# How to? quads and high milk volume



## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

I recently acquired a doe that is from a line of consistent quads and super high milk volume. She is young, so I'm not breeding her for a while, but I'm preparing for the future. I don't know how to supplement her so she can maintain such high outputs! I've only had low producers so far...

For Nigerian Dwarfs, how much grain would you give to maintain a doe giving 1/2 gallon or more per day? Please put amount of grain in weight or standard kitchen measuring cups. Protein % of the grain/feed you prefer? My hay will be 12-14% most likely.

If she has quads the first time, what does she need to thrive while raising so many??? I'd love for her to raise them herself, but as a first freshener, that seems like a lot to ask for... Any yays or nays on that? I know does that handled twins fine, but I've never had more than twins here.


----------



## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I've had quads a few times. In order to make sure every kid gets what they need to thrive and not pull down the doe, I pull any kids over 2 in number and bottle feed. I still leave them in the herd, just not nursing. This works really well for me. Personally, I don't like the quad situation - I would rather have twins for ease of kidding and lactation.


----------



## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

Has anyone else done something different with quads, or is it standard to pull any over 2?


----------



## HJoy (Mar 22, 2018)

One of our 4-H members had a first freshener Nigerian Dwarf kid with quads this year and they allowed her to dam raise all 4. There were certainly two that got first shift at the milk bar and out performed the other two, but their growth all evened out by the time they were a few months old and mom stayed fat and sassy in spite of the workload. 
We had quadruplet boers this year to a heavy milking doe and chose to follow the same protocol we usually do with triplets. We left them on mom and just offered everyone a bottle twice a day as a top off. The first two weeks, no one was interested, after two weeks the big buckling started enjoying the extra, and by week 4 two of the doelings joined in on the occasional snack. I like being able to offer the extra, but not having the extra work of full time bottle babies. They seem to get the hang of being a goat faster when they can stay with Mom too. 
That being said, sometimes when they are with Mom they won't take the extra no matter how badly they need it, or you want them to have it and pulling one or two of them will be there only way to keep them all from starving. You may have to wait and see what happens when they are born and then decide what works best for you.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

No not everyone pulls more then two. Actually a lot of people do leave quads on. Usually though it is very common for only two to grow great and the other two (or even one In a case of trips) to grow a lot slower even if the doe is supplemented very well. 
If you watch your does that have just twins, you will see what is normal for the does to do. They will squat down many times a day and call the kids to nurse. They run over and the doe will feed them for maybe 30-40 seconds and then walk off, doing this many times a day. The does really don’t stand there and make sure the first two eat their fill and then the next two. 
This is going to be my own opinion off of what has happened over the years with my herd and why I pull them. Usually by the time I realized that 2 were not growing as well, the kids would not take a bottle. I did the same as HJoy and decided to just supplement with a bottle and that did go kinda well on a few does and their kids. But one year I had a doe reject all her kids because they still ran to mom for milk and would bite down fighting over the teats. Granted the doe never should have rejected her kids but I felt so bad for her because she had sores all over her teats. I figured that was a fluke and still did the same thing. Next year it was the same thing with my best doe and she didn’t reject the kids but did end up getting mastitis and lost half her udder. So I don’t even bother with trips or quads any more. They stay on the doe for 24 hours and then are pulled and either I keep and bottle feed or I sell as bottle kids. To me they are not worth the risk of a one teated goat


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I've pulled and raised all 4, pulled 2, and left all 4 with mom and watched, supplemented when needed. I know which of my girls can raised quads with ease and which cannot.

My milkers get Blue Seal Premium dairy goat pellets (20% protein) when lactating. I drop down to a dairy cow 16% pellet when dry. The amount depends on the doe, per production, her body condition, # of kids and stage of growth of the kids. All does are different, so I just go by what each doe seems to need to produce the milk required.

Starting last year, I pulled all the doelings and the breeding potential bucklings and bottle fed them on pasteurized milk. I let the market wethers stay with mom.

I'm just starting back with Nigerians after several Nigerian-less years. I am debating which method I will be doing with them.

I, though, agree with only wanting twins. This year everyone had triplets or quads, so I was drowning in kids. With 12 does kidding, that was just too much for me, especially when I had hip replacement surgery in the middle of kidding season! Lol.


----------



## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies.


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

The mindset seems to be "Extremes are better" I remember years ago reading on a magazine cover "These Sheep Have LITTERS" The article was about Finn sheep that regularly have more than twins. The article definitely had the slant of more lambs equaled higher profits. It had scant, if any, exploration of the difficulties and expenses incurred.

More are better. Larger is better. Tinier is better. Not necessarily so.

Sometimes, "Normal is better"

The market is everything. And imo, often the market is stupid. :imok:


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

That’s the truth! I remember first starting out and a lot of people being shocked I didn’t have trips and quads, like there was something wrong with them. I was also over the moon on my first triplets. Now, older and wiser lol I’ll take those twins! Now I won’t complain about them because $50 in my pocket is great and if I can get a doe with a single to take one that’s even better lol


----------

