nutrition... and then totally freaked out for my first kidding.  

Should I be adjusting the amount of grain they're getting now, being that they're in milk AND pregnant? I usually just give a 1c scoop (not always totally full) twice a day. Is it ok to just give 1c/day once I switch to once/day milking? Currently I still let my once/day girl have grain twice a day as she's used to it and I'm still having to go to the milk stand for the other anyway. She's pretty much a pig and will eat anything I throw at her. My other doe usually doesn't even eat all that she's given.


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

This is how i do it. drop a milking for a week...ten milk every other day for a week ..hten every 4 days for a week or two and then quit..you may have to once or twice after that milk out just a tiny bit to releive pressure but most likely you won't..


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

FarmerJen said:


> Good to know about the grain... I probably would have increased it for extra nutrition... and then totally freaked out for my first kidding.
> 
> Should I be adjusting the amount of grain they're getting now, being that they're in milk AND pregnant? I usually just give a 1c scoop (not always totally full) twice a day. Is it ok to just give 1c/day once I switch to once/day milking? Currently I still let my once/day girl have grain twice a day as she's used to it and I'm still having to go to the milk stand for the other anyway. She's pretty much a pig and will eat anything I throw at her. My other doe usually doesn't even eat all that she's given.


I'll tell you how I feed though it works for me it may not work for you 
All goats here get free choice loose minerals, I currently use Cargil Right Now Onyx. All get the same Alfalfa/Timothy/Grass hay as well as a afternoon meal of crushed/flaked alfalfa/timothy hay cubes. ONLY late pregnant does, those in milk and growing kids, get grain here...bucks during winter/rut. Dry does and wether get no grain.
Pregnant does who have been dried off a month before breedings do not get any grain until they are at the end of their 2nd month of pregnancy, then it's 1 cup of 18% once a day.... at 120 days bred they get the amount cut to half a cup once a day, I also give 2 TUMS a day to ensure enough calcium as my hay isn't always plentiful with alfalfa, once they deliver, I up the amount over 2-3 days to accomodate lactation, I feed mama's a minimum of 2 cups 18% with 1/2 cup Calf Manna and 1/2 cup alfalfa pellets 2x a day...after the first 3-4 weeks I watch body conditions, if they seem thin I up the grain another 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup beet pulp shreds 2x a day along with plentiful hay and water.


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