# Drying doe off - final update



## ksalvagno (Sep 10, 2010)

I want to dry off my Alpine mix goat. She has been milking for 18 months now and I want to give her a break. I'm down to once a day and I'm getting 6-7 cups per milking. What is my next step?


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## helmstead (Sep 10, 2010)

just take 3 cups now...then taper down to 1.5...then quit

I also take mine off grain OR reduce it considerably for the week or so I'm drying them off, to help them slack off.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 10, 2010)

Thanks!


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 10, 2010)

wow! 18 months! thats a great milker!

it took me weeks to dry Debbie off.. i was to the every other day stage and she was still giving about half a gallon. 

Nibbles gave me a mean look this morning when i was milking her. i think she's done with the whole thing.


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## Chirpy (Sep 10, 2010)

I also quit giving extra feed when drying off and I go to a good grass hay instead of alfalfa at that time.

I use the Fiascofarm way of milking, changing it according to how much my girls are giving me at dry off time.  I start by milking every other day for two weeks, then milking every three days for two weeks, then milk every fourth day for a week or so.  Most of my does are ready to be done at that point.  

My last girl I dried off, a great milker, I ended up milking her every two days for a solid three weeks... she just didn't want to start letting up. I then milked her every third day for another 2 1/2 to 3 weeks and was finally able to go to every fourth day for about a week and a half.  After the third, fourth day milking I milked her one last time five days later and was done.   

I never milk all the way out when drying off and take less milk as the weeks progress.


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## Calliopia (Sep 10, 2010)

I have a maiden that is going on 12 months and a gal+ a milking. WILL NOT DRY OFF..... EVER.....<glares at goat>  


  Apparently some goats just don't get those "ow this sucks! stop making milk" signals. 



She was hooked up to a milking machine as a yearling when the previous owner was out of town for a few weeks. Eventually she started producing milk and never stopped. Ever.  


I'm hoping to breed her this year and kick her into a normal cycle of milk/dry.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 10, 2010)

I got this girl off of Craigslist. Wasn't sure I was going to buy her but when I got there, I knew I had to take her home. She was living by herself and really didn't have a shelter. We had a bad February last Feb and all she had for protection against the elements was a piece of plywood leaning against a chainlink fence. She was also thin. It was sort of a rescue but she wasn't in the dire straits that I have seen animals in. Turned out to be a real winner. We will see how it goes next year after she gives birth. I don't mind her going this long but then again I could use the extra colostrum for my alpaca birthing.

This summer she was giving me 3/4 of a gallon a day. I"m glad she is drying off because I think she really needs the break.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 13, 2010)

Since I have gone to milking once a day, I noticed that my doe's udder is a little lopsided. I wasn't too concerned because everything felt fine and the milk is still sweet. But then I got my Dairy Goat Journal yesterday and there was an article and the writer mentioned that her goats udders were lopsided at a show and they had mastitis. So this morning I tasted the milk out of each teat (not a fan of warm milk) and the milk still tasted sweet and like it always does with no lumps or anything. Do I have to worry about mastitis or is this normal when drying off a doe?


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## glenolam (Sep 13, 2010)

I have no real experience to help you, but could it be that you are quicker and stronger with one hand than the other?  I'm much faster with my left hand (even though I'm right handed!) and end up milking out the right side much longer than the left.  Maybe it's the same and you're pulling more out more quickly from the side that's lop-sided.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 13, 2010)

No, if you look at the udder before milking, one side is larger than the other.


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## glenolam (Sep 13, 2010)

That's what I meant, sort of....  If you're actually unintentionally milking out more from one side than the other that side will produce more milk since you're inadvertantly requesting more and that side will look bigger once filled up again.  Does that make any sense?


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## ksalvagno (Sep 13, 2010)

Yes it does but I have had her since March (milking since I got her) and it was only when I went to once a day that her udder looked lopsided. So that was my concern. I know my one hand is stronger than the other and I do always seem to get one side milked out faster than the other but I always made sure that both sides were totally milked out. This was just something new. I look at udders before and after milking every day, getting mastitis does concern me so I have been very watchful of the girls.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 24, 2010)

I have gone down to milking out 4 cups per day on my goat. She is so full. At what point do you decide that she needs to be milked out? I just worry about mastitis so much. Her grain was cut down from 10 cups to 4 cups.

