Drying doe off - final update

[Mea]

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.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Will goaties even Taste apples ???

Mine love apples.

 

[cutechick2010]

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.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

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.

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).

 

[aggieterpkatie]

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
the cow for the stressful transition from lactating
to non-lactating by using your favorite herbs, homeopathy
preparation, colostrum products, acupuncture,
or others to boost her immune system and help relieve
stress.
After this period of preparation, just quit milking
her. She must have a tight udder for about five days
for her hormonal system to get the message to quit
producing milk. Milking her out to relieve the pressure
and discomfort before this time is up only prolongs
the process.
After about five or six days, when the udder
swelling begins to recede, sanitize the teats and milk
out some milk. Normal appearing milk indicates a
healthy udder. If this is the case, completely milkout
the udder, sanitize the teats,
Occasionally at this time the milk will show abnormalities
such as chunks, clots, watery, slimy,
bloody streaks or anything that does not look like
normal milk. In that event, milk out the udder, and
begin your treatment of choice. Continue the treatment,
check the milk and strip out the udder every few days for as long as necessary to
clear up the problem. If you let her go completely dry
while she has an infection, she will almost certainly
have the same problem when she freshens.
If drying-off was accomplished successfully,
the next critical time for the udder begins about two
weeks before freshening and continues until a week
or so afterwards. When the cow begins to "bag-up"
and has a tight udder, sanitize her teats, milk out some
milk and examine it. Early in the "bagging-up"
phase, normal secretion will usually resemble a clear
amber fluid somewhat like honey and progress from
that to regular milk as she gets closer to kidding.
If the secretion is not normal & chunks, clots,
stringy, slimy or bloody, milk her out completely and
begin your favorite treatment. Continue to milk her
twice a day until she freshens. This "Pre-milking"
procedure will save many udders that would normally
be lost if the infection was allowed to go unchecked
all the way to kidding.

Link

Later in the same link they mention sage.

 

[cutechick2010]

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.

 

[ksalvagno]

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.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

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

 

[Calliopia]

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.

 

[ksalvagno]

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.