# How much? Am I doing something wrong?



## Chantilly871 (Apr 26, 2011)

Hi all,

I have three does in milk; all first freshners. One is a Spanish/pygmy cross and two are boer/pygmy crosses. 
They are with their babies all day (only for a few more weeks though) and at night I separate them and milk them in the am. Also, one had a single so I milk one side of her udder twice a day.
I get on average 8-10 oz of milk per doe...doesn't seem like much. I know they are smaller goats but it just doesn't seem like as much as some other people get from the smaller goats.
I feed them 1 coffee can of grain/alfalfa pellets mix and they each get 1 or more flakes of hay am and pm along with plenty of water and mineral supplement in the pm mixed into their grain.

Any suggestions?


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## OldGoat58 (Dec 15, 2011)

Try cutting back on the time the kids are with the doe's during the day, see if that increases your milk production any.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I don't know what a meat breed goat normally gives. You're not going to get the production you would get from a milk breed goat though. One thing I've found is that alfalfa more then grain increases the milk production in my does. Beet pulp also can help with production but, may make a meat bred doe get fat.
If you want house milk for your use, you may want to look at getting a Nigerian or a mini milk doe.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Meat breeds may give good milk but the quantity suffers....I had a pygmy doe that was giving me 1 and 3/4 quarts with 2x a day milkings, very good for a "non dairy" breed doe.
When did these does kid? The length of lactation can also indicate how much as well as how long the kids are separated at night.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

You won't get very much milk from a meat goat. Some make lots of milk, but for the most part for decades they have only had to raise their kids, not bred for heavy production like dairy goats are. Does who have singles don't usually milk very well either, even dairy does. I have had some that milked very well having a single, but I had one doe who gave half the amount my does who had twins did. 

How old are the kids? If they are fairly young, you may be able to coax a little more production from your does by continuing to milk them and making their body think they need more. 

Not sure if this is true, but I have heard of some meat does being able to hold back their milk with or without kids on them. Almost like they know its not for you. If you are wanting more volume you would need to get a Nigerian or other mini dairy breed.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Or a kinder. Or a big dairy goat. One big dairy goat would give you all the milk you need most of the time. Nubians have the richest milk. She would still have company so you could get by with just one.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Kinders are cool. One of them would match your Pygmy/Boer crosses really well.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

My kinders make 4-7 pounds of milk a day at peak. Then less. But most of them will milk for a long time. I am still milking 5, four of them once a day, and getting a gallon and a half a day. They kidded three in February and two in early May. I am drying four of them up because they are bred. The other will be milked as long as she will make milk. Most of them are easy keepers too.


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## Chantilly871 (Apr 26, 2011)

I've never heard of kinders....I will check them out. I did notice I got more milk when I increased the alfalfa pellets 

The single milker actually give the most/best milk, believe it or not....

They freshened the last week of september and 1st week of october...

I AM thinking about selling them and getting two nubians...it makes me sad though, b/c I love them BUT, my main goal is milk...I was hoping to find a good milk & meat breed...Nigis are just too much money for me to afford one up here in upstate NY...$500 for one...nope..not me...

I think I answered everything....thanks for your help!!


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## Chantilly871 (Apr 26, 2011)

I checked out Kinders; they sound great BUT there are no breeders anywhere close to me as far as I can tell...anyone know of any in the upstate NY area?
I would even be interested in maybe breeding my does with a kinder..I think...need to research that more.
I'm in this as a homestead and not for showing or breeding...what do you all think?


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## Chantilly871 (Apr 26, 2011)

I have noticed my Zoey relaxes and lets down more milk when I hum while I   milk...lol...music soothes the savage beast? 

So perhaps they are holding back...the stinkers..


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Kinders are a dual purpose goatie.... Crossing a Pygmy buck with a Nubian doe gives both a shorter thicker "meat" breed as well as a smaller goat that can give a good amount of milk.

Before I got my 2 nigerian does...I raised pygmy/nigerian crosses and 2 of those does in milk on good quality feed and milking 2x a day gave me just over 3 quarts a day, 
most does reach peak production at 6-8 weeks after they deliver, what I've learned is that if you start to milk earlier when the kids are at 3 weeks, the does production tends to be stronger....if you only just started to milk them, they have let their kids regulate the amount they produce, increase the alfalfa, get them a good loose mineral and when you separate them at night, get mama's their grain and empty out their udders....allow a minimum of 8 hours separation and no more than 12, feed and milk in the morning as you have been....don't give up just yet, they may surprise you.

If you aren't concerned with registration but do want to be sure you get healthy goats, try looking through the registry sites, there may be a few breeders close to you who would possibly know of someone who has unregistered dairy goats.


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

I have found my myotonics to be a dual purpose goat. I sell some of the goats in my lines as milk goats and they also produce exceptional, meaty kids. You have to find a breeder that breeds for udders too though otherwise you can find some pretty hideous udders with myos. LOL 

I have 3 does due soon that should mature into good milkers


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Any of the stockier milk goats with smaller bones such as LaManchas, Nubians, some lines of Oberhasli, are going to milk well and will give you pretty meaty kids if crossed on a Pygmy buck. Heck, get registered Nubian does and a registered Pygmy buck and become your own Kinder breeder. If you can get interest you could bring a new breed to the area.


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