# First milking without kid and bad milk volume?



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

You all were right about the kid getting all the milk. I sold him last night, and this morning her bag was huge and tight... But I milked her out and only got 2.5 cups of milk? Im not sure what to make of it, but I am a little confused. At this rate, twice a day milking will only give me less than a half gallon. She is only 9 weeks from when she started milking, and she is an alpine. Is it normal? Is there anything I can or should do? I need at least a half gallon a day to justify keeping this particular goat for my cheese making needs.


----------



## Frog pond farm (Feb 21, 2012)

She might not want to let her milk down, when she's used to being milked you might get more. After a week she will let her milk down better. My doe was milking when I got her and it took her awhile to get her used to the new routine.

Let her get used to the routine for a week or so, keeping it as stress free as possible for her. If she still is only giving the same amount...well there I don't know much...  Someone else probably knows a quicker way to get her to let more milk down :hi5:


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Are you sure you got all of the milk in her udder? Was the udder completely deflated when you were finished, or still somewhat "tight"? I can't remember if you are an experienced milker or not. I wouldn't panic yet. Patiently get her into a routine of the stand, feeding and milking her. See if that volume comes up. Wash that udder with very warm wet towels. Can you get a picture of her udder when full before you milk?


----------



## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

When you milk her does her udder still seem full? It is very possible she is holding back milk in hopes that her kid will return. Just keep milking her, once she gets accustomed to her kid being gone and you as the only source of relief she will start to let down more.


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

I will take a photo tonight when I have her on the stand. I don't think I got it all, but it was getting harder and hurting my hands so I stopped because less volume was coming out. I tried to make own milder with a brake bleeder, it did t work so I guess I need to buy a real one,


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Try milking her 3 x a day, and you'll definately need to bump and massage her udder the way a kid would when nursing.

Also...I've found that exercising your hands a few weeks prior to the start of handmilking by squeezing a tennis ball helps strengthen the muscles needed to milk and it takes a bit longer to start feeling the discomfort as you finish milking.


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Liz, I tried milking her again and got 2 more cups.. So I'm assuming when I try later tonight I will get 2 more cups. I have been able to keep milking and it keeps coming, but much slower. I am assuming she is holding it in, I'd really love to get a gallon a day from her, and I'm thinking of getting udderly ez milker because the video I saw on YouTube is amazing with how fast it works!


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

How's her diet?


----------



## Rev144 (Jan 22, 2011)

Sorry to be off topic, but this looks REALLY good!


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

She gets free choose hay, alfalfa at night, sometimes beet pulp, and she gets grain now only while on the stand.

Haha! I'm so glad you love the bread, it's a sourdough I make, and I actually just took one from the oven an hour ago!


----------



## Willow (Jun 12, 2011)

To get milk letdown... Keep calm. Speak in soothing tones. [I sing softly.] Warm your hands first. Wash udder with warm towels. Massage udder with a litle bit of oil - olive oil that wont flavor the milk. Do a bit if bumping. Be patient and perisitant. Let her know that you aren't going to give up and go away. Your hands will get stronger. [everyone will want you to open jars for them :laugh: ]. Good luck


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Legend, I would still like to see a picture of her udder if you have time.
I've been through this when I first started milking my Saanens. The does were not comfortable with me. I wasn't sure what I was doing. I kept trying and that volume kept going up. Eventually I got where I was sure I was getting every last drop. Which is what you want to get them to produce more. If you have the time, going to three times a day might help get you started. The reason is it's hard to get that milk flowing with the udder completely engourged and tight. With my heavy milking doe it's tough sledding for the first pint of milk and then as the pressure is somewhat relieved, it's much easier to milk. I also cheat and use bag balm or vasolene to strip milk by forming a clench or pinch with my thumb and forefinger and sliding the clench down the teat. That is how I taught myself to milk. I can now also do a more conventional milking technique and usually mix the two. My theory on the bag balm and vasolene is that it mimics the saliva of a kids mouth and helps let down. That and the lubrication allows the stripping technique without pain to the doe. My hands hurt a lot when I first started milking too. I seriously thought about a milking machine, but my hands got stronger and my technique got better. Unless I got a machine that could do more than one doe at a time, for me the machine would just slow me down and make more work for prep and clean up. Believe me, I didn't start out that way.


