End of lactation question

[Jillis]

Hi all. This is my first year milking, and I've made a fair share of mistakes, but I seem to have the milking thing done pretty good now. My question deals with ending the lactations.

I have been milking once a day, and the three milkers I have left (I sold all the others) have been very consistant in the amount of milk I get. About a month ago they all started giving a little less each, and that lasted for about a month.

Now, very suddenly, my best milker's output plummeted quite abruptly. She seems very healthy in every way. She is about two and a half months pg, and I was about to start drying her off. But she seems to be doing this herself. The other two milkers are due a few days after her each in a row. Their milk output is still the same. This doe, who is a very round bodied goat, low slung, anyway, is begginning to bulge on her right side. I am thinking multiples are in there. I bred her to a ND and she is a goofy looking Nupine who looks like Eeyore. A really excellent milker.

Could the demands of growing multiple babies in there cause her to begin drying off on her own?

I am going to just stop milking her. She has very little milk. She's going to be very annoyed at not getting into the milking stand, though!

[BlueHeronFarm]

A couple of ours decided to go dry a little before we were ready. All very normal, I understand. I don't know if it is an indication of more kids cooking in there.

One is REALLY irritated that she no longer gets grain, but her sister still does. Her sister, however, is at least giving us a meager quart a day. She'll be done soon, too.

[Laura Workman]

Mine will generally dry themselves off enough to make it not worth milking them two to three months before kidding. Good production up until then, and then suddenly, over just a couple of weeks, production will drop to practically nothing. I take the hint and stop milking.

[goatiegirls]

Are there any issues with the udder - heat, lumps, milk off? If not, would say this is normal. Our best milker started dropping when she started cycling and at 2 mo bred dropped sharply -same as yours -I even had samples cultured because it alarmed me but all was clear.

[mpillow]

Mine do the same thing....and I always plan to stop milking as Christmas holiday nears so I can go visiting and not have to milk, shower and then leave the house!