My Goat is Running Out of Milk!

[lipazron]

My Nigerian Dwarf gave birth to two kids seven weeks ago. Both are still nursing. Now that I am wanting milk, she seems to be drying up. I can only get a very small amount out of one teet and none (beyond an initial cleaning squirt) out of the other. No sign of mastitis. Udder seems to be shrinking.

I am trying to stimulate milk production but am not having any luck so far (three days). Can anyone please advise?

Thanks.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

How often are you trying to milk?

Has she almost weaned the babies and so drying up?.......... or are they still nursing enough and taking all your milk?

What are you feeding her and how much?

 

[lipazron]

I am trying to milk her every morning (last two days I added evening as well). I still see the kids nursing during the day. There does not seem to be more than drops of milk now. I feed her/them hay and grain. Two scoops in AM/two in PM. She also gets some grazing time and free access to hay.

 

[daisychick]

Lock the babies away from her at night and milk her in the morning before the kids get to eat. They will get all the milk the rest of the day. Keep milking her in the mornings like this and she might start producing more for you. Then when you wean the babies you can milk her twice a day. I have a feeling the kids are taking all the milk and that is why you aren't getting any. It won't hurt the kids a bit to sleep away from mom and share some milk with you. This is what I did with my 2 does and I got a lot of morning milk. Then once I weaned kids, mom's milk production went up as I started milking twice a day.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

What kind of hay are you using?

What kind of grain are you using?

Are you trying to milk a couple times a day or separating kids at night?

I have heard that some folks find a drastic reduction in milk quantity when using lower quality hay or not using alfalfa. They see the drop pretty dramatically when switching down to the cheaper or lower protein stuff. The return when good hay is brought back, is slower. I have only used alfalfa for my milkers, though they love a snack of orchard or oat hay.

I notice the difference in milk quality (and to a lesser degree, quantity) when I modify my girls grain mixture. The milk is thicker/creamier when Boss is added and lighter when I increase the oats. When I add alfalfa pellets back in (I took them out for awhile because of the size....experimenting...) i found an increase in the quantity. I am using BOSS, alfalfa pellets, rolled oats, and calf manna.......I also found that corn will increase the milk production. I think most folks that milk have had to experiment some to find a good amount and type of feed for each of their situations.

Full disclosure....This is my first year with milking goats. We have had pet goats for 4 years (I think). I got my first nigerians with the novelty idea of mini milkers and I now have a severely debilitating case of G.A.S.! I have had 4 girls in milk this year...2 were rotten about the whole idea of milking and one is trying to be. The last one is sturdy and steady, I am so glad my breeder let me have her...I really shouldn't have gotten her as she is the mother of my Buck Naked...but she is easily my favorite for temperament. I am currently milking 2 girls once a day. I enjoyed milking 2x but to accommodate animal babysitters while we were on vacation (vacation is a necessary activity for a happy hubby), I cut back to once a day. Neither of these girls has her babies...they were both bought freshened and without kids.

Reeses kids managed to use pretty much all her milk when they were free range nursing all day. If you want milk for yourself, confine the kids at night then milk for yourself before releasing everyone for the day.

When we got back from vacation, just 4 days, one of my goats had refused to let the babysitters milk her so she was down in production a little bit. I milked her 3 times a day til she came back to almost where we left off, then went back to once a day and are still there.

I hope this helps.

 

[lipazron]

It does help! Thank you very much. I do agree that I need to separate the kids at night. I think the milk may have now dried up though... I got a squirt from one side this AM, nothing from the other and the udder feels small and empty. Maybe I need a second pregnant doe...