Beginner questions

fffarmergirl · #1 05/06/14, 08:05 PM

I bought an Oberhasli in milk last year. She was bred by my friend's Nigerian and had one kid - a large doeling - a week ago. She kind of surprised us - we thought she wasn't due for another 2 weeks. I've been milking her twice a day for the past 3 days and the kid is with her 24 hours per day.

From what I understand, I can milk her right out, right? That's what I've been doing. The reason I'm asking is my friend thinks the baby is too skinny and she thinks it might be because I'm milking the doe too soon.

I don't know if the baby is too skinny - my friend's little Nigerian dwarf babies, who are older, do look like little butterballs next to her but they're short and round and to me it just seems like they're naturally built differently. The baby seems healthy to me - how do I tell if she's too skinny and what could I do about it if she was? She is calmer and more relaxed than the two sets of 3- and 5-week old Nigerian triplets, who are older and run around head butting their siblings. She doesn't rough house with them but it seems to me that would be because she's younger.

The doe is having a little bit of vaginal bleeding now and acting strange. She was a brat to milk today. She's very hyper - jumping back and forth over the top of her baby, running and jumping against the barn etc. Is this just heat? I haven't noticed her acting like this before.

Also - I washed her bottom yesterday and today, and I notice there's this hollow spot above her anus and below her tail that gets crusty. Do I have to clean that? She sure didn't like it when I tried . . . . .

madness · #2 05/06/14, 08:13 PM

We usually don't start milking until about 2 weeks after kidding. But by then, we are separating the kids at night. If you are just milking out but keeping the baby with the mom I don't think you are taking away too much. But I'll defer to others who may do something similar!

At 3 days old, the baby won't be rough housing like the older kids. This is totally normal. It'll take a week before they are really romping around.

The discharge is very normal for several weeks after birth. It can clear up and come again a week later too. As long as it isn't overly gross looking (dark brown, lots of it, etc) and has NO smell, it is fine.

We frequently have goats that go nuts for the first week or so after kidding. I wouldn't worry!

fffarmergirl · #3 05/06/14, 08:20 PM

Sorry for the confusion - the kid is 1 week old today, I have been milking the doe for 3 days.

Thanks for the reassurance about the bloody discharge and the behavior!

fffarmergirl · #4 05/06/14, 08:20 PM

Oh - and why separate at night instead of in the day? It's still cold here at night - down in the 30s. I would think the baby would need her mom with her to keep her warm at night.

harvestmoonfarm · #5 05/06/14, 08:36 PM

We never milk the does until the kids are 2 weeks old; we separate at night for 12 hours, and then let the kids have mom all day. I think 4 days old is much too young to be taking milk from the kid, plus the colostrum isn't normally completely gone for 5-7 days.

fffarmergirl · #6 05/06/14, 08:44 PM

One side of her udder was so engorged it looked painful, so I had to milk it out. I figured she must be making too much milk for the baby if she got that engorged, so I kept milking her. Maybe I should just milk her half way when she looks engorged. I want to keep the udder even. If I keep letting one side get engorged will her udder become permanently uneven?

Alice In TX/MO · #7 05/06/14, 08:59 PM

Milk her out once a day only. We pen the kids at night after two weeks so they can play in the sunshine during the day.

No, you don't have to clean the crusties out unless you are taking her to a show.

madness · #8 05/06/14, 09:02 PM

Yes, always milk an engorged udder! Sometimes a single will pick a favorite side and you end up having to milk that side even if you aren't intending to keep the milk.

Have you tasted the milk yet? As Trish said, there is likely to be quite a bit of colustrum in it - it will have a bitter flavor. When we do have to milk an over-producing doe during the first 2 weeks, the chickens get the milk if the babies don't need it (we try to bottle them with it first).

And at a week old, I would expect some romping. I don't think it has to do with the milk you are taking. But we have 8 day olds right now that are racing around like tornadoes.

Here it is warm at night and we have multiple kids to put in the kid barn so they keep each other company. We've never separated a single kid. I do know people that separate during the daytime simply because they can only milk in the evening, but I find it easier to milk in the morning. Plus the kids naturally nurse less at night when everyone is calm and sleeping so you aren't making them miss any meals, maybe just a snack or two.

madness · #9 05/06/14, 09:04 PM

Yes, always milk an engorged udder! Sometimes a single will pick a favorite side and you end up having to milk that side even if you aren't intending to keep the milk.

Have you tasted the milk yet? As Trish said, there is likely to be quite a bit of colustrum in it - it will have a bitter flavor. When we do have to milk an over-producing doe during the first 2 weeks, the chickens get the milk if the babies don't need it (we try to bottle them with it first).

And at a week old, I would expect some romping. I don't think it has to do with the milk you are taking. But we have 8 day olds right now that are racing around like tornadoes.

Here it is warm at night and we have multiple kids to put in the kid barn so they keep each other company. We've never separated a single kid. I do know people that separate during the time simply because they can only milk at night, but I find it easier to milk in the morning. Plus the kids naturally nurse less at night when everyone is calm and sleeping so you aren't making them miss any meals, maybe just a snack or two.

fffarmergirl · #10 05/06/14, 09:04 PM

Completely out on both sides, Alice?

Alice In TX/MO · #11 05/06/14, 09:07 PM

Yessum.

fffarmergirl · #12 05/06/14, 09:08 PM

Thanks, Madness.

fffarmergirl · #13 05/06/14, 09:08 PM

Thanks, Alice!

GreenMomma · #14 05/06/14, 10:55 PM

We only have a handfull of goats and we staggered breedings... so our only spring due date ended up being a single. We had a few cold snaps so what I did was either a) put the baby in a big crate with a heat lamp or b) locked up the doe at night and left the kid with the other pregnant does.

I ended up liking option B better because I can leave our milking doe with free choice alfalfa pellets all night before I milk in the morning

And baby sleeps with her aunties and the big dog.

fffarmergirl · #15 05/07/14, 07:11 AM

I like the idea of locking the doe up with alfalfa pellets and leaving the kid with the other kids and their mothers. By the way, the kid was running and jumping this morning. I think she's doing fine. Oberhaslis are taller and thinner than Nigerians - I think the kid is just fine.

GoatGirl123 · #16 05/07/14, 12:37 PM

If the kid is only a week old, I wouldn't worry about it being skinny. Our Nigerians don't get very plump until they're a few weeks old.

CAjerseychick · #17 05/08/14, 01:55 PM

I would really appreciate a picture!

If our does took, the result will be same as yours--
Nigie buck to 2 Oberhasli does, one registered (buck was registered too) so I guess the off spring of those 2 could be registered with the mini dairy goat association... as mini Oberhaslis-- we are soo excited....

fffarmergirl · #18 05/08/14, 05:05 PM

She is the cutest little thing ever. Tri-colored so I named her Calico. I only have this pic of her sitting down - I will try to get some of her standing up.

CAjerseychick · #19 05/08/14, 07:35 PM

what an adorable little face, yup thats an Oberhasli mug!...

fffarmergirl · #20 05/08/14, 07:44 PM

Here's one I took especially for you.