# reasons for low milk production?



## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

My nigerian dwarf's milk production is miserable. I thought this year my 3 does would produce much more since it's the first time they all gave birth at my farm and I've given good care to them. I'm only getting about 1 to 1 1/2 cups per milking from each doe. What an I doing wrong? They have some prime pasture, but with the warmer weather and more flies and bees, they tend to stay in their huts most of the day instead of out eating in the pasture like earlier in the spring. 

I'm giving them about 6 ounces of grain concentrate per day, is that enough for these 45 to 60 pound does that are in milk? I'm also giving them some black oil sunflower seeds with that each day.

They have good mineral supplements, so I think they are ok there.

anything else I might be missing? I don't think worms are a problems.

thanks


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Nearly not enough intake IMO. General rule is one pound of grain per pound of milk produced, plus alfalfa is key to great milk production. Also make sure they are not needing copper, selenium, and that they don't have a worm load problem. They need input to give output.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

When I had Nigerians, they were getting 3 cups per milking of grain.


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## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

ksalvagno said:


> When I had Nigerians, they were getting 3 cups per milking of grain.


you mean you fed them 3 cups of grain per milking? So they got 6 cups of grain each day? I think that's what you mean, I just wasn't quite sure with the way you worded it.

thanks for the replies, it sounds like I'm not feeding them nearly enough.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Yes. 6 cups per day. Alfalfa is very important too.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I agree, more intake on the grain, and as Karen mentioned, the alfalfa is important too!


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Free choice alfalfa hay or pellets, and my rule of thumb is 3lbs grain for every gallon they milk. I think 1lb grain per pound milked is way too much, if that were the case I have girls that would be getting 16-23lbs of grain a day each. Hay/roughage is what makes most of the milk, grain just supplements their production and keeps their weight on.
Also, water intake is massively important. If they aren't drinking, they aren't milking.


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## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

thanks so much everyone! it's obvious I have not been feeding them nearly enough grain! They have a mix of alfalfa, white clover, hi sugar perennial ryegrass, and chicory in their pasture. Here's where the hi sugar perennial ryegrass comes from, works great and they love it: http://sucraseed.com/great-gains/

and by the way, I had a typo in the original post, it should have said 1 to 1 1/2 cups of milk per milking. I will edit the post to correct that


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## Harriet_and_Hens (Apr 26, 2015)

I see this thread was from about a month and a half ago - has your milk production increased since then? How long post freshening was this posted? I ask because my nigerian doe is only giving 1 cup per day. I feed her 2 cups of grain plus BOSS and Alfalfa once per day, while milking. I was thinking maybe I'm not milking her out, when I think I am? She is 6 weeks post freshening..

I'm curious to know how it turned out for you  At least you were getting 3 cups/ day (since you had 3 goats). My 1 cup a day is just a tease!!


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## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

Harriet_and_Hens said:


> I see this thread was from about a month and a half ago - has your milk production increased since then? How long post freshening was this posted? I ask because my nigerian doe is only giving 1 cup per day. I feed her 2 cups of grain plus BOSS and Alfalfa once per day, while milking. I was thinking maybe I'm not milking her out, when I think I am? She is 6 weeks post freshening..
> 
> I'm curious to know how it turned out for you  At least you were getting 3 cups/ day (since you had 3 goats). My 1 cup a day is just a tease!!


the days my goats gave birth are:

Bandera: March 17
Spirit: April 2
Promise: May 12

Their production has gone up somewhat since then, but it fluctuates day to day depending on the weather. If it's really hot, like close to 90, their activity and amount of feeding in the pasture goes way down, and then I will only get about 1 cup from Bandera and Spirit. Most days, I average about 1.5 cup per milking from Bandera and Spirit. Promise averages about 2 cups per milking, sometime she gives around 3 cups per milking. I milk them twice each day. I have increased the grain to about 1.5 cup of grain and 1.5 cup of alfalfa pellets at each milking, and that helped a little bit.

the flies also aggravate them and I'm sure is having an impact on their milk production. I think that once the weather cools down later in August and into September, their production will go up a bit since they will be more active feeding in the pasture, and the flies are not very active below 65 degrees, so that should help.

