oh no, drying up!? and a FF question...

chewie · #1 07/03/08, 10:08 PM

hey all. oh no, i am just beside myself--my big saanan doe seems to be drying up on me! she was freshened in feb., gave me about a gallon once she really got going, but now, is going down very fast?! i don't know what to do? my goats are kept in drylot, she's been wormed, gets oats, corn, BOSS, beet pulp and calf manna plus all the good alf. hay they want. mineral and soda free choice, nothing new, this has been since day one. she looks great, acts normal. and she is really going down too--very noticeable drop each milking! should i try going 3 times per day for a week or so to get it up again?? oh help!

and i have been asked a question i cannot answer, and wonder about now too--when a person has a FF, does the first year's 'schedule' set up her life-span schedule? as in, if you only milk her for say, 5 months the first time around, will she never milk longer than 5 months for life? or is this simply an old wive's tale?

hoofinitnorth · #2 07/04/08, 04:34 PM

I know you said no changes but you'd be surprised at how many people give you different answers when you ask specifically, have you changed her feed or set-up in any way?

Has the weather changed drastically? Is she in heat? Any new goats/animals on-site? Did you just pull her kids (or other kids off someone else or out of the same area)? Has she been bred? How long has this been going on?

I understand some goats are just not long-term milkers. I personally believe that their early lactations do set them up for future as far as how long they will milk and how much, BUT I don't believe anything is set in stone and you can have a cruddy first lactation due to irregular milking times or a single birth vs. a multiple birth, or a miscarriage or dead kids, drying them early on purpose, etc. but then get a better lactation out of them later if you take the necessary steps to keep them in tip top shape. What I think happens is that maybe they won't produce as good as they *could* have the second time around if they didn't have a great first try, but it doesn't necessarily RUIN them forever. Nothing scientific on my part, just anecdotal discussions with many breeders of various types of goats across the world.

chewie · #3 07/04/08, 07:59 PM

the only thing i have just thought of today is we usually had given the goats artesian water, but its always rather icky looking and is warm, so it got hot and i gave them tap water instead. i am going to switch back, and see what happens. i wonder tho., she came from a 'show' farm, not really so much a milking farm, so maybe they didn't breed for long lactations? thanks for the reply!

hoofinitnorth · #4 07/07/08, 04:23 PM

Chewie, water changes can affect lactations. You may wish to contact the breeder to ask them about their lines' lactations. Good luck!

pokyone42 · #5 07/07/08, 08:19 PM

could very well be the change in water!

Charleen · #6 07/07/08, 08:33 PM

We offer our milkers 2 different buckets of water. One is plain water and the other has apple cider vinegar in it. Both buckets are consumed equally, except in this really hot weather, we notice that they drink the vinegar water first then go to the plain water. If a goat isn't drinking enough water, she won't produce milk. Maybe she just needs a little flavor in it???

I agree that the first lactation sets up the doe's future ones. We milk our goats, especially first fresheners, as long as possible. We do have a couple that have milked 14 months straight. And there are some bloodlines that just aren't made for long lactations.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #7 07/07/08, 09:06 PM

I also believe does who nurse kids for 3 months, or who are milked for 3 or 4 months, or who are milked once a day, simply make poor milkers over their lifetimes. Sure all of them will come into milk after kidding, but be milking, really milking 10 months later...no. Vicki

chewie · #8 07/08/08, 12:50 AM

thanks for the info. my older doe is seeming to come back some, in fact, just a bit down yet. so that is a relief, gonna try that vinegar in their water next time i can get to town to buy it.

and for the FF info., i will milk her long as i can. i just worry cuz she is so thin, someone mentioned i should maybe let her go dry as soon as possible. i did worm her last week with cydectin, and i think it may have helped. no, i didn't fecal, tho. but she is looking better at least from the outside.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #9 07/08/08, 03:06 PM

The dry period is when mastitis is given the chance to really take hold. With no hormones from the doe to keep it at bay, none coming out daily with the milk let down and milking, it sits, unaffected by anything in the doe. And we all have staph of some level at our farms...once again less up north if it's dry, or if you live in the desert, more in the humidity non freeze. Extended dry periods are simply not healthy for the udder. You will have plenty of time in the end of lactation to build her back up and the dry period. Vicki

hoofinitnorth · #10 07/08/08, 03:18 PM

IMO, her overall health is going to affect her milk production. If she is really very thin, I am not surprised to hear her production is waning.