Milking Q's

[2doordad]

I'll try not to ramble. My doe, who I milked last year, etc. has had twins. Does to boot-very happy. Anyway, I'm not sure how to get her on a schedule with twins, she normaly has just one. I cannot bottle feed them, so that really is not an option. I'm trying to get my brother to take the one I owe him in a couple of days, so I guess I'm trying to figure out how often they need to eat, so I can milk for us without the babies missing out. I hope that makes sence, I have kid duty tonight and I think I left my brain outside somewhere.

[Alice In TX/MO]

After they are two weeks old, pen the kids at night where mom can see them and they can see her, but they can't have sucking access. Milk in the morning and then turn the kids out with her. Easy squeezy.

[2doordad]

Can I milk her befor then? She is a pretty big producer. I usally get about 2 to 3+ gallons a day at first, but I wait 2 or 3 days to let them get all the collostrum they can.

[Alice In TX/MO]

If she's that high a producer, you can milk her twice a day, even with the kids on her, starting now!

[2doordad]

I am soooo having cereal in the morning. I've been without for too long.

[Sonshine]

We lock the kids away at night and it's worked well for us.

[2doordad]

At what age do you lock them up? I just would hate for them not to get enough, or for me to milk and then they want to eat. Do you milk her and then turn the kids loose?When do they eat?

[Alice In TX/MO]

I wait two weeks before penning the kids at night, and I think that's pretty standard. Yes, you milk her first thing in the morning and after you are finished, you turn the kids out with her for the day. They suck periodically all day.

You won't get every drop of milk.

[2doordad]

So then I can just start my regular milking schedule ASAP?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Tomorrow. Yes. Milk first thing in the morning.

[LoneStrChic23]

I milked my Alpine twice a day, every day starting 2 days after she had her kids. Kept her production high & got her in the routine quickly. Trained the babies to take a bottle so I could sell one of the doelings & after I sold her I let my keeper doeling stay with mom 24/7.

Originally I was going to separate the remaining kid at night & milk in the mornings, but Sabrina is a high producer & consistently gave 1 gallon per day even with the kids nursing 24/7 so I never bothered separating them.

Now her doeling is 4 months old, weighs 67lbs as of today & I'm getting 5-6lbs from Sabrina every day because her kid is a chunk & is eating more. I still have enough for my use though so I will let the doeling stay with her & nurse all she wants so she'll be breeding size this fall.

[CarolT]

Hope your girl's milk doesn't taste off for the first couple of weeks like ours do. Always have to give it a couple of weeks or so for it to get sweet

[2doordad]

The first couple of days are an adventure.

[LoneStrChic23]

Originally Posted by CarolT

Hope your girl's milk doesn't taste off for the first couple of weeks like ours do. Always have to give it a couple of weeks or so for it to get sweet

Sabrinas took about two weeks to taste good... I just bottle fed it back to her kids & any extras I pasteurized & fed to the bottle kids I bought. She's always been a doll on the stand even though she wasn't milked prior & shes always produced more than her kids drank so even in the begining with the twins nursing I always got a decent amount of milk...

2doordad- Good luck!

[2doordad]

I'm a couple days in and it's off. I'm getting about 2-3quarts to start, but she is increasing each time, plus nursing the twins. I think my brother will take one off my hands this weekend and bottle feed it.