# What time(s) of Day Do You Milk?



## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Hey, everyone. My does should be ready to breed next month and I have been thinking about what the best daily schedule for milking would be for me. What time or times of day do you like to milk?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Whatever times work for you. I milk once a day at 8 am.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I'm just wondering when are people's favorite times to milk. I know it is up to me.


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

This year I'm milking twice a day, at about 6:15 am and 8:00 pm or so. I hate it, but I'm trying to earn milk stars for my does.

Last year I milked AM only. Every year prior to that I've milked PM only. I'm not a morning person, but it turns out that the AM milking is a lot easier for me. Especially this time of year when it's getting dark earlier, it's really nice not to have to worry about milking at the end of the day. AM milking does get you up earlier, but once you're done it's forgotten and you have the rest of the day ahead of you.

Milking twice a day sucks very much and I don't know how so many of you manage


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## Oliveoil (Sep 3, 2019)

i usually milk at 6 am and pm during the school year. Summer is more relaxed and was either 630 or 730 depending on whether i had to work at night i would milk between 6 and 7. I have a pretty chill attitude towards milking times though


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

I didn’t know you could stray from the “every 12 hours” rule that all the books say one should stick to, so that’s what I am doing. Works for us.
7 am and 7 pm.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

7am and 7pm. Unless we don't. ;-)


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

We try to milk 12 hours apart, but sometimes it's only 10-11 hours apart. We usually milk 6:30-7:30 AM and 6:30-7:30 PM.


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## Michaela Van Mecl (Sep 3, 2018)

ksalvagno said:


> Whatever times work for you. I milk once a day at 8 am.


I actually had no idea that was feasible! I would love to start doing that! Right now I'm milking twice a day, am and pm.... but I'd love to transition to once a day. Do you think I'll end up losing milk overall?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Absolutely you will lose milk milking only once a day. You also can't do that with a heavy milker. My girls aren't heavy milkers and I don't need a ton of milk. So it was nice to go to once a day.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

The cow gets milked of a mornin after separation. The goats get of a mornin after separation while nursing kids. Then when weaned twice a day. I am not an early riser so mornin milkin is usually bout 8:30 and evening really depends on the time of year it is. It has been 7:30 through summer but the is goin down sooner now so i have been goin out about an hour earlier. Mine get put in the barn at night and come dark they want to be abed.


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

When I was milking twice a day it was 6 am and 8 pm just based on my work schedule/kids. I’m now down to once daily in the evening as we’ve started breeding for Feb kids. I’ll dry them off soon.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I milk every 15 hours. I know that sounds totally stupid, but it works for me! I have done it for 6 years, after I was no longer working at the constructions co. (then it was 4 am and 8 pm) Now it is every 15 and it works out pretty good.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

So is it not that important to milk every 12 hours? Like some of the other posters I figured that was a rule.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Depends on your does. If you have heavy milkers, then you do need to be faithful about milking every 12 hours


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

If you don't milk your does out every 12 hours EXACTLY, they will explode. It is fact.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Calistar said:


> If you don't milk your does out every 12 hours EXACTLY, they will explode. It is fact.


:funnytech:


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Whatever you decide, you have to keep that schedule. 12 hrs, 10, 8, 15 whatever, you cant keep switching around. So, pick what works for you and stick to it as close as possible. Sometimes life gets in the way, but if you have to change your schedule, its better to milk sooner than later. Easier on their udders, too.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Thanks everyone for you input. I'm thinking I could probably manage something like 7:00am and 6:00 pm. 

Here's another question: what do you do about day light savings time?


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## Kass (Apr 26, 2020)

MellonFriend said:


> Thanks everyone for you input. I'm thinking I could probably manage something like 7:00am and 6:00 pm.
> 
> Here's another question: what do you do about day light savings time?


I was just thinking of asking that question. I won't have any does in milk till spring, but I'm curious!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Nothing.


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

MellonFriend said:


> Here's another question: what do you do about day light savings time?


The same books that said it HAS to be every 12 hours said you can adjust to daylight savings time by moving milking time over by 15 minutes for 4 days before the time change.
It did that the first time.
The second time I did nothing.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

You mean you just acted like it hadn't happened and continued to milk at the same clock time or you moved it back/forward to accommodate what their bodies think?


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

MellonFriend said:


> Here's another question: what do you do about day light savings time?


Mostly just complain a lot 

...In all seriousness though, I go by the time on the clock. I have to be at work at 8:00 even if it we gain or lose an hour, which means I have to milk no later than 6:30, so I have to go by the clock and not the "actual" time. If you have room in your schedule to adjust to compensate for daylight saving's time and you want to, that's great, but otherwise they will adapt to being an hour off, as long as it's consistent!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

MellonFriend said:


> You mean you just acted like it hadn't happened and continued to milk at the same clock time or you moved it back/forward to accommodate what their bodies think?


