Doe with lots of milk

burfer · #1 04/05/05, 06:22 AM

I have a boer doe that has tons of milk (you dairy people quit laughing!). She only has the 1 kid, should I milk some out? Her teats are red, warm to the touch, but not hot. Her teats are so full they are really distended. This is our first kidding on our farm, so excuse me if this is a stupid question. If I do milk her out, what will happen when I quit? Will she still get heavy milk and I will have to continue? Will she be more prone to mastitis when I wean the kid, if so is there anything I can do? Everyone here are such lifesavers!! Thanks

mpillow · #2 04/05/05, 06:53 AM

Definately milk her if you can....do you have other animals? They'll enjoy a little milk if want to share extra with them....otherwise keep it for yourself. Boer milk is supposed to have high butterfat...which makes nice cheese. Make sure she kidded more than 5-7 days or you might get colostrum still.

I wouldnt milk her out completly unless you decide to use the milk and want production....The baby should grow fast as a single!

Eunice · #3 04/05/05, 07:40 AM

Yes, milk her and consider it a real blessing. There are so many things you can do with goat milk. Besides drinking it, I make cheese and we have nine orphan lambs on goat milk. The dogs, cats, chickens all like goat milk. When you want to quit milking your goat, taper off the milkings and if you feed grain, you can taper that off at the same time.

dale anne · #4 04/05/05, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burfer

I have a boer doe that has tons of milk (you dairy people quit laughing!). She only has the 1 kid, should I milk some out? Her teats are red, warm to the touch, but not hot. Her teats are so full they are really distended. This is our first kidding on our farm, so excuse me if this is a stupid question. If I do milk her out, what will happen when I quit? Will she still get heavy milk and I will have to continue? Will she be more prone to mastitis when I wean the kid, if so is there anything I can do? Everyone here are such lifesavers!! Thanks

to prevent mastisis keep udders clean and can even tape them off to the kidd. if the kidd is aready eating hay and feed...drinking water....allow the kid to eat at certain times of the day and then wash and tape..the key is keeping her clean!..which is hard to do I know ! lol....I would milk her out a bit and put some teatmint on her to sooth her...this is not harmful to her or the kidd so I have been told and havent found it a problem using it while having kidds still drinking from mom...watch for uneven udders...can buy mastsis tests at caprinesupply.com...hope this helps....dale Anne

bethlaf · #5 04/05/05, 11:20 AM

boer does can be excellent milkers, and no im not laughing, on my other farm i had a great boer cross doe, she raised her 2 kids plus gave about 3 quarts a day ,

milk her out, traine her like a diary goat, if you dont want to milk her, then help her a little now for relief, and then let her body adjust to how much milk she needs to make

Freeholder · #6 04/05/05, 08:41 PM

I have a half Boer doe who is giving about ten pounds of milk a day, and she's only not quite four weeks fresh. So yes, they can be good milkers. She's actually a very dairy-looking doe, out of a good line of Oberhasli's -- and her 3/4 Boer doe kids are beautiful.

Kathleen