Weaning 3 of 4 kids - how much milk increase for mama?

[brettz]

I have 7-week old kids, three bucklings and one doeling. I am planning on weaning the bucklings next week but leaving the doeling with mom. I originally was going to milk this doe at 3 weeks but I didn't understand the demands that nursing four kids put on the poor gal so I just left her alone. (She did a great job raising them - all are healthy and growing well I just didn't want to make further demands on her). Now that the boys are about to get weaned I'd like to begin milking her. My schedule does not allow me to milk her every day at the same time. There will be periods when it will be 27 hours before I can milk her. My plan is to let her doeling continue nursing so I'll be there in the morning to milk what I can and the girl gets the rest. I expect that when she goes from nursing four kids to one (and is milked once a day) she'll be carrying around more milk than before. I obviously want to avoid mastitis so I figure I can milk additional times to keep her comfortable until she reaches a balancing point as far as the demands being placed on her. I just want to make sure this is a fair expectation on my end. The reason it's a little complicated is because I work 24-hour shifts every third day. If the doeling nursing is enough in this window that is excellent, otherwise I will get help to be sure the doe is kept happy and healthy with her milk production. I also am considering wethering one of the boys right away and leaving both him and his sister on the mom but I'd prefer to have the least amount of kids nursing as needed to milk mom for me when I'm away at work.

[Alice In TX/MO]

MMMM.... thinking. Your idea toward the end of your post is the best. If you can't milk at 12 hour intervals, it might be a good idea to leave two kids on her.

[brettz]

Thanks, Alice. You always give good advice - I appreciate that. Of the three dudes I have one staying a little stud, one definitely being wethered and one who I will probably wait to see (nice enough to stay intact but I think I'd rather wether him and sell him with his brother as a pair). So, it would be simple to put them in pairs. My only concern is that Cody (the upcoming wether) will be 8 weeks old next week and I heard it was best to leave them intact up to 12 weeks to help prevent urinary calculi. I am picking up ammonium chloride to start feeding the boys. I have not intentionally been giving them grain but they get into mom's when she comes out to eat. I was going to let them stay intact for few weeks just to get the maximum prevention in that regards for the urinary stones. If Cody is getting daily ammonium chloride (starting this week) and not eating grain do you think he'll be in good enough shape to get castrated at 8 weeks?

(I know some people castrate much earlier - I am just paranoid about the risk of stones since I lost a goat to that a long time ago when I was a kid)

[Alice In TX/MO]

I think he'll be fine.