In fall 2019, 4 days before clock was turned back an hour, I milked at 6:45, the next day at 6:30, the next day at 6:15, and the day the clocks were changed it was 6:00, but now called 7:00.
Does this make sense now?
In spring 2020, i acted as if nothing was different and milked at 7:00, even though the doe's body thought is was only 6:00.
My does are not heavy producers. I came to the conclusion that it didn't matter much, to do the jump of 1 hour.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Yep that makes sense, thank you.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

March - Nov we milk 7 and 7. Sometimes we fluctuate half-hour but try to stick to that. Nov-Mar, if we are milking (we have 3 due in Dec then 6 in Feb) we will do around 7 and about 5pm. That is due to it getting dark here about 6ish, sometimes a bit earlier. We don't have electricity in the milk barn and I really don't like doing chores, esp milking, in the dark. We have a lantern but still. Once daylight gets longer, we start stretching out to 7pm. 

We also milk test ours and they're heavy milk genetics. So they need to be milked twice a day, esp in the beginning of lactation. I go down to once a day when they are about 8 months into lactation to give myself a break. At that point most of them can drop, but yes, you lose a good bit of milk. You will get between 1/2 - 2/3 maybe of what they were producing. 

Like above, you just need to pick a schedule and stick to it. Don't just milk when you feel like it. Going off schedule will cause problems. You will get a feel of what your does will tolerate. I know early in lactation, mine don't tolerate too much more than an hour late as they get way too tight. Late in lactation, I can vary 2-3 hours if something comes up, maybe more. But if you milk whenever and don't stick to a schedule, you risk losing production as well.


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

When the kids are first born, We will milk the colostrum totally out after 24 hours. But we will relieve the udder some after the kids have had time to get all the colostrum they need in the first 12 hours. Then we (wife and I) milk in the mornings usually around 8 am give or take a few minutes. We let the kids run with the does during the day and separate them at night so we can milk the next morning. As the kids get older and if we don't need the milk then we will let the kids have the milk as long as they can handle what the doe is giving. If they don't keep the udder down then we will milk the doe as often as needed. However as time has come and gone, we are getting more interest from folks who want some of the milk. So we are milking more. If we need to milk in the afternoon, then it is 5 pm ST or 6 pm DST. and still 8 am regardless.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

I'm pretty much a 7am and 7pm person too. However, I'll move it back to 6pm as the daylight wanes because my silly girls don't like being out after dark. I don't have big Milkers as they're nigies, but they do better if I don't mess with their schedule too much. Life does happen and if I'm early or late, I'd better have a baggie of animal crackers handy or they'll lay down and refuse to be led out of the pen lol...
They're not spoiled


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

I work 10 hour shifts 4 days a week that swing back and forth between 7am-5pm in which I milk at 4:20am and then again at 5:30pm. When I work the 3pm-1am shift I milk at 1:30pm and then again at 2am. I just finished washing my milk pan and am off to bed lol


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

FoxRidge said:


> I work 10 hour shifts 4 days a week that swing back and forth between 7am-5pm in which I milk at 4:20am and then again at 5:30pm. When I work the 3pm-1am shift I milk at 1:30pm and then again at 2am. I just finished washing my milk pan and am off to bed lol


Oh bless you, I remember those shifts, they're hard on the body.
I'm a morning person so swing shift was always miserable for me but I loved graveyards and day shifts. That 3pm thru 1am shift would kill me. 
How do your girls handle the schedule changes, do you just change up milking times or, work your way up to it?


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

They do fine usually, if I have had the same shift for 2 weeks then when it swaps I usually milk earlier to bring their clock around but when I open the milk stall door to let each doe in they just stare at me like, " your clocks off lady". I work in the ER so they shifts usually fly by lol


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

FoxRidge said:


> I work 10 hour shifts 4 days a week that swing back and forth between 7am-5pm in which I milk at 4:20am and then again at 5:30pm. When I work the 3pm-1am shift I milk at 1:30pm and then again at 2am. I just finished washing my milk pan and am off to bed lol


That sounds crazy to me! mg:
Glad you worked it out and your does are ok with it!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Oh man that would be rough! I am NOT a morning person. I am lucky to have my mother who gets up before me and she will be taking the morning milking on. We are thinking some time around 7:00 am. I tend to sleep till 9:00 am. (embarrassed)


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

MellonFriend said:


> Oh man that would be rough! I am NOT a morning person. I am lucky to have my mother who gets up before me and she will be taking the morning milking on. We are thinking some time around 7:00 am. I tend to sleep till 9:00 am. (embarrassed)


That's nice that you get your mother to help with milking!!


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I work 12 hour overnights, 3 days a week, and then another 4 hours during my days off, time changes from week to week. My poor girls don't have a real schedule. I milk as soon as I get home, starting around 0800. My son and daughter in law then milk in the evening, anywhere between 2000-2200. On my days off, I milk around 0900 and then again any time between 2100-0030. They all get fed 3 meals a day, so that also changes with my work schedule.

They adapt really well to my messed up schedule. Up until this past January, I worked 1500-2300, so had a different schedule that was easier on them, had been like that for 12 years. Then, they had to change it on me. We are totally messed up here at my place! LOL


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