please help - how quickly can a doe be dried up?

[cathleenc]

Just got the bad news that my father is in kidney failure plus 2 different kinds of cancer. Won't know till Tuesday or Wednesday how long they think he might hang on..... and I need to get ready.

So - I have one doe in milk. She kidded on January 30th - almost 6 months ago. Down to 6 lb of milk a day in production, some days less.

I would much rather keep her milking as long as I can but I need to be able to leave the farm when the time comes. How can I dry her up and how long will it take? Would prefer to dry her up at the last minute so that our family has good fresh milk as long as possible.

The doe in milk is a 3 yr old toggenberg/saanen mix.
thanks
Cathy

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

You can't find someone local you could board her at last mintue to milk while you are gone, or the person who will come and take care of the rest of your stock, who wants to milk her and take the milk?

6 pounds is too much milk to just stop milking and dry her up, you will have to ease milk out of each side at least three or four times over the next 10 days, then let her dry. Let her stay full, but never leak, if she leaks or becomes hard then ease a little milk out of her, do not milk her out. Milking her out signals her brain to make more milk for the demand. Also do not use the milk stand, feed her grain or do anything that will stimulate her milk let down and make oxytocin, just clip her to the fence and ease some milk out. Teat dip her and walk away.

So in my opinion you have a 10 day window. Vicki

[cathleenc]

Vicki, I might be able to find someone - but I am not sure. Trying to cover all my bases. The best goat people I know locally run closed herds - and have goat dairies. Coming over to do my chores/milk my goat is most likely asking too much. I am going to try my best to find someone - but need to know how to dry up this girl if I can't get the plan in place quickly enough.

thanks
Cathy

[chewie]

i only want to say i wish you the best. that is a really tough row to hoe and i'm sorry you must deal with it.

[Minelson]

Cathy, I am so sorry you are going through this. I know how hard it is when you have critters and a family emergency comes up...I went through this when my brother had an aneurysm in January...3 days after Gretta had her twins. I had to jump in the car and rush from South Dakota to Milwaukee (I'm originally from WI) and had to make 3 trips back and forth during the 3-1/2 week ordeal...when it happened, then back when he was taken off life support, back again when he passed (they didn't expect him to linger but he did). It's just so bad enough and then to be worried about your animals and responsibilities on top of it makes stress go through the roof. I am hoping and praying someone will come through for you...I was amazed at the outpouring of love and support when I went through this with Tim and I hope you find the same. If I lived closer to you I would be there in a heartbeat to help. Hang in there and hugs to you and your family.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Put a sign up on the message board at the local feed store and ask around. There's someone with children who could use the milk, I bet.

My sympathies with your situation. I've been down that road.

Huggs,
Rose