# Need Advice on milking through Please.



## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

I was wondering about milking through on a doe that is bred. I have been asked this question, and have heard that some dairies do this. I know that milking an unbred doe is common, but I just wonder what all of you who have more experience than I do think about doing this with an bred doe?

The main reason I ask, is that I have a doe that is at about 80 days into her pregnancy. She is due on 2/15 and she is still milking about a gallon a day. I should be drying her off in the next 10 days, but last year, when I dried her off. She didn't ever dry up all the way before kidding, and kidded with a case of mastitis. I treated her and she was fine, but I worry about having problems and wonder if I could just keep milking her to save us the problems. 

Oh and to dry her off last year, I went from 2x a day to 1x a day for two weeks, then every other day for a week.

I would be very interested in your opinions on drying off procedures as well.

Thanks for any advice you can give.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You need to dry her off. You want colostrum. What you may want to consider doing is not breeding her every year and just keep her in milk.


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## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

So do you think I should dry her off just for the colostrum? Or do you think it would be too hard on her?


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## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

If it is just for colostrum, I will have five other does kidding at the same time and can use theirs. I will be pulling and bottle feeding all of my babies.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

I agree with ksalvagno. It would be best for her body to get a break from milking. I sympathize, some does are very difficult to dry up. Just do your best, there is only so much you can do.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

If you keep her going, I'd give her a year off breeding.....and just keep milking.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Is she in good condition? If she is then keep milking her.

If you are going to bottle feed anyway, then just make sure to have plenty of colostrum for them. In the future, I wouldn't breed her and just milk her through.


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## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

She is in good condition. How do you guys do your dry off? Do you dry treat?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I do it the way you did. But you probably need to do more for a heavy milker. Not sure since I don't have that problem.


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## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

Maybe I will just try to go longer with drying her up.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I do the same as you....so far it has worked fine.


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## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

I guess I just worry because it didn't last year, and I don't want to use tomorrow on her because I feel like it is invasive. Not that I have ever used it before. I guess I worry that it is traumatizing and could damage her teat orifices.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I do what you all do, go down to 1 milking and then every other day, then every 2 days. I also cut way back on their concentrates and drop down to a low protein concentrate.

I have some does that just don't want to dry up, but the low protein and small amounts of feed usually do the trick.


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## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

Update... thanks you guys for the advice. I finally got her dried off, and it seems to be working much better than last year. Her udder is shrinking and still has a nice soft texture. Thanks again.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad it worked out for you.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

It can take a little as a couple weeks to as long as a few months to dry off a doe. But you never keep a pregnant doe in milk. They just need a small break and reset their bodies. This is why milk tests run 305 days. The remaining two months are to let the doe recover.


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