Let's talk about goat milking schedules

[greyfields]

We are roughly 8 am and 6 pm people right now. What I have noticed is that we get a very good milking in the morning, then a very weak one in the evening. I was thinking about just bagging one of the milkings to cut down on our general labor. However, I also know that if you don't milk the girl out, her milk production won't ramp up to optimum levels.

How often do you milk, what times? Anyone on a 24 hour rather than 12?

 

[helmstead]

I do every 12 hrs - 9 am and 9 pm (altho sometimes in the am I'm late). Ours also have about 1 oz more in the morning.

 

[MissPrissy]

I do a 12 hour schedule. 7am and 7pm or 8am and 8pm. Every 12 hours gives a btter milk supply. You may be getting short milk in the evenings if a doe is letting a kid suckle. Once those milk cells stop producing they won't start back until the next kidding so they really do need to be milked out completely to keep up the supply.

If you don't need every drop of milk for yourselves you can separate the babies from the does at night. Milk in the mornings. Leave the kids with the does to nurse them out all day then again different pens at night making sure the does have plenty of water and the kids have milked them out in the evening when you separate them for the night. You need the full 12 hours to get the largest milk ration for yours the next morning. When weaning time comes you'll have go back to milking twice a day to keep up the milk supply.

 

[greyfields]

I have been reading where the 12 hour separation isn't required for optimal production, but it has become such a norm that all dairy people stick to it. It's simply a regular schedule is needed rather than X hours apart. With that said, though, I bet everyone on here milks 12 hours apart.

I'm certain, too, that the kids (3 bucklings so far, no does) are nursing more during the day than during the night. So perhaps I could separate them during the night, get a good milking in the morning, then leaving the kids in with them during the day... then again separating at night.

I'm getting 10-12 lbs per day from 2 does. I will probably dry out the lesser producer of the two once I sell her buckling. It's more than we can use and have been making chevre with the extra.

 

[wynedot55]

goats are like cows.they produce more milk if they are milked 12 an 12.an most times they give a tad more in the mornings than evenings.an if you vary from the 12 an 12.they could produce less milk.