# Milk production dropping and strange doe behaviour



## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

Hi everyone,
We arr currently milking 2 ND does. We milk once a day and were getting a quart from 1 doe(Camilla) and 3/4 of a quart from the other(Saphire). Their kids were born at the befinning of June. Their production has been decreasing over this past week. This morning Camilla didnt finish her grain anx the dame thing happened tonight. And we only got 1/2 a quart from her! They arr both acring normally other than that.
One of our dry does has been acting very odd for a while. She is making bucky noises and my hisband has said that she has been chasing Camilla arpund (Camilla is the herd queen) putting her head against her sides and making a deep bleat and raspberries. We have also seen our does try to nurse from each other. Are my goats odd? Is there a problem making them do this? Should I try taping teats?


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Hormones are the problem for the dry doe. She is either in heat or Camilla is in heat or both. There is a possibility that the dry one might have a hormone imbalance or cystic ovaries, watch her to see if you can see her in heat.

Dropping milk production is also an indication of a doe in heat. 

My dam raised does will try to nurse off each other, especially ones who are related. I yell at the offending doe, who will stop. The one who is trying to be nursed from does not let the other nurse from her. If your does are allowing it, yes, I would tape or put something awful tasting on the teats to discourage sucking.

No, your goats are not odd, they are showing pretty normal behavior, especially for the fall months when most goats have very strong heat cycles.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

They are in heat or coming into heat it sounds like. It's breeding season.


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

I had thought that as well..but the bucky acting doe has been doi g this for quite some time. And Camillas milk production dropped in half overnight. This is only our second year milking so we havent learned the nuances of milk production variation yet.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Some does who are herd queens, or want to be, will act bucky too. Mine does even when no one is in heat. Its a dominance thing.


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

Thank you. The doe acting bucky was near the bottom of the herd..and the one she seems to be pestering in the morning is the herd queen. However, I will watch to see if any are acting in heat..the herd queen I know is.
Also, dumb question..how do you apply Teat tape and what do you use? I thought I saw someone used first aid tape and I want to make sure I do it properly. One doe's yearling will take nips and her mother not only allows it, but seems to encourage it. Also, that doe will let anyone's kids nurse from her.


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