# Boer Doe Udder and Milk Production



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I need help from the Boer people!!! I've been raising boers for about 6-7 years, so I'm not an expert on them, I've raised Alpine show goats for the past 20 years, still do.
ALL my goats, boers included are registered 100% fullblood, no precentage goats on my property.

OK, I have a Fullblood Boer doe that kidded fullblood boer buckling twins on 2-25-13. 
Her milk production is almost non existant, it looks like she's drying up, hardly has an udder anymore. And one buckling of hers is SO lack luster, he doesn't play, run around, climb on the rocks, jump, or act like a baby goat in anyway. He wasn't like this when he was just born to 3 weeks old. Around 4 weeks is when he started not doing anything, and I have no clue why..... :scratch:
But she kidded first from all my does this year with the twins, and I have a full boer doe that kidded trips this year on 3-12-13 and her kids are now about 3 inches taller and quite a few pounds heavier than the twins. 
The doe with twins is 5 and the doe with trips is 14! The twins at a week old were smaller than my day old quads. And the twins were average size at birth, as were the quads.
But the doe with twins does this every flipping year :veryangry:! She has crappy production, and lack luster kids. I don't know what it is, it's only her. 
All the does are fed the same. They have grain, calf mana, supplemets, minerals, UTD on worming, pour ons for any possible parasite, feet trimmings, shots, every thing. They get alfalfa and grain hay, fresh water at all times, barn, pasture, the whole nine yards. 
It seriously looks like she is drying up, her udder is now the size of my fist, maybe smaller. 
How can I possibly up her production? And the whole lack luster kid thing (only one of the twins is like that though)? At least every kidding she has a lack luster kid, I thought maybe a bad genetic combo the first time, so I used a different buck the next year, same thing, so I used a different buck again the following year, same thing.... :wallbang: She has had 3 sets of kids, all sets were twins, and 1 of the twins was always lacking, but this year is the worst of it.
I'm just so puzzled this year over this doe and one of her kids. Her kids are 6 weeks old today.
I have never had a doe try to dry up only 6 weeks after kidding, with the kids still on her. And I've never had an issue with any other doe having such lacking kids.

Any comments on this? Any suggestions? I'm so fed up with her and how her kids and production is, I'm about ready to un-ass her if she doesn't pick up production for her kids. 
ANY thoughs apprecietated!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Sounds like she just has poor production. Maybe move her on with letting people know her record or just put in the freezer. Sounds like something you really don't want to pass on. 

Have you been supplementing the kids?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Have you checked for mastitis?


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Yes the kids were supplemented as soon as the hit the ground, they get grain, powdered supplements and they have access to loose minerals year round. As does the doe. I test all my does twice a year for any issues (including mastitis), all my herd is healthy and disease free, and infection free. 
How much do your Boers milk? Or how much are they normally supposed to milk (if you were to milk a Boer)?


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## sandhillfarm (Feb 25, 2013)

Is there anyway she had access to a buck after giving birth?

Sent from my iPad using GoatSpot


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

No she wasn't around any bucks. The buck is in his own pen several hundred yards away. None of the goats can get out of their pens, and she's been with the other does that have kids. And the oldest kids I have are hers, they are 6 weeks old.


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

This year i had my does tested for calcium and glucose defficiency and they all had a calcium defficiency as did farms around me. We gave them calcium gluconate to help produce milk. Maybe you should try that. You can get 500 ml of it at tsc for about 7 dollars. You give 60 ml (2 oz.) To the doe once a day to up the milk production. I hope this can help. Oh and you give it orally with a drench gun or syringe.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I had one Doe, that gave a gallon, when I tried drying her up, she was a hard one to dry up. I have good milkers for boers, they can handle trips with no problems. And their udders do not hang way low either, they are of good position, where they should be. I don't milk them for consumption. But I noticed this one doe, as she had tremendous milk. My other Does are good too, but I am guessing they have a bit less than a gallon.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Is it possible that she doesn't let one kid nurse? Or nurse as much as it needs? I had an Alpine doe that only permitted one kid to nurse, pushed the other away.
We had to forcefully hold her still 6 times a day on the milk stand to let the unwanted one nurse. (She no longer is part of my herd!) Or, is she letting others nurse? 
Since the one kid is weak, maybe he just can't fight off an interloper!


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## MisWhit (Mar 15, 2013)

I had a boer x doe that didn't feed one of her babies. I noticed the same problems with him that you are talking about. She just didn't have the milk for both so she rejected one.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It is frustrating for sure. I had a doe that only liked her bucklings, any doelings she had, she wouldn't feed, unless the buckling was nursing. 
Does can be quite strange in their thinking.


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