# Low Milk Production



## goatmama2 (Oct 21, 2007)

Hi Everyone,
I feel like I'm doing something wrong these days! We are milking 4 goats right now; 3 nubians and one alpine. All but one are first-timers. We are just not getting very much milk from any of them! Between all 4, we get about a gallon a day. I've had goats in the past that have given that much EACH. We have very good grain and hay. I've been a bit lax with the minerals and salt, but other than that everything seems good. They are healthy, shiny, frisky. What's going on? I feel like a failure!!! :sigh: Brooke


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

You are NOT a failure! Sometimes, especially with FF, they just don't give as much as you'd expect.

Is the hay you are giving straight alfalfa? It really makes a difference, in lower amounts of milk, if it's not. What type of grain are you giving and in what quantity?

Have you checked them for worms - that might be causing them to give a lower production?

Others here have far more experience than I so you should get some better ideas/advice shortly.

Good luck.


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## goatmama2 (Oct 21, 2007)

I will be checking them for worms this week. I know their hay is really good, it has a lot of things in it...alfalfa, timothy, clover, etc. We have been buying from the same guy for years and the hay looks good enough to eat it myself! Our grain, too, comes from a quality supplier and is 15% protein. We usually use 16% but can't get it right now...even so, they weren't producing any more with the higher protein than they are now. I'm so discouraged. I'm going to try to find a microscope to check for parasites. I just took a workshop on Sat. to learn how! Thanks, Cinder.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

higher carbs helps with milk production..pretty sure


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## Anna (Oct 17, 2007)

Sometimes it's just the does themselves and no matter what we try, some just dont produce as heavy. Also stress can cut back milk production significantly. My milker right now, Butterbean, will not let her milk down if men or dogs are any where within her vision or hearing...

Fenugreek, Red Rasberry Leaf, Goat's Rue (ironic right?), Blessed Thistle, Red Clover, Marshmallow Root, Anise, and Alfalfa are all used with human mom's to up milk production... I bet they would work in goats too. I think most of those you can fine in a drug store or health foods store in a capsul form that could be broken over thier grain. Worth a try!


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## Anna (Oct 17, 2007)

also forgot, extra protien goes along way for milking gals too. I use calf manna which most feed stores carry to up protien and add a few vitamins, it's a little expensive but I only use about a cup of it a day. Alfalfa pellets can also be used to up protien content in the grain. Cotton seed meal I think is nearly 44%protien so little would go a long way with that as well.

Just some ideas


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## FarmandFiber (Jun 30, 2009)

I have a question on the same line as this- I have one milker who had quads before I bought her (Nigerian Dwarf who kidded in April). She had a beautiful udder when I brought her home about 1 month ago. Now I see that she has lost alot of it and her one side is almost completely dry. Any explanation??

Thank you-

-Lisa

www.farmandfiber.com
Nigerian Goat Sales & Fiber Boys Alpacas


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

How many times a day are you milking her Lisa?

Was she raising her kids or were they pulled and she was milked for their bottles?
If she was raising them then it is likely that they were nursing one side more than the other, not enough to make her lopsided but enough that one side would have lower production, also, if she had freshened before with a single and raised it, that single kid could have caused her udder to be unbalanced with production.

At 3 months fresh, she should be at peak production


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## FarmandFiber (Jun 30, 2009)

She was raising them- the previous owner milked her occasionally. I usually milk everyone once a day -in the morning.

I milked both sides-seemingly equal, just noticed the one side much smaller now. She always had multiple in past births. Also, doesn't seem to be any problem with worms.

I am just comparing her to my other doe who is separated from her little one (she had triplets, 2 babies sold and gone, girl retained with us) at night and has a great full udder (and balanced).

Both does kidded within a week of each other.

-Lisa

www.farmandfiber.com
Nigerian Dwarf Goats & Alpaca Fiber Boys


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

It is entirely possible that with her previous owner just milking occassionaly that she was taking more from one side than the other, which conditioned the doe to not produce as much on the one side. That is just my opinion though, there could be another factor in play as well, like if she'd possibly had a mild mastitis in the one side that has affected her production. Also, with triplets born to my girls, most often I see 2 kids on one side and the third getting a teat to itself, that would make her produce more on one side as well.


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