When to Milk a Nursing Nanny?

[Anianna]

Our intention was to put a deposit on a couple of newborn girls and bring them home in August, but the owner offered to sell them with their mother and I couldn't pass it up. However, this means that I have not yet researched everything and am not sure how to proceed. Should I be milking mom in addition to the babies (twins) nursing or should they have her entirely until they are weaned? Her udder seems very full all of the time. If I do need to milk her, how do I know how much?

Mom is an alpine. Any informational links or book recommendations would be appreciated. I love my goats!! They are sooooo awesome and I am so glad we got them!


Also, I know I need to be getting the CD-T vaccination for the babies soon (they are about a week old). I've seen recommendations for various other things, but do not know which are imperative. Do they need probiotic to kick start their gut flora even if they are nursing rather than bottle fed? Is there anything else other than hoof trimming I should be considering in the next few weeks?

I am reading the stickied information to learn more, but was hoping for some quick answers.

 

[Bedste]

If they are already nursing, I would separate them during the night. First thing in the morning I would milk her out, till you can not get any more. Then I would leave her with her kids all day long and let them nurse. and separate them again during the night and continue to do this till they are 8-10 weeks old.

 

[lilhill]

I usually wait until the babies are at least two weeks old before milking so as to make sure I am not getting the cholostrum. You wouldn't want to drink that. Then separate babies from mom at night, milk in the morning and let the babies have her all day.

I don't give kids CD/T vaccinations until they are 3 weeks old, then another one at 6 weeks, and if the dam did not get her CD/T 30 days prior to kidding, the kids get a 3rd CD/T at 9 weeks. After that you just booster every year.

 

[Anianna]

Thank you both. I did attempt to milk Lulu this morning, but I did not yet have a stanchion and she was having none of it. If I wait another week to milk her (when the babies will be two weeks old), I should have the stanchion by then and I hope it will be easier on both of us.

 

[Bedste]

 

[mama24]

I kept my babies on their moms and milked twice a day. I didn't separate, but now that I've had mine longer, I can see that this probably would be a good idea and make it easier to wean them when the time comes. I tried separating my 12 week old doeling from her mom last week and her mom busted through the fence to get to her! Dh was not happy! LOL. I'm going to try it again, but not until I have the electric fence fixed and actually ON. rofl

You definitely need a milking stand. I built mine myself in one afternoon, it wasn't hard at all. You also will probably need to either get hobbles or milk with one hand while you hold one leg with the other (or get a helper to hold one leg in the air) until she learns to stand still. I swat my girls on the rump if they start kicking, but that only works if they are already used to it and are just giving you attitude, not when they are scared and freaking out. You also need to make sure she has enough grain (and a grain that they LIKE! my girls are picky. lol) to keep her occupied while you are milking her. If she freaks out so badly you can't milk, ake the grain away until she calms down, then give it back. She'll learn that standing nicely means all the grain she can eat.

 

[Anianna]

I kept my babies on their moms and milked twice a day. I didn't separate, but now that I've had mine longer, I can see that this probably would be a good idea and make it easier to wean them when the time comes. I tried separating my 12 week old doeling from her mom last week and her mom busted through the fence to get to her! Dh was not happy! LOL. I'm going to try it again, but not until I have the electric fence fixed and actually ON. rofl

You definitely need a milking stand. I built mine myself in one afternoon, it wasn't hard at all. You also will probably need to either get hobbles or milk with one hand while you hold one leg with the other (or get a helper to hold one leg in the air) until she learns to stand still. I swat my girls on the rump if they start kicking, but that only works if they are already used to it and are just giving you attitude, not when they are scared and freaking out. You also need to make sure she has enough grain (and a grain that they LIKE! my girls are picky. lol) to keep her occupied while you are milking her. If she freaks out so badly you can't milk, ake the grain away until she calms down, then give it back. She'll learn that standing nicely means all the grain she can eat.

Thank you. Do you think it would also be helpful if we let her eat in the stand a few times before messing with her, so she can acclimate to the stand? We are always with her and petting her while she eats and she does not seem bothered by our general presence and affections. She just didn't seem to like me messing with her underparts. The previous owners had a stand, but I don't know that they've been using it. I get the impression that they probably did at one time, but now focus more on breeding than milking.

Why didn't anybody tell me how absolutely adorable kids are when they play? How did I ever live without these cute little buggers?

 

[mama24]

Yes, that would definitely be helpful. Since you can't milk her yet, I would put her in the stand twice a day to feed her at the times you will start milking her next week. That way she'll associate the stand with good things. Pet her topside at first, then get her used to you rubbing her udder.

 

[Bedste]

I now pull my kids as soon as they are born. I clean them up and give them probiotics and vitamin E and then put them under a heat lamp. I then clean up the Nanny and milk her and make sure she is ok. I then bottle feed the kids with what I have just milked. I have more than the kids will drink just from the first milking. I feed them as much as possible the first day of life.... about 5 times a day. I milk again after a few hours and because the kids already have plenty, I freeze this milking. This is still colostrum and I will now have it on hand incase I ever have an emergency situation. It is very important that the kids get it right away as soon as born.

I then milk and bottle feed milk and bottle feed for weeks. The first few days I bottle feed 5 times a day and then I gradually work it to 3 times a day. The great thing about this for me is that after two weeks I can start keeping all extra milk for the household. I have also found that after two weeks of being bottle fed, I can place the kids out to pasture with their mother and they never try to nurse. Mom teaches them how to graze and eat how to be a goat and I still milk and bottle feed. This is perfect for me because I never have to wean the kids from their mother.

The kids get a bottle 5 times a day for a week and then 3 times a day for 2 more weeks and then twice a day till they are between 8-10 weeks old. I usually start giving them one bottle first thing in the morning from 8 weeks till 10 weeks old and then I simply stop.

This is what I do and it works well for me.