I bet I could get over half a gallon from her if I milked her out. Her udder just isn't getting any smaller.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 24, 2010)

i had the same problem with Debbie last year. this year she is actually decreasing her milk, tho.

it just took a long time. are you doing every other day?

Nibbles is almost to every other day. yesterday i milked her out and probably got a quart. today i only took about a cup. 

is her udder hot? or just really full? does she still have the "shelf"?

isnt it stressful?!?!?!

sorry
:-(


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## ksalvagno (Sep 24, 2010)

I'm still milking once a day but not milking her out. She was still giving me 6-8 cups per day of milk.

Udder isn't hot, just full. Really full.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 24, 2010)

when i went to once a day deb was REALLY full... for the first couple of times. 

now she's just "kinda" full... so i'm moving to every other day later this week.

hang in there


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## Mea (Sep 24, 2010)

Reading these posts really makes my wish that there was some kind of recognition for the does that have such a Will to Milk !!

     DHIA seems to reward quantity...and that is good, but the the steady-don't-want-to-quit-(ever) doe should be praised as well.  Just MHO for what it is worth...


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## ksalvagno (Sep 25, 2010)

Well, I couldn't stand it anymore and milked her out. I got 3/4 gallon of milk. 

I'm going to try sage. Someone told me that sage helps to dry them off. So I'm going to try it. I'm not sure what else to do right now. When I was only milking out about 4 cups, her udder kept getting bigger and bigger.This is my first time drying off a doe but that just doesn't seem right to me. When I was milking her out once a day, she had gone down in milk production but a week of only milking out 4 cups and it doesn't seem to be decreasing her production at all.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 25, 2010)

wowza! isnt it crazy????

well you are gonna get her worked out, i just know it. 

wonder how sage-y the milk will be... hum... that sounds like it would make a GREAT fresh cheese!


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 26, 2010)

Unless you totally stop milking, the goat will keep producing milk.  I know it probably makes you uncomfortable to see her so full, but it's most likely not going to cause any problems.  Her body will resorb the milk.  I'd go ahead and stop milking all together and stop feeding her any grain (if you are), and give her a plain grass hay.  If you keep milking her she's going to keep producing milk.


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## Mea (Sep 26, 2010)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> I'm going to try sage. Someone told me that sage helps to dry them off.


I was told by an old farmer...long ago... that when cows eat wind-dropped apples it cuts their milk production.  I wonder if it would work with goats as well ?   Will goaties even Taste apples ???     Just grasping at straws ( ...err... apples) here.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Sep 26, 2010)

Mea said:
			
		

> Will goaties even Taste apples ???


Mine love apples.


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## cutechick2010 (Sep 27, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Unless you totally stop milking, the goat will keep producing milk.  I know it probably makes you uncomfortable to see her so full, but it's most likely not going to cause any problems.  Her body will resorb the milk.  I'd go ahead and stop milking all together and stop feeding her any grain (if you are), and give her a plain grass hay.  If you keep milking her she's going to keep producing milk.


Actually you are trying more to get her to stop producing rather than to reabsorb it. They can reabsorb small amounts, and even that takes a long time. And to stop milking cold turkey is an excellent way to wind up with a nasty case of mastitis, plus being incredibly painful for the doe. Having nursed my own babies, I know first hand how very painful that is.


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 28, 2010)

cutechick2010 said:
			
		

> aggieterpkatie said:
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Letting the udder get full is the only way to stop production.  Sure, she may decrease if you milk out less and less milk, but some animals don't respond to that.  If you stop milking, her body will get the signals to quit making milk.  

Thousands of dairy animals are dried off that way every year without any issues.  That's the way we dried off our dairy cows, and that's the way I dry off my ewes (when my lambs are weaned).


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 28, 2010)

Here's a good excerpt from a vet on drying off a dairy cow:



> Post by Richard J. Holliday, DVM, IMPRO Technical
> Services, Iowa: Drying-off is a critical time for
> udder health and any extra care given at this time will
> pay big dividends throughout the next lactation. Prepare
> ...


Link 

Later in the same link they mention sage.


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## cutechick2010 (Sep 28, 2010)

Isn't "milking out" emptying the udder? I never empty it when I am drying a doe off. I am not sure I understand why Dr. Holliday says to not milk for five/six days and then milk her out? Wouldn't that just signal her body to begin producing again?
   I like to do it gradually and take less each day because that is the way it would happen in nature, with the kids/calves taking less and less milk as they eat more grain/hay etc. I don't get in any hurry when I am drying a doe off, I just don't see any reason to cause her that kind of pain.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 28, 2010)

Obviously there are different ways to dry off a doe and each one of us has to decide what will work best for us.

