The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: tattycat on December 16, 2014, 11:29:29 am
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Hiya all. As said she won't dry up! Been on half ration nd milking went down to one a day nd now when udder tight , or 'too pink' but still MASSIVE!!! Thought by some miracle, going to the Billy would have triggered something but apparently not! This is the girl that hasn't kidded for two years. ....
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Try reducing her feed even more.
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She's on 2lbs nd hay..can't really take it down any more can I?
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Yes you can, if she is just in-kid, she will be fine. You only have to increase her feed again in the last 8 to 6 weeks.
I am drying off two of mine and they are on tiny amounts of some a shreds and a tiny dusting of oats. It's the only way - after all they are bred to make milk!
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I have one who I am drying up and she is on unlimited hay and only a token feed of hard feed. It's the only wag we can do it with our heavy milkers
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I have the opposite problem - one who is drying up only seven months after kidding. The other one is also not giving much (although I suspect she is still suckling) but it is more than three years since she kidded.
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Ok. How long should it take? Nd if she gets massive again do I milk her off?
She won last time I tried to dry her off, thank goodness she wasn't in kid then........ :rant:
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When you are milking her how much are you taking off. I would generally just take enough to ease any tightness in the udder and no more. Watch carefully for any heat but work on the basis that milk production is demand driven. The pressure of the milk in the udder sends the signal not to produce any more.
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Only taking enough to reduce tightness. Looks a good colour, doesn't feel tight but does look a bit 'lumpy', doesn't feel lumpy......argh. :roflanim:
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stop the hard feed.
we had an umated gg who came into milk every spring, she was just on grass and always took a while to dry up.
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I'm no expert but the veterinary goat books I have say that incomplete milking is more likely to predispose to mastitis and you are better to reduce the frequency but milk completely when you do.
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I'm no expert but the veterinary goat books I have say that incomplete milking is more likely to predispose to mastitis and you are better to reduce the frequency but milk completely when you do.
If a goat feeds her kids naturally she will always have some milk in her udder...., so the reason it is said that incomplete milking will increase the likelihood of mastitis then that is due to the goats lying down on dirty/wet/warm bedding straight after milking. I use a teat dip (diluted iodine solution) and have had no problems (yet, I am sure I will have a case at some point...)
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This girl also gets udder odema before she kids..her udder was almost on the floor last time she kidded! Nd they were quads, 4 boy's, which she promptly rejected!!
Soo, I've had to take a little from her udder before...
She's still looking Ok, on just a little barley nd hay, but still huge..not hard or red though....
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I'm no expert but the veterinary goat books I have say that incomplete milking is more likely to predispose to mastitis and you are better to reduce the frequency but milk completely when you do.
This is what we do, milk out completely, but keep reducing the frequency.
I agree with the other people, if you want her to dry off 2lbs is way too much food.
Beth
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Ok she's been on just hay nd a sprinkle of oats..should I milk her out completely nd risk her deciding she's off again, or leave her as she is? Been nearly a week now since she's been milked, nd udder soft pliable not red BUT still at at least half capacity. ...
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leave her.
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Yes, just leave her. Mine are the same just now.
Don't increase the food though until she is 8 - 6 weeks before kidding date., and then start to increase slowly.
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If her udder is soft don't milk. We did the same last night, one of ours was due to be milked, but her udder was soft so we left her.
Beth
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Thanks all.So nice to have reassurance from you all!!
Merry Xmas all if you, nd thanks again. :thumbsup:
Ps can she still have xmas carrots......lol
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Thanks all.So nice to have reassurance from you all!!
Merry Xmas all if you, nd thanks again. :thumbsup:
Ps can she still have xmas carrots......lol
Of course not ::)
But she can have bananas, dried fruit .... :innocent:
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ahh, give her a carrot, mine love them. ;D
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I've decided to give up trying with my two. We were away for four days and the relief milker managed to get about a pint from the two of them in that time. It's not worth the effort any more. Might as well save on concentrates and think about next year.
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Udder looking lovely nd reducing in size. Nd she's enjoying oats nd barley!!
Thank you all again. I didn't think it was possible for her!! lol :excited:
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Glad to hear it!