I think the reason their production was so low is that I wasn't feeding them enough grain in the days/weeks right after they had their kids. When I first starting milking Bandera and Spirit, probably only 3 or 4 weeks after they had their kids, I think I was getting at least 2.5 to 3 cups per milking from each of them, and that was when I was only giving them max of 1/2 cup of grain and 1/2 cup alfalfa pellets per milking. I think their milk production dropped significantly after that because they lost weight quickly as their kids grew in size and demanded more milk, and I wasn't giving enough grain to supplement their body to keep their weight on. As their body weight decreased beyond a certain point, I think their milk production decreased so that they wouldn't over stress their bodies. I've read that once that happens, their milk production won't go back up until they freshen again. Had I been giving them 1.5 cup of grain and 1.5 cup of alfalfa pellets twice each day to begin with soon after they gave birth, I'm pretty sure they would have maintained around 3 cups of milk per milking, perhaps more, but I won't know until the next time they freshen now.


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## Harriet_and_Hens (Apr 26, 2015)

Thanks so much for the update! That makes a lot of sense! My FF is still just getting used to milking, and so am I which I think doesn't help my situation. Once her grain is gone, BAM- she wants off that milk stand! The rest of the time is spend with me trying to get every bit of milk I can out of her. I am probably not getting it all.. Hopefully as time passes, both of us will get better at it, and we'll start to see some higher milk yields. Like I said before - this 1 cup per day is such a tease!!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Harriet_and_Hens said:


> Thanks so much for the update! That makes a lot of sense! My FF is still just getting used to milking, and so am I which I think doesn't help my situation. Once her grain is gone, BAM- she wants off that milk stand! The rest of the time is spend with me trying to get every bit of milk I can out of her. I am probably not getting it all.. Hopefully as time passes, both of us will get better at it, and we'll start to see some higher milk yields. Like I said before - this 1 cup per day is such a tease!!


2 tips for getting that milk out once her grain is gone: Hobble her back legs (I just used baling twine tied to our metal milk stand - you could add circle bolts to a wooden stand - then I make a slip knot for each back leg.

And when she's done eating, set the regular milk bowl aside and milk her into a smaller cup or jar. You can hold it right up to the teat and stay with all her crazy goat gyrations.

FF Nigerians can be super skittish!


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## Harriet_and_Hens (Apr 26, 2015)

groovyoldlady said:


> 2 tips for getting that milk out once her grain is gone: Hobble her back legs (I just used baling twine tied to our metal milk stand - you could add circle bolts to a wooden stand - then I make a slip knot for each back leg.
> 
> And when she's done eating, set the regular milk bowl aside and milk her into a smaller cup or jar. You can hold it right up to the teat and stay with all her crazy goat gyrations.
> 
> FF Nigerians can be super skittish!


Great tips! I have been hobbling one leg, but she still manages to jump around a lot. Maybe I'll try both legs.. The only problem with that is that I milk from behind, but maybe I'll switch it up a bit.

As far as milking into a smaller container, I have already discovered this little tidbit :laugh: Thank goodness, too, or else I'd have little to no milk as a reward for my progress.

I'm sure she'll come around. Plus, as I am still getting used to milking, I do take quite a while. Once I am a little faster I think it will be a better experience.

Thanks so much for your help, you guys!!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

You can also put clean stones in her grain to slow her down, or give her hay when she has eaten it all. I give my girls alfalfa through milking and grain as a treat at the end.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I don't like hobbling. Mine get really upset and it defeats the purpose of providing a stress free milking session. If I have a difficult one, I do what Suzanne does, plus switch to a small container. Let them throw a fit for a couple of days and lose milk. Maybe a lot of milk. But Oh Well. Usually after day 3 they realize A. Nothing bad happened. B. They get to eat more C. They aren't going anywhere. D. Ok mom! Just my experience, but I'd rather lose milk for a couple of days than continue to hobble and fight.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I agree, my goal is to keep them as happy as possible on the stand. If they eat too fast just add a bunch of alfalfa pellets, its good for them and for milk production and they can eat as much as they want. I like my girls happy and calm, it really does make the best milk. If they stomp and kick my experience is just ignore it and don't stop milking, they stop, get better every day.


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