# Drying up does at weaning time



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

how does everyone dry up their does..what you feed ...do you limit water intake for a little while.?...
I have boers .they are on lush spring pasture ....but I can pen them up and feed?...I need to know what the best method is....love to hear all opinions... :wink: 

WELCOME~!!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

to dry off a doe I usualy limit her grain intake (I feel bad taking it away all together - yah I am a pushover) and then I only milk her out till the udder isnt tight anymore. I do this every day until I go down to once a day then every other day etc progressing further and further apart as I am able.


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

When I dired Luna for kidding we didn't milk her out completely for like a week and cut back the milking feed ration(still gave about half for maint) then just quit milkin. seemed to work ok, she didnt complain and I got to quit dodgen hooves at milkin time


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

thanks everyone... there are sure different methods... and I love hearing them.... :wink: 
keep them coming... :greengrin:


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

If a doe is already near the end of her lactation, drying up is usually not much trouble--I just take away grain, switch to once a day, and then every other day milking, and don't milk out all the way. Usually they're pretty much dried up in a couple weeks.

For heavy milkers that need dried up, I wean them off grain and milking more gradually to keep them from being uncomfortable or causing mastitis. I cut the grain ration in about half, but continue twice a day milking (leaving a little each time) until they are producing around 1-1 1/2 quarts for the day (full-sized dairy goats), then switch to once a day and about 1/4 of the original grain ration...and eventually every other day and no grain. This method usually takes a month or more, depending on the doe.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

depends - was she a milking goat, how far into her lactation is she, is she a high producer??? so those all play a factor in how to dry off a doe in just my methods


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

Well for my goats they aren't outside on pasture all the time, so I tend to cut the grain ration by half to start with and milk once every other day... and then cut the grain ration entirely after a week or two, and just feed hay and water while milking every few days... and then not at all just checking.

With the sheep which are out on pasture - I would move them to a field which is pretty bare where grass is concerned... that way they are not getting enough nutrition to produce all that much milk!

I don't reduce water supplies in any cases, as IMO water is important to them whether they're lactating or not, and I wouldn't appreciate MY water supplies being cut =]

LW


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

For us first of all, I stop feed the grain to them when those babies are not nursing as much, and then when I take them away from mom's I let mom go for a couple days then I will milk her out just enough to take some pressure off. I feel so bad for those mom's. I know how they feel and I just want to milk them out but I know that is not what is best. I give them all the free choice hay they want and water, just no grain at all.
Yesterday poor Hope, she was self suckling :tears: to take some pressure off. I felt so bad.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> depends - was she a milking goat, how far into her lactation is she, is she a high producer??? so those all play a factor in how to dry off a doe in just my methods


This is at 3 months of nursing kids..ready to wean.....no... we don't milk our goats ..it is all for the kids ...my does that have trips are still producing enough for trips...very seldom do I have to supplement....We have them on pasture now but as I mentioned before...we can pen them up and feed hay ...what kind should be used? thanks everyone :wink: :greengrin:


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