Dairy feeding & weaning questions

[fffarmergirl]

I've been browsing the forum looking for feeding information but it's so confusing - I'm looking for specific amounts to feed.

My friend and I are sharing goats. We're going to start feeding alfalfa pellets and ground oats instead of the goat mix, per the recommendation of another friend who raises dairy goats.

I read somewhere on this forum that somebody allows their goats to have all the alfalfa pellets they want on the milking stand, but I didn't see how much grain they were getting. I'd love to do that with the pellets, it would keep Nelly from trying to pull my hair out by the roots when she runs out of grain before I'm done milking!

We have 2 Nigerian dwarves who are still nursing their kids and 1 Oberhasli who'd weaned her kids before I bought her. She's giving us about 6.5 cups per milking.

Also - I've seen a lot about copper. My friend is free-feeding some sort of mineral mix. I don't even know what it is. Do the mixes usually have enough copper?

Regarding weaning. We're only planning on milking once daily, in the evenings. That's all we can fit into our schedules. The kids are about 4 & 6 weeks old. How do we go about weaning the kids and still only have to milk once daily? We are currently separating the girls from their kids for 6-8 hours before we milk them.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Get a good loose mineral with at least 2000 ppm's of copper in it if you can. Cargill Brand Right Now Onyx is really good. I can't get it here anymore so I use ADM Alliance brand Goat Power mineral. I believe it has 2300 ppm's of copper in it but the tag is in the barn right now.

I feed my girls alfalfa pellets on the stand, all they want. They do get grain twice a day too & these are mini nubians both with kids still on them & I give them each 1 1/2 c. grain a.m. & p.m.
I am milking only mornings right now because the kids aren't weaned so I separate them at night & milk in the morning.

[CraterCove]

I've definitely found it easier to do the milkings in the morning with kids on a doe. If at all possible getting them just as the sun comes up seems to be when I get the most milk in the morning. Guess the babies aren't early risers!

[fffarmergirl]

Thanks, Katie.

What should we do when it's time to wean the kids completely?

Should the ober get the same amount?

[Backfourty,MI.]

The Ober with out kids on her & only getting milked once a day will not give as much milk if as she would if she was milked twice a day but I understand some folks just don't have time or want to milk twice a day.
As for how much feed to give her I'm not really sure, I have mini nubians but I would think 1 1/2 c. grain a.m. & p.m. wouldn't be too much for her.

If the nigerians don't wean the kids on their own & you plan on keeping them & want all the milk for yourself when they are old enough you may have to put them in a separate pen for awhile until they are weaned completely.

[fffarmergirl]

Thanks, Backfourty.

We're selling the kids and I'm wondering if we have to milk twice a day for a while after they leave to keep the goats from getting mastitis or if we can just milk once a day.

[SJSFarm]

Error in post
I meant to create a new post, didn't want to hijack.

[mygoat]

The BASE amount of feed that we use is 1lb per 2-3lbs milk produced.

That being said, I never measure anymore. I mix our grain 1 part alfalfa pellets 2 parts our grain mix (soybean meal pellet, oats, corn, VitE/Se supplement) and let them at it while they're in the stand. Our heavier milkers get what they need this way. Our FF is doing 10lbs, and one of my older does is doing 13-15lbs.



You can wean several ways. Cold turkey the kids when they're old enough and let the does go 24hrs between milkings is probably what I'd do.

[fffarmergirl]

Thanks, mygoat