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Author Topic: Will GGs milk through to next year?  (Read 2390 times)

countrywoman

  • Joined Nov 2011
Will GGs milk through to next year?
« on: July 15, 2012, 08:13:16 pm »
I am thinking ahead here.  I have two milkers and a kid and not much more space so another crop of kids next Spring will be a headache.  Does anyone have experience of GGs milking through from one year to the next? 
 
I would then dry one off next summer and mate her Autumn 2013 for kidding in 2014, at which time I would dry off the other one to put in kid Autumn 2014 etc.  It was my original intention to breed from one at a time and, to be honest, I don't need all the milk I'm getting now from two.  I'm just wondering whether it will work to miss a year to reduce stress all round?
 
I know the volume will reduce drastically in Winter but if I keep them going will it increase in Spring?

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Will GGs milk through to next year?
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2012, 09:11:38 pm »
My GG is now milking through, she kidded March 2011 and currently gives just over 2 ltrs. Her milk recording figure for 2011 (March 11 to March 12) was 950kgs - which was a high of just over 4ltrs 6 wek spost-kidding and a low of about 1.5 in the depth of winter. She came back to about 2.5 ltrs, now slowly going down again. However if I would leave her for another year the milk yield would go down further, and I think it is not worthwhile to keep the average GG going for more than two years continuous milking. Kidding in alternate years is probably best, and advised if they had triplets and also for twins. It allows them to get back into better body condition for the next pregnancy.
 
As there is a ready market for GG kids (if registered even more so) it may make better sense for you to look at system of one to kid per year - so if you have one that had a single (or is already in good condiiton after twins) I would put her back into kid late this autumn (and you could dry her off early on in her pregnancy if you don't need the milk - but GG's go down quite a bit in winter!) and leave the other one to run through.
 
Hope this makes sense? :-\
 
 

countrywoman

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Will GGs milk through to next year?
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2012, 07:39:20 pm »
That makes perfect sense, thank you.  My older girl had twins last year and this year so I will give her a rest but put the goatling who had a single back in this year.  Fell better now I've worked that out!  Makes such a difference to have access to various points of view.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Will GGs milk through to next year?
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2012, 09:30:20 pm »
Ideal set up I would say. Have fun choosing a boy for her! Are you a member of the GGG society? They have just published this year's stud register (people who have males and will welcome females to be served by their boys).

countrywoman

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Will GGs milk through to next year?
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2012, 11:19:27 am »
Yes, I joined GGGS last year (as well as BGS - gets complicated keeping track of all this...) but I may use the same stud male as last year as the kids were really excellent. 
 
I would prefer not to travel too far although I hope that this year I will feel more confident that I've got the timing right.  Last year I initially mistook a mini-cloudburst for being in season (not helped by it being repeated after 3 weeks) but I will have a better idea this time. 
 
I also have two homes waiting for pairs of neutered disbudded boys as pets - apparently GGs are very popular at the moment because of their size, colour and temperament.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Will GGs milk through to next year?
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2012, 09:31:14 pm »
Yes wether GG kids are popular, thanks to TV apperances - just make sure you price them well above what someone may be prepared for meat if that would be a problem for you.
 
But GG boys are not too big and usually fairly quiet, although we have not yet kept any past 11 months old, as by then the space in the shed was needed for new kids....
 
I have had good results with getting my goats sponged, in mid-October usually, the vet does t for me (I bring the goats to the surgery), and then the sponges come out 12 days later (I think, but maybe two weeks) and the goats are always in season two/three days later. I have only had two returning to service ever so far, and there were reasons for that, nothing to do with sponging or them not being in season.
 
I can recommend sponging, you can plan ahead as to when you can bring them to be mated, fore-warn the billy goat owner and agree with him/her what timetable would be suitable. But getting a billy rag is still necessary....

 

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