Milk decreasing?

[92utownxj]

I can't figure out why a doe drastically decreased her milk production. She's an Alpine/Nubian cross, and this is her 2nd time kidding. She kidded at the end of February. I was getting at least a half gallon a day consistently. There were times I was getting more than that. Nothing too impressive but I was happy with that. Her kids are not nursing from her. The last couple weeks I've gotten a quart at best per day milking twice per day.

She's getting a probably a pound or so of Purina Noble Goat Dairy Parlor 16% every day plus alfalfa pellets with it. She has all the all the browse and pasture she wants. She's with 9 other does, two of which I milk also. Those 2 have not decreased.

I can't figure out why she decreased so much all within a weeks time. I haven't done a fecal, but her eyelids are dark red. She has free choice cattle mineral with copper and I give Replimin Plus once a week.

Any suggestions?

[mygoat]

Is she going out to eat pasture/hay? What color is she?

I ask, because in my herd of Alpines, the dark colored girls (black) do not go out to pasture almost all day, except in the pm before milking. IN the AM, they're loafing in the barn waiting for milking. During the middle of the day, it's too danged hot in the sun to go out. They head out before/after milking. This limited intake of forage can drastically effect their production. I'm selectingaway from darker colors - can't afford to sell my best milker (2gal/day) but am trying to keep lighter colored daughters out of her.

[92utownxj]

She's brown with a touch of black. The other two I milk are black and haven't had issues with them. The problem one does hangout in the barn sometimes while the others are in the pasture though. Her 15 week old kids are in another area near the barn. All the other goats go to eat in the morning and evening. She goes one of those times probably. That must be it then.

They have to walk 1-200 yards to the field where I rotate them through 8 paddocks. I keep them in the common area by the barn so they come up to milk and it's easier for me.

Any ideas how to get her to go down there? I'd love to let her kids out to the field, but they try to nurse on anything they can. The kids are 40-50+ pounds now.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Gate. Put a gate to keep her from returning to the barn when she wants. Make sure there is plenty of water in each paddock.

[Frosted Mini's]

Yep, I gotta lock my goats out, or they will spend most of the day in the barn or worse-on the hill tearing up the dirt to dig themselves "beds".

[Doug Hodges]

Hmmmmm. Been noticing the same thing. The hotter it is. The less milk. The cooler then back to normal. I notice they won't hardly leave the barn.

[GreenMomma]

I have a silly possibility for you... are any of her kids from her first freshening in with her? I have a nigi doe that I recently decided to start drying up. I just happened to bring 2 of her kids (one doeling from this spring that is about 4 months old, has been weaned for about 2 months and separated until now and one wether from over a year ago) into the doe pen for a few days... her milk went way down and I didn't mind because I was milking less to dry her up gradually anyway.

Well I watched her after I turned her out from the milking barn one day and low and behold, BOTH of her kids were trying to nurse after I let her out. The yearling is about as big as she is!

Could be that someone is stealing your milk

[92utownxj]

I starting locking them all out of the barn during the day. They have tons of shade in the woods with all the clean water they want. If it was up them they'd stay inside all day. Even though it's at least 10 degrees hotter inside than out. This morning I almost had to pick up a couple of them since they were laying down and didn't want to go outside before I had to leave for work.

So far there hasn't been an increase in her milk yet even though I know she's been foraging the last few days. I know it could take awhile.

It has been hot here, mid to upper 80s and very humid. The other 2 does I'm milking haven't decreased their milk, but it's possible the one is affected by the heat.

Thanks for the help. I have a Lamancha who is due to kid in mid July. She produces a lot of milk so that will help. She is huge right now. I'm excited to see what her kids look like. She was bred to a very colorful alpine buck. I'm wondering if they'll have ears or not.

[MDKatie]

Make sure the water is in the shade too, since water can get warm fast and they don't drink as much warm water.