# Bring a doe back into milk??



## Joyceb (Apr 17, 2008)

If a doe has been left to raise her kids & is about to wean them (6-8 weeks)- can you start milking her a few times a day and keep her producing? I figure that the milk production will have decreased as the kids are weaned. With consistent milking can that production be brought back up?

My understanding of human lactation is that more milk can be produced if the demand increases (assuming the nutritional requirements are being met). Is this the same for goats?

Thank you for any information/advice.

JoyceB


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Hi Joyce

What you can do now is just pull the kids and start milking twice a day. Massage the udder and keep milking until they is nothing more adn then "demand more" massage and "milk" as this will stimulate her body to produce more. Her production may go up a little but dont' expect anything drastic. Their peak production is at 6-8 weeks and if she is beyond that and already slowing down in production you want to work fast to keep her from drying off.

Right now I separate my moms from kids at night and milk them 95% out in the morning leaving the rest for the kids to nurse and keep demanding more. This has worked great for me each year so I can get milk and dont' have to bottle feed.

Of course like you said make sure she has plenty of grain, salt and clean fresh water daily.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I start milking out my girls at that time...mini's...the kids are separated or have gone to new homes by then if they are doing well enough without mom. I milk 2x a day and their production still hasn't slowed. With 3 ND/Pygmy's they are giving me 10 + pounds a day between them.( 6 1/2 quarts)


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## Joyceb (Apr 17, 2008)

Excellent! The doe is due in about a week & I'm trying to plan ahead.

Thank you both.

JoyceB


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

oh if she hasn't even kidded yet then you can try the little method I do which is pen the kids up at night once they reach at least 2 weeks old. This will keep her production up and the kids happy


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## Joyceb (Apr 17, 2008)

Up until last night I was uncertain if the current owner would be willing to sell before the kids wean - so I thought I'd better find out if I could bring her back into milk. 

But last night I talked with the seller & she is willing to sell the doe with her kids (or kid) at her side. She is going to let her kid at her farm and make sure they are all doing well for a week or so then we will bring them home.

:stars: :leap: :stars: 

I am so excited!

JoyceB :sun:

(edited to add - I do plan to do the separation at night after a while so I can milk first thing in the morning. I think that is a perfect idea!)


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Our does if we let them nurse will usually not totally wean there kids until they are about 7 months old or if the doe has been rebred(although I have a pair of yearlings out there that STILL nurse on their mother who is milking through, they are in a pen by themselves now, ugh) 6-8 weeks(usually 8 minimum) is the time when most people wean their kids off of the moms.

What we do is we let the mom nurse the kids day and night for about 3 weeks. During that time we still milk the mom out morning and evening to get whatever leftover milk the kids don't have, this will keep her production up, I don't usually do this in the first couple days though so that the kids can get all the colostrum they want. When they reach 3 weeks old we put them in a separate pen that they can't get out of and milk the moms in the morning. Then we put the kids back with them for the rest of the day. At 3 months(we wean then because I just feel it is a better age) the kids go in a pen across the yard where they cannot see(and hopefully not hear) their mothers. We may let them out to get a drink from mom every once in a while but we usually keep them in the pen. The moms don't seem to totally wean/reject the kids until they are rebred in the fall.


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