The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: angie on January 15, 2018, 10:20:18 am

Title: Drying up dam
Post by: angie on January 15, 2018, 10:20:18 am

Hi can anyone please give me advice as to the best way to dry up my dam so she doesn't become susceptible to mastitis.

Many thanks in advance

Angie

Title: Re: Drying up dam
Post by: Buttermilk on January 15, 2018, 12:01:54 pm

Only hay and water, with limited supplies of the water for a while.

Make sure the kid is unable to suckle.

Title: Re: Drying up dam
Post by: Anke on January 15, 2018, 02:13:21 pm

If she is in-kid and already in the last 8 weeks you may have to give her more than hay and water, but I would keep it to readigrass or Alpha, oats, sugar beet shreds rather than high protein mix.


Also, don't milk her out, just ease out until udder feels soft, after a couple of days of that move to easing out every 24 hours, then onto 36 hours, two day etc etc... if she goes very full in-between you may have to take it slower. But at this time of year it shouldn't be too difficult, especially if she is not in-kid and therefore does not need any concentrates at all.

Title: Re: Drying up dam
Post by: angie on January 16, 2018, 05:37:30 pm

Thank you both

Anke dam is only producing between a litre litre-half. She started to refuse beet in her course goat mix and now only has goat mix.

,dam is in kid,last time she had triplets. Should I stop hard feed until dry and then put her on 250 maintenance feed?

Angie

Title: Re: Drying up dam
Post by: Anke on January 16, 2018, 05:50:27 pm

When is she due?


With only a litre you can probably just reduce the amount you take (until udder is soft, so maybe half a litre) and reduce her concentrate, she should be less and less soonish I would think.


What's her body condition, and did she have pregnancy toxaemia before?

Title: Re: Drying up dam
Post by: angie on January 16, 2018, 06:43:45 pm

Hi Anke

Her body condition score dropped a month ago when she had bronchitis and was diagnosed as having lungworm nematodes in her fec test
, been treated for this, but still coughing due to get rid of the dead matter. Managed to improve body score by encouraging her to have her hard feed.

Not due til April, don't know if she had pregnancy toximia as she had triplets when with previous owner

Title: Re: Drying up dam
Post by: Anke on January 16, 2018, 08:45:29 pm

I would leave her on the concentrates as she is now and just not strip out, then increase the interval between milking. You don' want her to drop more in condition.

Title: Re: Drying up dam
Post by: angie on January 16, 2018, 08:52:33 pm

Thank you Anke for all your helpful advice, really appreciate it

Angie