# Interested in hearing others' experiences with milking through



## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

As the title states, I am interested in hearing any experience other members have had milking through instead of rebreeding yearly. I went to the ADGA convention this year and there was a lot of discussion about the potential benefits from milking through, such as increased life-span of does(due to less overall kiddings), less extra kids to sell, etc. I know Redwood Hill Farm, who I have a buck from, very regularly milks through. 

I don't have a strong demand for dairy goats in my area, so milking through is something I am strongly considering to reduce the number of kids I have to sell. At the talks I went through at the ADGA convention, the stats were compared for total milk on those dried off vs milked through and when the amount of milk lost to the dry period/feeding kids was factored in it seemed pretty equitable. Also, I found it interesting that while milk production decreased during the winter, it spiked again in the spring for does that had been milked through just as if they had kidded. 

Thoughts?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I love milking through. I used to have a girl I would breed every other year and was actually going to go a second year of milking.

My current plan when my does are old enough is to have both of them on an every other year kidding so I only have 1 giving birth per year. So both will be bred in fall 2014 for their first time and then I will pick one to milk through and one to breed in 2015. So 2015 will really start my plan.

I'm in the same boat with wanting fewer kids to sell. If nothing sells then that will be a nice amount of meat in the freezer.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I have one now that I am hoping will just milk forever. She has the genetics behind her to do it. I plan to kid her out this year, milk 2 years, breed her once more to increase production and then just milk until she won't do it anymore...
At the same time I will be raising a LaMancha cross out of my best homestead milker...That one should also have the genetics to milk forever...


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

One farm at the convention had does they had been milking for 7 years straight. They just tested to make sure the SCC was good, and if it was kept on going.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The milk goat my father had when I was a child kidded once with a single buckling and then milked until he sold her after we were all pretty much grown up. She was a Saanen/Nubian type brush goat.


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## Casa_la_Palma (Oct 15, 2013)

ksalvagno said:


> I love milking through. I used to have a girl I would breed every other year and was actually going to go a second year of milking.
> 
> My current plan when my does are old enough is to have both of them on an every other year kidding so I only have 1 giving birth per year. So both will be bred in fall 2014 for their first time and then I will pick one to milk through and one to breed in 2015. So 2015 will really start my plan.
> 
> I'm in the same boat with wanting fewer kids to sell. If nothing sells then that will be a nice amount of meat in the freezer.


I like this idea! I just covered both of my doelings. I think I'll pick one to milk through next year and rotate breeding them rather than breeding both again. That is of the genetics are there that they would milk through....


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

What breeds are able to milk through? Are some better then others, or how do you keep them going when they slow down? I would love if some of my kids could do this.. I have 2 kinders, a Nubian, and an ober/alpine mix.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I think it depends on genetics and care.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Your Alpine/Ober may be able too. LaManchas are known for it as are Alpines and Saanens. Nubians usually won't, although you never know. I doubt your Kinders would reliably.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

goathiker said:


> Your Alpine/Ober may be able too. LaManchas are known for it as are Alpines and Saanens. Nubians usually won't, although you never know. I doubt your Kinders would reliably.


Yeah sometimes I wonder if my kinders are worth it. I'm weaning my 3 mo old kinder wether, I thought I would get more milk, I did for 1 day, and now just 16oz... So I won't even try them. I'll try on my other 2 though


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

You never know until you try. I have 7 junior does: 4 French Alpine, 1 American Alpine, and 2 British Guernseys (7/8ths, the other 1/8 is Togg). I bred the largest 2 French Alpines this year and will attempt to milk them through next year, when I breed the other 5. The herd they came from doesn't seem to have tried milking through, so who knows how they will do.


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Well, not exactly at milking thru yet, but feel certain we have a good chance-- our little Ober doe that freshened in June is still going very strong... at least a half gallon daily (and she was being dried off when we got her) and it seems to be increasing, with the diligence of my very enthusiastic 10 yr old (milking twice a day)... also we got a little 8 wk old mini kid yesterday and he was bleating so loud, she let down milk!
So we will see about milking thru....
the plan was for the 8wk old to keep our does in milk but he is so tiny(7 or 8lbs) and frightened and so much smaller than the does, I think he will have to grow some to do the deed...
I guess its not quite milking thru if she gets bred in Spring and kids next year though... but I do think this doe could go thru if we let her....


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Your little Nigerian will need to be close to full size to breed the big girls.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yep, I'm thinking maybe next year you will be able to use the little guy... How is he by the way??


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