I talked to a local breeder who has been in dairy goats for 19 years. She suggested to slowly lengthen the time in between milkings but milk her out. So I'm now milking every other day. I also finally picked up some sage and will start that tomorrow. I will let you know how this works out for me.

Once again, there is more than one way to dry off a goat and we each need to decide what is best for our situation.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 29, 2010)

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be pushy, I was just trying to further explain my original post.


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## Calliopia (Sep 29, 2010)

Heh. I have a goat that is proof positive against the cold turkey method.   I swear the "you are too full" sensation simply doesn't register in her brain.  Nor does the gradually milk them down method work.   Hoping that breeding her this year kicks her system back into gear.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 29, 2010)

Have you tried giving her sage? I just started giving mine sage today. I will see how it works. Several people swear by it. Obviously you have an unusual case which will take unusual actions to get her to stop milking. Good luck with her.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 30, 2010)

how'd your milky gal do today? i'm really interested to see if the sage works (and what makes the milk taste like!)

i didnt milk Nibbles today - she's now on 'every other day'.. i dont think she cares at all. yesterday i got less than a pint from her. now she looks like Debbie in the udder. yikes! i'm guessing tomorrow cant come soon enough for her. 

i'm shipping her off to the breeder in 2 weeks. by then she'll be dry dry dry.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 30, 2010)

Well, on Sunday I got 3/4 of a gallon. On Tuesday I got 10 cups. Today I got 1/2 a gallon. So she is going down in production pretty fast. She has gotten the sage for 3 days now and the milk tastes the same. I'm not sure if the every other day is working or the sage is working or both but she is definitely starting to dry off. I will continue with the sage and I'm really not sure how long I will continue the every other day. I think I want to see less milk than 1/2 a gallon but who knows.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 30, 2010)

great work! sounds like you've got a great system.. and heck, whatever works, right?

but i'll say again.. isnt it stressful? yikes!


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## ksalvagno (Sep 30, 2010)

I had 2 other girls I was milking and they had gone down to so little milk that I just quick cold turkey and they dried up just fine. I think this will be less stressful next year (or year after maybe) when I know how this girl milks and dries off. I will miss the milk though. If I really dislike going back to drinking store milk, I may just keep a Nigerian milking through the winter next year. We will see. I don't mind milking once a day.


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## freemotion (Sep 30, 2010)

Trust your instincts.  I had so much trouble drying Mya off this past winter/spring, the girl wouldn't quit!  She was more than three months into her pregnancy when I finally had to just stop.  What a good girl!


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## henrymilker (Oct 1, 2010)

This is the most argued point in Dairy Goat production. I have been raising goats since I was a kid myself, about 50 years now. I have seen neighbors fight and fuss over the proper method of drying out their doe, vets quote their animal bible and old timers swear one way or another. On issues of such importance, I like to turn to the way of nature. Before there were books or blogs or vets or experts.....goats made it just fine. Some does were dried-up slowly as their kid(s) slowly stopped nursing, others dried up quickly when the baby died. I happen to believe personally that does should be dried up immediately and follow that practice but know many who much prefer the gradual method. I really think this question can be left to personal preference!


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## ohiofarmgirl (Oct 1, 2010)

> Before there were books or blogs or vets or experts.....goats made it just fine.


yay! some common sense! welcome, friend.



K- are you "off" today with your gal?

Poor Nibbles milked almost a quart today. i thought she was gonna pop... she's off tomorrow and then sunday she should be back down to a pint+. but i cant wait to get this milk into my coffee - she has the richest milk

she doesnt miss the other goats AT ALL.  she thinks she gets all the snacks now. and i think the little geese are keeping her company.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 1, 2010)

Yes, I'm off today. It will be interesting to see what Millie milks tomorrow. I am feeding her everyday so I can get the sage into her. She is eating it with no problems over her feed.


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## Calliopia (Oct 1, 2010)

I had thought about sage but I have heard that in large qty it can be an abortifacient and there is a chance she is already bred.


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## henrymilker (Oct 5, 2010)

My heart goes out to you, it is one of the toughest things I do every fall, to dry out my does.

