# Staggering ND kidding for year-round milk?



## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

Has anyone tried doing this? I'm planning to breed my two does next month, for a late spring kidding. If I get a doeling, I plan to keep her, giving me 3 does. I was thinking, in the future, if I bred one (the best producer maybe) in spring, and the others in fall... I'd have year-round milk. Does anyone do this? Is there a downside (I mean, other than going out to milk at 5am in the snow?)? Are kids harder to sell in the fall? Anything else to consider?


----------



## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

Typically your FF's wont have the milk capacity so I would pair them/her up with an older doe that's freshened 2+ times.

If you brought your does in and have not milked them yet, some might dry up sooner than you'd like. And then some might milk for 1.5+ years. Just depends and you won't know till you try.

Staggering for year round milk is perfect!


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

The only downside I see is that there will be no time of year you can go on vacation without getting somebody to milk for you. But goat milk all year would be simply awesome! You're making me want to do it!


----------



## emcmanus (Mar 31, 2012)

I do this. I breed 6-8 in the Fall and then 4-6 in Spring. Usually, doelings from the previous year that are now a year old. It does make it hard to go on vacation , but we have so many animals anways (cattle and horses). My milk shares like having milk all year long and so do I!  There really is no disadvantage, but Elizabeth Aloha has a good point about quantity and freshenings. With as many as I breed, I usually don't think about that. I always boost my protein for milkers in the winter time for warmth and milk production, but you'll notice on cold, snowy days that production is down.

Elizabeth McManus
www.prairiehillsfarm.com


----------



## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

I'm pretty much out of luck in the vacation department anyway. With 3 dogs, 3 cats, 6 hens and 2 goats... somebody's gotta come over at least twice a day if I'm not home. 15min of milking isn't that much extra work (luckily my girls are easy milkers). 

Both my does were in milk when I got them this past July, and are still milking reasonably well. I milk twice/day. I definitely see a drop on the super cold days, but it seems to go back up once it warms up again. My small doe is currently a first freshener and I'm impressed with her milk capacity - really looking forward to next year with her! Really hoping she gives me a doeling.


----------



## Mac's Rainbow (Jul 30, 2012)

The way that is working the best for me to have milk year around is by milking some does through. Example: you have 4 does so you breed them to kid about the same time. When it gets time to re-breed just re-breed 2 of them and milk the other 2 through and then once the the 2 you re-bred have kidded they will be the ones you will milk through when it comes to breeding time again. I have found this to work really well for me. I hope it makes sense.

Mac's Rainbow Nigerians
SKM


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

^I've wondered if that would work with Nigerians! Now I know!


----------



## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

I've wondered about milking through too. Have heard about folks milking through for up to a couple years! That would be amazing. We'll see how it goes with this next breeding. They're both tapering off in production right now... but one is a first freshener and the other was being dried off when I got her... so probably not the best judge of how easy they'll be to milk through. Will definitely look into doing it that way though... as this whole breeding thing is kinda difficult when one lives in the suburbs. Plus the fewer kids I have to find homes for, the better. So milking through would definitely be my preference.


----------



## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

I don't have Nigerians but I do have a boer/alpine cross who cycles pretty much year around. I wasn't able to do it this year but last year I bred her to kid in october and bred everyone else to kid in march and april. I had milk for just about 25 months. I'd have done it again this year but I didn't have a buck when she was coming in this spring so now I am without milk until april. :-( but since I can't get away from home anyway, having milk year around is AWESOME.


----------

