[Violetsprite]

Can anyone with milking experience tell me if i start milking one of my girls who has come into milk without kidding will i be obligated to milking every day until i dry her off ? I don't want to waste the opportunity but we are due to be having a few days away in september and have no one locally who i can ask to take on the milking while we are away. Also how long does it take to dry them off once started milking - it's a long time since i milked any of our goats and i can't remember now. Thanks

[Anke]

If she is a goatling and you are planning on kidding her next spring I would absolutely not start to milk her now. Just reduce any concentrates to almost nothing, put her on hay only. Only check the udder to see that it is not hard and hot, in which case it would need easing out a bit and also AB's for possible mastitis.
 
But taking out her hard feed will probably dry her up quickly.

[Violetsprite]

Hi Anke - thanks - she is 2 yrs old - i didn't plan on kidding her hence why i didn't want to miss an opportunity for some milk  I also have an english goat who's about 5 yrs who has fairly full udders but is very nervous at being handled - i took her in about 4 months ago but she tremours on handling & is just starting to trust - so no chance of trying with her. i've had maiden milkers before - they too were english goats - i've never bred so am happy to make the most of what comes along - i'm just concerned about when we have a few days away whether i can miss the milking or should i dry her off/not start till we're back?

[Anke]

Mmmmh... not sure how I would go best forward on this. Once you start milking you would have to do it at least once a day, so when you are away someone else would have to do it. You could possibly wait and keep her ration as it is now, but I'm not sure she will keep her udder if not touched for long after summer (mine -in the Scottish Borders - usually drop sharply the first week of September). You may be lucky.
 
Or dry her up and hope she comes back into milk next spring....
 
Maybe not so great advice from me then..., I never milk udders on goatlings and all of mine are mated at 18 months to kid when 2 years old.

[Violetsprite]

Hi Anke - thanks. I may leave her til next year and just hope she comes in or the nervous one has settled and comes back in... Btw - is there a reason you don't milk goatlings ? does it affect their health or kidding later? 

[Anke]

I prefer to let them use all the calcium for growing bones while goatlings, and also you will get more milk after they have kidded. I also usually have quite a few adults in milk, so no need to milk a goatling/maiden milker.

[plumseverywhere]

Our milker is a maiden, she's Saanen cross. We are down to once daily milking now but earlier in the year had no choice but to go for twice daily as she filled up so quickly!
If she's not particularly full now could you get away with waiting until you've been awayand then starting her off perhaps? I think once you start milking you are obligated to at least once daily depending on how much she produces for you  we are currently looking for someone to milk Vanna for 3 days at the end of this month due to same situation 

[Violetsprite]

Hi Plums - thanks i think that's what i'll do. How long do you milk yours for in a run before you dry them up?

[plumseverywhere]

The last 2 years I've milked her from April/May through to October/November then dry her up.  This year I'm not quite sure, she's given less each day than usual (weird weather combos I guess!) and I'm wondering if I might milk her into Dec/Jan or not 

[Lesley Silvester]

The last 2 years I've milked her from April/May through to October/November then dry her up.  This year I'm not quite sure, she's given less each day than usual (weird weather combos I guess!) and I'm wondering if I might milk her into Dec/Jan or not 

The way your business is taking off, you might need to keep milking her all year round.

[ballingall]

It does impact their calcium levels, so we too try to never milk a goatling. Sometimes it is unavoidable though if their udders get too full.


Beth

[plumseverywhere]

I desperately tried not to milk Savannah (you probably remember my battles Beth lol!) I just remember waking up each day and looking at the udder getting bigger...and bigger...and bigger and then she was so uncomfortable I tried to take a tiny bit off to ease her but not make her produce more. After a while doing that, Fay Ogden the Togg breeder came round and said "I think you perhaps have to realise now that this little lady does not intned to give up....". Which was not handy as I'd just bought in a pregnant togg for milk!!! agh! 
Yes, MGoM - I think Savannah might be having her own kids with the hope of having some more maidens