# How long does a doe milk if you don't breed her?



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

My doe dried up about 2 months before kidding. How long will they generally milk if you don't breed? I'm talking about NDs here, but info on any breed would be appreciated.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Depends on the goat...I milked my Bootsie who is a ND/Pygmy cross for almost 27 months. After she freshened at 8 years old with triplets, I chose to retire my pet and just continued to milk her as long as she was giving, around the 18 month mark is when she was giving less than 2 cups a day as I had been milking her once a day from around the 9 month fresh mark....she went to less than a cup towards the end and it really broke my heart to see her waiting to get on the milkstand and not be there for milking...she was my best mannered doe when it came to stand manners too.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Thanks Liz. Wow, 27 months is a lot longer than I thought! I wonder if my does would do that?


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I have a doe that kidded when she was a year old and she is three and a half years old now. She was giving 3/4th gallon a day with twice a day milking and I am currently drying her up but I am sure she would have continued if I let her.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Xymenah - is she Alpine? I have heard that Alpines can lactate for years without being re-bred.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

She might have Alpine in her but I know for sure she has Lamancha and Saanen. I also have one doe that is a three and a half year old Alpine-Togg cross that is a precocious milker. Never been bred and has been producing milk since very young and never has dried up even if I don't milk her for three months.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

That is really neat!


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