# Milking schedule



## Retiredokjusttired (Jun 26, 2016)

What is your milking schedule like? Is it different when they have babies on them than when they don't? Do you milk once a day or twice a day or more? I'm new to all this milking stuff and I'm sure that there is a standard of how to do it but I am wondering the variations that are possible. I currently have a Toggenburg that gave birth to one single and initially I knew I needed to milk her because I was afraid she would get mastitis if I didn't. It's turned into so much more at this point and I'm happy to be milking her. I milk her at about 1030 in the morning once I get kiddo dropped off to school and the few errands ran. My evening schedule I have been milking her anywhere from 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock in the evening and I would like to bump that up to more like four or 430 in the afternoon but I am a little nervous because she is so full at 10 or 1030 in the morning. I think breast-feeding my own kids Has given me way too much empathy for her LOL. That overly full feeling can be painful. So just trying to see what other people do to maybe give me some structure. Thanks in advance!

Oh, I can milk her about an hour earlier in A.M. If needed. Thought I should probably add that. To space out the time….If that's needed since she has a baby on her. I really don't know how this works:thinking


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It is best to milk 12 hours apart if you are milking twice a day. I milk about 8am and 8pm when I milk twice a day. There can be a little variance but I wouldn't go less than 9 or 10 hours between milkings.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

1 am and 1 pm. I dry them off 2 months before they kid to help get ready for the next milk cycle. 
Mainly, what works for you. I used to milk on a 15 hr. Schedule. I did that for years. They gave plenty of milk, no mastitis and best of all, no one bothered me because they never knew when I was sleeping!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I lock up kids at 7pm and milk at 7am. As soon as the babies are weaned or sold, I start milking twice a day, same times.


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