# Newbie Questions with First Freshener and Single Doe Kid



## knightrider (Feb 28, 2012)

Hi all... my ND doe had her kid 6 days ago. I was given advice that I need to separate her kid at night and then milk momma in the morning. I feel like its way too young?

Am I just being paranoid? I don't fully understand why I have to separate them? Can't I just milk momma out without separating them? I understand that I want to teach my doe how to be a milker but not sure I fully understand the whole milking process... if I only milk her half way, will she still try to dry out?

I'm kind of stretched on time in the mornings and I would rather not separate them when I start turning out during the day...

Just a total newbie here... any thing you can share on this would be helpful. Thanks!


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

I wouldn't seperate them until at least 2 weeks old(personally I would push it till 3). Your going to most likely get colostrum before that.

And you can milk her without separating them you just wont get a ton of milk.


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## knightrider (Feb 28, 2012)

I'm not worried about how much milk I get from her right now, but I want to make sure down the road there are no ill effects with her production. After I posted this, I've found some posts that say with a single doe kid I shouldn't have to separate?

Is this true? Also, i thought the colostrum was only 24 hours?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would milk her every day and milk her out now. You want her milk production to stay up and you don't want a lopsided udder.

I never bother to separate a single from mom.


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## AdamsAcres (Dec 3, 2012)

You don't have to separate them if you're not concerned about having the milk, but you do want to milk her out completely. If you only milk her halfway her body learns she doesn't need that other half you've left and her production will drop. She will "hold back" enough for the baby. Don't worry about that. 

I do separate singles IF they are emptying mom out and I want the milk. I have one Mini-Mancha that sucks her momma dry and if I want anything I better separate her at night and get it in the morning.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I have to separate my single buckling, they are kinders and he is a piggy.... I was shocked when I went to milk her the last day they were together, yeah where did all the milk go Beebop????


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Quick question.... If you separate should you still milk completely out? ... I haven't been, I've just been taking what I need and leaving it like that.... I'm only going to be milking her once a day... At the most milking twice a day when I first got her, I only got 4 oz more, so I figured why bother... Her last owner milked just once a day too.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would milk most of it out. She makes more.


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## knightrider (Feb 28, 2012)

Does the actual milking part get easier? Haha... I'm having a heck of a time figuring out how to get it out... without a lot of time.. i'm just not getting the knack of it.


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## AdamsAcres (Dec 3, 2012)

It does get easier. Each of my girls milk differently and we spent quite a bit of time together until I knew how each teat worked on each goat. lol. What used to take an hour takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on the goat.


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## AdamsAcres (Dec 3, 2012)

janeen128 said:


> Quick question.... If you separate should you still milk completely out? ... I haven't been, I've just been taking what I need and leaving it like that.... I'm only going to be milking her once a day... At the most milking twice a day when I first got her, I only got 4 oz more, so I figured why bother... Her last owner milked just once a day too.


IMO... Whether you milk once a day or twice a day you should milk her out.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

The reason for separation it so the single kid doesnt just take one side and make the dam have a lopsided udder. Which will if not managed right, will indeed effect production in later freshenings. If bad enough, she could have a lop sided udder the rest of her life. This is why we always pull odd number of kids off their moms leaving a max of 2 kids on after 2-4 weeks old.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

TDG-Farms said:


> The reason for separation it so the single kid doesnt just take one side and make the dam have a lopsided udder. Which will if not managed right, will indeed effect production in later freshenings. If bad enough, she could have a lop sided udder the rest of her life. This is why we always pull odd number of kids off their moms leaving a max of 2 kids on after 2-4 weeks old.


Would you milk completely it TDG-Farms? I haven't been, but I could. He does have a favorite side... So I milk the opposite side more. Just wanted your opinion....


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

With you having just a few goaties you can have more hands on and that is good. But the problem is, you are pretty much milking one side. So that side gets to stretch and expand between milkings. While the side the kid is on wont be able to do that cause as the kid grows he will be taking more and more. At some point he will start taking enough milk outta that one side, it will not be given the chance to stretch/expand out. So come next year when the doe freshens, the side you milked will be bigger (sometimes much more so) then the side the kid was taking. Then if you ever plan to show, you cant. A lopsided udder is a sure fire way to get sent to the end of the line.


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## hallsthirdacrefarm (Mar 30, 2011)

With only a few goats, I wonder about using teat tape after the kid is a week old or so to get the kid to switch and balance the udder between milkings...like, milk out the side kid is not nursing, then tape THE OTHER side, the one the kid nurses. Then, show the kid the other side works too. Next time, milk the full side and again, tape the side the kid has nursed... I haven't tried it, but I bet this could save someone from having a bottle baby who didn't have the time while allowing both sides of the udder to develop capacity.


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## knightrider (Feb 28, 2012)

well... at what age should you start separating? it seems extreme to do it at 5 days old? i'm milking momma now and today is 7 days since baby was born.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Ideally you take the kid right away to save the mama some heartache. We dont get many single kiddings so dont have to deal with this to often. But we like to leave the kid on for at least the first 2 days to get the colostrum they need. Unless they are kinda weak, then we take em right away. But by day 7 they should be pulled. And although I dont much care for teat tape, you could alternate the halves and force the kid to take say a different side each day? That way you get the best of both. And the alternating will allow each side to expand and grow.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

I don't separate the mom and kids until I see the kids are chowing their cud.


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