Ohiofarmgirl, the doe in my photo to the left is Millie also


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Oct 5, 2010)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> I will miss the milk though. If I really dislike going back to drinking store milk, I may just keep a Nigerian milking through the winter next year. We will see. I don't mind milking once a day.


I'm with you there!  I need one of my nigis to freshen ASAP!  Found a local dairy that sells raw cow's milk - that's getting us by since I can't possibly buy the, ahem, "white-liquid-passing-for-milk" at the grocery store anymore.  C'mon girls, hurry it up!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 5, 2010)

Well, Millie is down to 6 cups. I will see if it is still 6 cups tomorrow. I did up her sage amount to 1.5 tablespoons and will see what that does. I'm not sure when to go to every couple days but we will see.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2010)

I milked Millie on Monday and got just over 6 cups. Today I milked her and got just under 6 cups. So I have decided to go to every couple of days to milk her. I am staying at 1.5 tablespoons of sage.

One part of her udder is drying up faster than the other. I keep worrying about mastitis since they are drying up at different rates but I tasted the milk from the fuller half and it still tastes sweet and normal. No sage taste either. Plus her udder isn't hot or anything and there are no lumps in the milk.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 12, 2010)

Milked Millie on Saturday and got 9 cups of milk. Milked Millie today (Tuesday) and got 8 cups of milk. Still getting 1.5 T of sage. Milk still tasting fine. So she is very slowly drying up.


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## warthog (Oct 12, 2010)

Glad to hear the sage is working for you.  Something to bear in mind should I ever have to do this.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Oct 12, 2010)

i got over a pint from Nibbles today - she wasnt even trying... i was hoping for much LESS than a pint... i think i'm going to every 3rd day now.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 10, 2011)

I milked Millie for the last time on January 3rd. There was a 3 week break between milkings and that seemed to finally do it. She just didn't want to dry up. The only thing I didn't do with her is insert stuff into her teat. Just scared me to death to mess with her teats that way since I don't know how to do it. I may have to learn how the next time I want to dry her off. Getting pregnant seemed to be the biggest thing to help drop her milk production but the sage and adding days in between milkings helped too, along with cutting out grain and grass hay (no alfalfa).


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 11, 2011)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> I milked Millie for the last time on January 3rd. There was a 3 week break between milkings and that seemed to finally do it. She just didn't want to dry up. The only thing I didn't do with her is insert stuff into her teat. Just scared me to death to mess with her teats that way since I don't know how to do it. I may have to learn how the next time I want to dry her off. Getting pregnant seemed to be the biggest thing to help drop her milk production but the sage and adding days in between milkings helped too, along with cutting out grain and grass hay (no alfalfa).


What was recommended to insert in the teats?  Unless it's a mastitis treatment, I've never heard of anything being recommended for drying off.  I wouldn't do that though...too much risk of infection when it's not needed.


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## freemotion (Jan 11, 2011)

Thanks for this journal, k!  I am drying Mya up now, skipped milking her for the first time last night.  (Why does that make me so sad?  )  I plan on feeding some sage if things don't go well this year, but I am starting a bit earlier, so.....   She is losing condition and needs to not be preggers and lactating.  Thanks for the tips!


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## helmstead (Jan 11, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

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ToMorrow or QuarterMaster are highly recommended for drying off high production does to avoid mastitis...helps them dry off faster and protect that udder.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jan 11, 2011)

I've just purchased some QuarterMaster and we're going to try it this Spring/Summer.  I'll let everyone know how it works for us!


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 11, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

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Yeah, those are mastitis treatments (well, preventatives) and I've heard of and used those.  I thought she'd heard of some other treatment (I was thinking herbal or something).


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 11, 2011)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> I've just purchased some QuarterMaster and we're going to try it this Spring/Summer.  I'll let everyone know how it works for us!


Just curious, but have you had issues with mastitis before?


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## ksalvagno (Jan 11, 2011)

No, I didn't hear of any special treatment. Just the Tomorrow or Quartermaster. Millie's udder is looking good and no signs of mastitis or anything. I'm just glad she is finally getting a break from milking. She never lost condition or anything. I just really wanted to give her plenty of time before she kidded. She is due March 16th.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jan 11, 2011)

great work, K!

this is good to know for my ladies (next time):
but the sage and adding days in between milkings helped too, along with cutting out grain and grass hay (no alfalfa).


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