# The best time to dry up a doe, before or after breeding



## lauraanimal1 (Sep 5, 2013)

I was wondering when the best time to dry a doe up would be. Should I do it before I breed her so she has a break before anything else is asked of her body or is it better on them if they are just dried up 2-3 months before they kid? What are the pro's and Con's of both? :hammer:

Thanks everyone
Laura


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Really depends on the goat. Are they underweight? Are they a heavy milker?


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

lauraanimal1 said:


> I was wondering when the best time to dry a doe up would be. Should I do it before I breed her so she has a break before anything else is asked of her body or is it better on them if they are just dried up 2-3 months before they kid? What are the pro's and Con's of both? :hammer:
> 
> Thanks everyone
> Laura


We like to see our girls get at least 60 days of vacation. Longer is better for adding weight and longer time to switch back to lactating ration towards the end. This year we had a "mandatory dry-up" of Aug 1st. Weaned the last of the kids and worked on dry up. By the 15th we infused and sealed the teats and they were good to go. It depends on how cooperative the doe's body is, where she is in lactation, and how heavy of production line she comes from. My Begonia gave me one hell of a time, and she does still have a little milk in her you can feel but she's dry anyway.

Point is, it depends on your schedule, your will, the doe's cooperation, genetics, and how far she is into her milk.


----------



## lauraanimal1 (Sep 5, 2013)

She's a Lamancha, not under weight but not over either. She produces aprox 3/4 gal total a day right now being milked 2 times a day.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What do you want to do? Sounds like you could do either.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Dairy goats should be able to continue lactation for 10 months, though it only leaves 2 months to dry off just to have them fill again for impending kids. Genetics as well as her production play a role though.
I currently have 2 does milked once a day.. I get 3 cups from my senior girl and 2 from the other, they've been in milk since mid February, my Sr was bred 2 weeks ago and once she starts to drop further with production she'll be dried off, my other girl will be bred in the next 2 weeks and she'll be dried of shortly too. Both my girls are in good condition.


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I am just now trying to dry up my ND doe, even though she probably won't be bred for another month or two. She's a little on the skinny side, and we have harsh winters, so I don't want her to have a hard time keeping weight on or keeping warm. I'll keep her on her grain, and free fed alfalfa though. One of the main reasons I am drying her up is because her kid, a fatty 6 1/2 m/o wether is STILL nursing.


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

lauraanimal1 said:


> She's a Lamancha, not under weight but not over either. She produces aprox 3/4 gal total a day right now being milked 2 times a day.


I think it'd be safe to "wean" her off milking at this point. Initially drop down to once a day. Once her bag starts to have any slight room, drop to one every other day. Slight room, once per three days, etc. Other people just drop every 5 days or one week until dry.


----------



## lauraanimal1 (Sep 5, 2013)

What Im wanting to do is bred her in the next month or two. Im going tomorrow to meet a lady and check out her herd that has ND's. I want to bred her and my doeling to her ND buck. I am also getting one of her ND does. I live in Wyoming and the winters here can be very harsh. The past couple years have been unusually easy winters for this area and All the old timers and such are saying its going to be a HARD HARSH winter this year. Maybe not so much in snow fall but in sub zero temps. Its nothing to get -16 or more here during the winters. So is the Almanac calling for a hard one too. So being that this will be my 1st winter owning goats as well as my 1st time having prego does and etc. I just want to make sure. 
Now to add to the question. If I start to dry her off now. Should I freeze some of her milk now (She is the ONLY doe I have in Milk right now but will be breeding a total of 5) for E.R. incase theres any issues with any of them and I have to bottle feed? (I plan on letting Moms take care of them if they can) Will the frozen milk last that long?
Thanks again
Laura


----------



## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

mjs500, what did you mean by you "infused the teats"? This is out first season and we are currently milking and starting to decide how and when to dry them off ourselves...I have SO much to learn


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Frozen milk lasts for 1 year. Never hurts to do that. But it is not a replacement for colostrum.


----------



## lauraanimal1 (Sep 5, 2013)

Wow that's a lot longer then I expected! And I agree what do you mean by infuse and seal up the teats? And what do you use to do that with? 
Ok So I know Im going to freeze some milk. Whats the best way to do/store that? 

I think after I get some milk stored up I will start to "wean" her. While I enjoy having the milk and I know I will have some frozen. I will want to save that for any kids that may need it. I think that might be whats best for her and what there expecting from this winter. 

So for a milk goat what would be the best kind of diet to add some weight but not to much and how should I do her diet right before I breed her and after? 

Thanks for putting up with my plethora of questions I just want to do whats best for them and have good healthy babies and Moms.
Laura


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I think by "infuse and seal" that it's meant that the does are infused with a mastitis treatment for dry udders , not sure on the seal part 
I freeze milk in 1 quart freezer zipper bags, it does separate after thawing but the technique I use to thaw keeps it together as well as running it through a blender.

As far as what to feed to add weight/condition I think that once she's not putting everything she eats into making milk that you should see a difference, I do cut grain during dry off but will still give alfalfa pellets and shredded beet pulp to those needing the extra layer for condition.
I breed Nigerians so I adjust my feeding according to pregnancy stages to avoid too big kids at delivery.... mine get 1 cup of 18% starting at 60 days bred, dropped to half cup at 120 days and increased over a few days to accomodate milk production after they deliver, they also get a mixed grass hay with alfalfa pellets throughout.


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Tapsmom said:


> mjs500, what did you mean by you "infused the teats"? This is out first season and we are currently milking and starting to decide how and when to dry them off ourselves...I have SO much to learn


Infuse and seal:
Either SpectraMast Dry Cow treatment or ToMorrow Dry Cow-one tube in each teat.

My choice sealant is Orbeseal in the teat, but some do external. This year I paired both internal and external sealant as I had a doe with mastitis. My external sealant of choice is a dip. It's dark blue in color. You can pick your color. It makes a rubber coating on the teat.


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Megan, can you get me the name of the external dip sealant? I like the idea of doing both....


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

goathiker said:


> Megan, can you get me the name of the external dip sealant? I like the idea of doing both....


Absolutely it's called T-Hexx Dry. We bought a jug from the WDE (world dairy expo) and fell easily in love. I'll post a link. It's awesome stuff. Scrubs off easily at first milking, and another plus is it discourages kids to suck (tastes bad and texture is odd). Love it.

http://www.t-hexx.com/T-HexxDryDataBrochure.pdf

This is the brochure.


----------



## Cadence (Jul 20, 2013)

We find that when does are metabolically active we have a more productive kidding (more offspring, easier time getting bred)
If we can keep a doe milking until we have a confirmed pregnancy, we will keep milking her. 
As a general rule, it is easier change a doe's weight before she dries off, maybe not for the thinnest doe, but you have a lot more flexibility when they are outputting lots of calories
We definitely dry them off 2 months before they are due, however.


----------



## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

Perfect thread. Just what I was looking for! So, would you all say it is unnecessary to wean my 3.5 month old boer babies off their moms? I was hoping to get the mommas bred this month or in early November, and was under the impression from the breeder (where I just purchased my buck) that the does needed to be done with their milking to be bred.


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

That should be fine, Ingrid. Just dry her up 2-3 months before kidding


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

A lot of times dam raised kids get kicked away when momma knows she's close.


----------

