Doe not producing enough milk

[ajharris]

Hi yall, I have a doe that is not producing enough milk for her kid I am bottle feeding. She only gives a quart and a half a day. The kid is now 4 days old. Mama is getting fed browse, alfalfa pellets and goat chow. She gets the alfalfa and goat chow while I am milking her. What can I do???

[stanb999]

thats 6 cups right?

a Cup is 8 oz. or a total of 48 oz. A day.

They need 10-12 oz every 6 hours or 4 times a day or 48oz total a day. Sounds like she is making just the right amount.

[southerngurl]

Yea, that's not much for a dairy goat, but enough to feed one kid ok. More milk won't hurt though.

[PNP Katahdins]

What about salt and minerals? Aren't they important for milk production too?

Peg

[Patty0315]

You are in Ok I doubt there is any good brouse for this goat. She should have 24/7 access to good hay . Alfalfa pellets 2-3 lbs and her grain ration on the milk stand. A good dairy mineral and water 24/7.

She is only 4 days fresh and her milk may still come in.

did you worm her when she kidded ?


Patty

[billooo2]

I had one doe that took a week for her volume to really start.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Actually billooo2 is on the right track...in a heavy milker we don't want her 'in' milk until about a week fresh, her grain ration is still being upped as she hits week 2 and her stride. But also not 48 ounces vicki

[chamoisee]

Are you milking her out completely twice a day and giving her clean fresh water twice a day? Other than that...and maybe feeding sunflower seeds (BOSS), there's not much else you can do...unless you want to milk her three times a day, which would increase her production and add to your workload.