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

I thoug about using some udderly smooth on my hands first to try and make it easier on her.. I am going to milk her again in an hour for the final time tonight. Tomorrow when she is freshly full. I will take some good pictures for you all to see. She is very friendly with me, and she wags when she gets on the stand because she knows it means getting grain. It's hard to milk her with two hands because that means I need to put down the jar I use to collect the milk and it makes it a lot harder for me to aim into the jar and I miss a lot.


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Final tally for all 3 milkings today came to just under 6 cups... Not even a half gallon. She seems content when I'm milking. No more kicking and no need for hobbles anymore.


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

Can you give me a little background on the doe (sorry if you already said all this in a different post). First, how old is she and what freshening is she on? I'm guessing she had a single kid and there are no kids on her at this time? What is she eating and how much? Do you know anything about previous milk production or the production of her mother? It is possible that you're not going to get any more than that, but unlikely unless she is old or young. With more info I think we might be able to give a little more advice. Good luck!


----------



## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

^True. If she's a FF, then that might be all you get this year. Does will also give less milk if they have a single kid. Twins and triplets are always good! :laugh:


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

I think there is a 50/50 chance this is her first freshening, but can't be certain, she only has the 1 kid. I will keep at it, and hopefully tomorrow I'll get more! Should I milk two or three times like I did today?


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

This morning I totally forgot to take photos of her udders for you all, some i will at the afternoon milking... BUT I did get a cup more this morning that I did yesterday, not sure what it means though!


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Here are photos from the afternoon milking. I got approx. 3 cups from her this morning, and 2 this afternoon, probably more tonight. It seems she is giving me more than yesterday, and I should be able to get 4 gallons by next week to make a batch of cheddar to age in my basement!! Woohoo!!

As promised.. here are the photos, please tell me what you think:


----------



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

She doesn't look like she is filling completely. I noticed in another thread you posted in that you said she was beginning to wean her kid. That may very well be the problem. Once they start weaning them they drop in production simply because the kid isn't eating much so she doesn't need to make much and was drying herself up. When they stop producing as much most of the time you can never get them back up to where they were no matter how hard you try. I'd keep milking her though you may get her back up to something substantial. My suggestion is next time she kids start separating the kids from her at night at around one or two weeks old and milk her in the mornings. This will tell her body she needs to produce more and she will likely have more milk for you when you do wean her kids.


----------



## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

Molly's herbals sells an herbal supplement that you can add to their grain. It's called Mo' Milk. I used it for the doe I was milking last year, and it really did increase her production. You could try that.


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Could it be that the photo was from the afternoon instead of the morning? When I went to milk her in the morning she was so full that when I massaged her udder, and was cleaning it, milk started squirting from the teat without me even touching it,


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

Well if it is her first freshening and she only had a single you very well may not get much more, but half gallon a day isn't too bad for a FF. I would assume that she would produce more next year, especially if she kids with multiples. I would definitely think that the reason her udder doesn't look completely full is that it wasn't a 12 hour fill. It sounds like she is filling nicely when given a full 12 hours. If it was me I would keep milking three times a day for another week or two, just to tell her body that she needs to produce as much as she can, then go down to twice a day. I haven't tried the Mo Milk formula myself, but have heard good things. Beet pulp has worked well for me when I have tried to boost production in my does. I hope that you're able to get her up to a better level soon. Good luck!


----------



## Hobbyfarmer (Sep 7, 2011)

How's she doing? Letting down any more?


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Yes! She is giving me about 4 pounds a day right now, bun I'm noticing I'm getting more and more each day, I'm also getting better at milking, but again, I really need to buy something to make it easier, by hand is too slow for me. Haha.


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

I'm glad to hear that things worked out for you!


----------



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Thanks so much! The other goat dotty is showing signs that she will give me a gallon a day. Her udders are huge, and once the baby is weaned I will be able to have it all. I think Ida is a first time freshener and that must be why I'm o ly getting 4 pounds a day.


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Way to go, Legend. :thumb:


----------

