Drying doe off - final update

[ohiofarmgirl]

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.

 

[ksalvagno]

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.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

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

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

 

[ksalvagno]

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.

 

[freemotion]

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!

 

[henrymilker]

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!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

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.

 

[ksalvagno]

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.

 

[Calliopia]

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.

 

[henrymilker]

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