[fiestyredhead331]

Our milking nanny has been producing usually 2 litres of milk per day but in the last week that's dropped to about half a litre.
She has a concentrate mix supplemented with alfa in the morning, a full hayrack throughout the day then another couple of scoops of mix etc at night. She seems to be eating plenty and has a good appetite.
anyone have any suggestions as to why the milk yield has fallen so quick? 

[ballingall]

She's trying to dry off. The length of daylight hours tells goats its autumn, and is why she is beginning to dry up. She is preparing her body to become pregnant again. Are you milking her once a day or twice? Don't drop her to once a day if you want her keep producing through the winter. It does sound as if it will be a struggle to keep her milking right through.


Beth

[plumseverywhere]

This is exactly what is happening to my milker - its been a sudden decline and from my point of view, a relief!   

[colliewoman]

Can someone tell Enid this please? Daft bugger won't dry off

[tizaala]

All ours are dropping off now, two have come in season and are shouting all day , we won't be mating them this year to give them a rest after tripplets and twins last spring, We have 4 visiting nannies waiting to be covered, 2 of our own maidens to cover , 3 bt's turning up soon from Pollished Arrow, if he still needs our services. and 2 of our bts + 2 pure toggs ,
the yield has gone down from 15Lts to about 6Lts in the last few days.

[fiestyredhead331]

great thanks for that everyone, milking once a day at the moment. Is it worth trying to milk twice a day to keep her producing for a bit longer? not planning to put her in to kid this year.

[sokel]

All of ours have dropped drasticly in the last week , They are all milking through some into their second year so looks like we may have to kid more of them than we wanted too 

[Lesley Silvester]

Mine has dropped from 2 pints a day to 1 1/4 pints a day over the last three weeks.   I do plan on getting her in kid this autumn but hope the milk won't drop any more this winter, until I have to dry her ready for kidding.

[Anke]

great thanks for that everyone, milking once a day at the moment. Is it worth trying to milk twice a day to keep her producing for a bit longer? not planning to put her in to kid this year.

If she has not kidded this last spring (or only had a single) you would be better to put her back in kid, with the amounts you saying she is giving she may not last all winter. If she has kidded this year and you are milking ony once a day, I wold continue with that, I wouldn't have thought that goung back to twice a day milking would increase her yield anymore...
But my ladies have also decided it's winter, yields have dropped, especially for the girls runing through.

[countrywoman]

This answers a question for me, too.  Mine have dropped quantity drastically in a short time in spite of eating well, looking well etc.  I will keep on milking while it makes sense but perhaps they are expecting a hard winter and conserving their resources.  I suspect animals know more than we credit them for.

[jaykay]

Ellie is still going great guns, Rowan is doing her best to dry off and I am doing my best not to let her 

[Bumblebear]

This may be a stupid question but other than the billy collar (which is winging its way to me), how do you tell they are in season physically? Same as dogs?   

[Anke]

This may be a stupid question but other than the billy collar (which is winging its way to me), how do you tell they are in season physically? Same as dogs?   

Sticky backend, swishing their tail, shouting without any other reason (some don't), mounting each other, being obnoxious at milking time, dropping milk yield just before...

[jaykay]

Mine flick their tails, shout their heads off and their milk yield drops the day before.

They've never mounted each other (i know other people's goats do) and it would be hard to tell if Ellie was being more obnoxious.....no, that's unfair, but she has 'opinionated' days which are not related to being in season 

[sokel]

Sticky backend, swishing their tail, shouting without any other reason (some don't), mounting each other, being obnoxious at milking time, dropping milk yield just before...

lol with some of mine i can answer yes to all of those signs