question about milking

[Barb Marks]

I have a nubian that I've been milking since July. She kidded in January and I sold her baby off in July. My 9 month old baby gets her milk. Now she is bred again, due to kid in February. She only gives slightly more than a pint a day (I only milk once a day), but it is sufficient for my babies supply. Do I have to let her dry up before she kids again, I was told they needed to recuperate for about two months.
If I dry her off my only option for goats milk is my boer doe who kidded Thanksgiving day. Anyone ever milked a purebred boer (she is 5 years old and has definetely never been milked).? I don't plan to bottle feed her kids, so my plan would be to lock the kids in a stall in the barn over night, milk mommy in the morning and then let the kids run with mommy again for the day. If this would work, will the kids suffer without milk throughout the night? Also, I have 6 small children and don't get to do chores till 8:00-8:30 am, which means the kids would have to be without milk for close to 12 hours.
Any shared experience would be appreciated.
Barb

[Stacy Adams]

Originally Posted by Barb Marks

Do I have to let her dry up before she kids again, I was told they needed to recuperate for about two months.

yes, she will need to dry of to get back in shape for having babies.. I believe it's a calcium thing

Anyone ever milked a purebred boer (she is 5 years old and has definetely never been milked).?

I know a few people who milk boers, though they don't get the quantity that they would from a dairy goat

the kids would have to be without milk for close to 12 hours. Barb

let's see, her kids would be one week old.. personally, I have no idea if week olds can go 12 hours without.. or how old they would have to be if they couldn't..
I'm sure someone with experiance in this will chime in and let us know..

[Freeholder]

Have fun milking your Boer doe who has never been milked before and is nursing her babies!! :haha: I wish I could be a fly on the wall! However, if you really need the milk, don't give up. You may have to put her in a strait jacket -- or get someone big and strong to help hold her, but usually after a week or so they do settle down, at least somewhat. (Not being real encouraging, am I!) I wouldn't take the kids off their mother for twelve hours just yet, I think they need to be at least a couple of weeks old before they can go that long without feeding. They really should be starting to eat solid food first. If you see them starting to nibble on hay, you should be able to leave them in their own pen, with free access to fine, green, leafy hay, and they should be all right. Give them a handfull (each) of something like calf manna when you come down to the barn -- you are going to take all of Momma's milk, so it will actually be another couple of hours before they get a good feed. And, make sure they have access to clean water in their pen, they may not be drinking water yet, but they will be pretty soon.

Let us know how the rodeo goes!

Kathleen

[Laura Workman]

I usually start taking my kids off mom at night when they are three to seven days old, and I've never had a problem. Early on, I take them off last thing at night and milk first thing in the morning, so they're only separated 8 to 10 hours. At a week old, I'm just fine with separating them for 12 hours overnight. I do have a kid stall that has slats so that mom and kids can see and smell each other, the kids just can't nurse. Being able to see each other really seems to help reduce the stress for all concerned, especially the doe.

I do milk the doe out completely in the morning. After a few mornings of no instant breakfast, the kids get the hint and don't bash the doe around first thing, because they know there's nothing there. They just come back often for a little sip.

[mpillow]

I wait until the kids are two weeks old. There is a difference in quantity and richness Nubian to Boer milk....less from boer but richer. I freeze milk during my times when its flowing well to use during dry times....Sounds like you need another Nubian in milk....hopefully you'll get some doelings out of her!

[Barb Marks]

Thank you all for the help. Glad to hear that others take the babies away over night too, makes me not feel so bad! I decided to stop milking my nubian by the end of this month, this gives her 2 months (maybe even a little longer) to built of strength for her new kids. By then the boer kids will be a little over a month old and should be fine. My husband is not so fine with having to hold boer mamma's legs down so I can milk. I do not hava a place where the kids and the doe can see each other, hopefully this won't be to much of a problem.
Now I can hardly wait to start milking my boer, ha, ha.

[debitaber]

she should be aloud 6 weeks to dry up, o she will make plenty of clostrum for her next kidding. some people wait only 30 days, but she really needs 6 weeks.