[Lesley Silvester]

When a goat of mine had a very difficult kidding with two live (out of three) births, Pom, my older goat, cleaned them up as the mother was exhausted. She then fed them, as did their mother so they just suckled from whoever was nearest.


Now, despite being separated from the babies for a week (only by a hurdle so she could still see the others) she is feeding the babies again and I am hardly getting enough milk to merit using the bucket. I've only actually seen her do it twice but her yield has virtually stopped so they must be getting it.


I was hoping to milk her through until next year as I am not intending breeding from her again, and I don't want her drying up as the kids take less and less, which happened last time despite the fact I was milking once a day. Does anyone have any idea how I can stop this? It's not practical to separate them unless I confine her to the shed the whole time which I think would be cruel.

[Dogwalker]

One of my older does just wants to feed babies, never mind whose and one year let them suck  again after being separated for several weeks.  Not sure there's any solution except separating them which I know you can't do.
Are they old enough to wean and sell?

[Lesley Silvester]

No they're only 3 weeks and I am going to keep the female and eat the male.

[clydesdaleclopper]

maybe get your crafty head on and make her a bra so they can't get to her teats

[Anke]

maybe get your crafty head on and make her a bra so they can't get to her teats

That would be my only suggestion here too.... that's the reason why mine are taken off at 4 days old and bottle-reared.

[Lesley Silvester]

I did wonder about a booby bag. Anyone got a pattern? 

[Anke]

I did wonder about a booby bag. Anyone got a pattern? 

It was discussed on GoatyFriends some time ago I seem to remember...

[Beeducked]

Bless her, she really is the ultimate, stereotypical nanny goat!

[Lesley Silvester]

I did wonder about a booby bag. Anyone got a pattern? 

It was discussed on GoatyFriends some time ago I seem to remember...

I thought I remembered something but wasn't sure where I had seen it. Can anyone remember where? I've tried searching udder, udder bags and boob.




Kate, you're right there. It's just as well I don't have several goats with kids. She'd be trying to feed the lot.

[Dogwalker]

Do you only milk at night?

I separate the kids overnight and have the morning milk and the kids suck all day. 
Could you do it that way around.

[Talana]

Perhalps a solid partition but a bra or body suit would be a good idea. This is why I bottle feed kids this year. I left kids on one mum, fine to start with then she decided she only wants to feed one kid. I then started stripping her out. then she decided she did not want to feed her remaining kid but preferred me to hand milk her.So I had a lot of work getting the kids on a bottle or bucket . I had another goat who fed her kids and let me  strip her out then I could not wean them -resorted to sending the kids to my mums house for the summer 6 months later came back and suckled their mother straight away who I wanted to run through in milk.Kept separate then spring turnout the goat happily let her  goatling daughter suckle. Resorted to drying her of and sending her to my mums and now she has kidded again all is well. good luck

[fsmnutter]

Is 3 weeks not awfully early to wean?
We usually leave ours to wean naturally about 5/6 months as it really doesn't matter how many weeks we separate then they go straight back.
We were going to lift at 3 days and bottle feed triplets from our saanen this year, but fostered a kid to a lady whose goat had stillborn kids.
So my saanens have both twins, and produce a little milk, which I can increase by shutting apart overnight.
However, my 50% Boer 50% saanen, who is 2 years old is rearing triplets and still giving about 1l every 2 days without splitting her off, so I'm very impressed with the cross!

[Beeducked]

MGWM is not trying to wean at three weeks, just trying to stop the kids suckling from the goat that is not their mother! Pom is just a bit maternal and will happily let any kid going suckle from her, even when their mother is in the pen with them. Separating Pom overnight and milking in the morning does seem like a possible solution if you can't find a way of fitting her with a bra of sorts.

[Lesley Silvester]

Scarlet dragon, that's perfect and I am going to make one for her. The other suggestion - to separate Pom from the rest at night and milk her in the morning - is also a good idea, although, physically I am not very good in the morning.


I want to leave the babies on their mum until the wean naturally and I'm going to start milking her soon, not so much in the expectation of getting much milk but to keep the yield from dropping as the babies start taking less. Getting a litre a day would be wonderful but I don't hold out much hope. Caldi's mum was a Saanen X Boer and I didn't get much from her at all. Once her twins were weaned she dried up. 

[Lesley Silvester]

Well the bra is on. Pom didn't even make a fuss about it although she is a bit bemused by the fact that her udder appears to be lower. It'll be interesting to see how much milk I get tomorrow. Tonight's was just enough to dirty the pail.