# Is it ok to milk her?



## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

My 50/50 boer Nubian doe kidded tester morning with a single buck kid. He only drinks from one side.. Is it ok to milk the other side? I have two 1 week old boer kids in the house that I'm bottle feeding and I figured I could milk the other side and give it to them.

If I do will it make her udder lop sided? Because I think I would take more milk at a time than he does.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Absolutely milk her! You can actually go ahead and milk out both sides if you want. We do this with our one boer/nubian doe and she hasn't turned out lopsided for us. I think there are a lot of others on here that do the same thing. Have fun milking!!


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

You'll need to milk her anyway to keep her from getting mastitis in the one side, and it's completely fine to milk out both sides when you do it.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Kccjer~Do you milk her once or twice a day and leave baby on her?


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

NyGoatMom said:


> Kccjer~Do you milk her once or twice a day and leave baby on her?


We only milk once a day in the evening. In previous years, we have left baby on mama and milked. This year however, baby is taking it ALL! LOL So, we are now separating in the morning and milking at night. Our doe with twins is a FF, so this is the first year milking her. She had twins and we are doing the same with her...separating in the morning and milking at night. Babies all go back in with mama during the night. We've had a couple times that babies have managed to get back in with mama during the day and we get NO milk from anyone then!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Ok, that's what I was thinking but wanted to clarify~ if my FF has a single, I'm going to milk her right from the start. I really want as good production as I can get.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

We have only left BABY on mama and milked before...never had twins before this year that we were milking mama. (Cinn may have twins, but she has only ever raised a single one for us...if we didn't really like her and she didn't give such good milk she would be gone. Until last year and this year, she was the only one we milked) These guys were born Christmas day or earlier and we just started a couple weeks ago separating. The babies are all eating grain and hay so during the day they have "full feed" other than mama. We would try separating the ND and her baby but HE can crawl thru our fence so that would kind of be futile. LOL


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Yeah, I'll probably leave them for two weeks and then separate if she has twins, if it's a single, I'll leave it on her and milk her in the mornings right from the start.Then at two weeks separate and milk am's.


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

I just went out there and I guess he switched sides cuz the side he drank from yesterday was VERY full. I milked that side and some of the other to make them equal.. I got 24 ounces. Now I don't have to feed the bottle babies cows milk! This is exciting!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

You can milk both sides out completely. She will just produce more and there will be enough. Be careful feeding the milk to babies at first...be sure to mix with what you're already feeding or you'll cause scours!


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

How much should I mix at first? I was gonna mix half n half. Should I do 3/4 cows milk and 1/4 goats milk?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

With only 1 kid on her, you can milk out both sides twice a day if you want. Mom should make plenty of milk for him. You don't have to try and get every drop when you milk.

I would start 3/4 cow, 1/4 goat. Then do 50/50. Then 3/4 goat, 1/4 cow. Then all goat.


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

ksalvagno said:


> With only 1 kid on her, you can milk out both sides twice a day if you want. Mom should make plenty of milk for him. You don't have to try and get every drop when you milk.
> 
> I would start 3/4 cow, 1/4 goat. Then do 50/50. Then 3/4 goat, 1/4 cow. Then all goat.


Change to more goats every feeding or after a day of 1/4 goat switch

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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

ksalvagno said:


> With only 1 kid on her, you can milk out both sides twice a day if you want. Mom should make plenty of milk for him. You don't have to try and get every drop when you milk.
> 
> I would start 3/4 cow, 1/4 goat. Then do 50/50. Then 3/4 goat, 1/4 cow. Then all goat.


Wait, so if you have a FF you can milk her twice a day AND leave the kid on her all the time? Sorry,just confused!


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

NyGoatMom said:


> Wait, so if you have a FF you can milk her twice a day AND leave the kid on her all the time? Sorry,just confused!


I didn't have ANY luck this way. My buckling born last August took it ALL if I didn't separate....


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

NyGoatMom said:


> Wait, so if you have a FF you can milk her twice a day AND leave the kid on her all the time? Sorry,just confused!


I'm thinking it's going to depend a lot on your goat. You can try and see what you get.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I've been lucky and always able to leave a single on mom and still milk but every goat would be different so you just have to try it and see.


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

When I milk her I have more than enough milk for the bottle kids and I wanted to know if there is a way to sell it for something? It would be right from the goat so not pasteurized or anything. Is there a way to sell it like that?



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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Depends on your state laws. You would need to look them up.


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

What is this? It's think stuff from the milk that was leftover in the jar








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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Cream? I can't see it very well but we have cream that coats the jar.

Carmen, Oleo Acres LLC, NW Ks


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

I figured it was something like fat... Or cream  this is fun! My first milk goat!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Goat milk doesn't separate like cows milk but it will do a little. You will see some really thick stuff on the very top of the milk. That is cream. When you pour it out of the jar, some will stick to the side. That is exactly what you have there (paid attention when I poured mine out for yogurt this morning LOL) Your girl is doing pretty good on the milk fat!!


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it!


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