Going to Look at Goats Today

[dixygirl]

Is it true that you can only get milk for about 6 months untill she gets pregnant again?

 

[MissPrissy]

No it is not true. While many goats need you to stop milking them as they move into the 2nd half pregnancy some goats won't dry up. My big doe milked for 2 years through both kiddings. I dried her off this past fall because I felt she needed a break even though I miss her extra milk. The babies need the milk after kidding but by the time they are 6 weeks old you can have some of the milk for your kitchen and start weaning over to feed. Say milk int he mornings for the house and let the kid(s) have everything else. Eventually they will be weaned and you can continue milking and have all the milk for your kitchen.

 

[Chatychick]

I have some doelings that are for sale here and they are Nigerians...hopefully have some La Manchas soon...

 

[jeaucamom]

I am SOOOOOOOOO jeaulous. I have just started looking into dairy goats. Even crosses around here are 150 dollars and up. And there just feels like there is so much to learn it is kind of overwhelming. I really just want a milk goat that won't destroy the trees in the pen, that doesn't cost a fortune... is that asking too much???

 

[Skyesrocket]

Sounds like you got a great deal on the goats!

Miss Prissy, I was wondering about this, "While many goats need you to stop milking them as they move into the 2nd half pregnancy some goats won't dry up. My big doe milked for 2 years through both kiddings."
I read somewhere that if the doe isn't dried off before she has kids that she won't be able to produce colestrum? I'm curious because I have a big dairy gal here that I have been trying to dry off without a lot of luck. I have had her for a year and a half, and am not sure when she last kidded. It was before I bought her. I have her down to milking her once every other day. She gives a quart of milk. But, if I go down to milking her every three days she is very uncomfortable and it doesn't seem to be slowing her production down any more. I haven't fed her grain in a couple of months, she gets hay and pasture only. Is that how your doe that wouldn't dry off was? Ethel is a big, healthy gal, shiny coat, it doesn't look like milking is taking anything away from her physically. She might be bred...I suspect the pygmy buck found a ladder somewhere...and I have been concerned about the colestrum issue. Did your nanny produce colestrum when she kidded?
Thanks, this will be a big help to me. Carrie

 

[MissPrissy]

As she was already milking no she did not produce colostrum as far as I know. The way to dry them off is to just stop milking. They will have 2 days or so of discomfort and then the milk supply will stop. Don't even try to milk her if you are drying her off. Just stop altogether. It is the same for humans - just stop, the discomfort will come and go and so will the milk supply.

 

[Chatychick]

I have done what Miss Prissy said also and then I have some that I have to milk EOD and when you do this you dont milk them all out. I just basically relieve the pressure. This way they only make back what you took out and take less each time. It has worked for me and my girls arent as uncomfortable either. I hate blown teats and mastitis. This way their udders dont get so huge and I also spray them after with Fightbac. They are happier girls in the end.

 

[Skyesrocket]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[wynedot55]

you got a great deal on your goats.i gave $50ea for 2 doelings an a boer buckling.found 2 half nubin x boer nannies 5yr olds for $100ea.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

OK, so this is what we ended up buying:

1 purebred Nubian buckling (4 months old) = $40
1 ½ Nubian ½ Boer nanny (3 yrs old) = $65
1 ½ LaMancha ¼ Nubian ¼ Boer nanny (1½ yrs old) = $70 <------ pregnant by a FB LaMancha
1 ½ Nubian ½ Boer doeling (3 months old) = $45

She had given me the wrong price on the Nubian with 3 kids and I just wasn't comfortable paying what she was asking for an animal that was so old. We didn't bring them home yet since the tranny is out in our truck...but they will come home on Sat. She also has a 6 month old doeling that I think I'll get - ½ Nubian and ½ Saanan....