Skinny Goat

[helmstead]

Well...when I wean kids, I just let the does go and keep an eye on them.

With my milkers, I'm going to milk them about 1/2 out for a couple days, then milk once a day, 1/2 out...then let them go. Just have some good antibiotic, like LA200 or PenG, on hand just in case.

I'm sure others will have advice on drying off, too.

 

[Chatychick]

She done look to bad from the angle of the picture, as you know nubians and all dairy goat run on the thin side. I have a LaMancha doe that I am milking and she looks terrible, but that is because she is putting everything into her milk. I am in the process of drying her off also and she is a 3 star milker. She will give at least 2 gallons a day. I have her bcuk kid on her and still get a gallon. He will be weaned soon and she will be dryed off. Its not good to get them to fat as they wont breed back. I would also add Medicated crumbles to her feed slowly to take care of any type of problems as her babies died. Something is wrong there or they were born to early and they just kept her in milk. I would worm her and then 10 days later worm again and then do it again in 10 days...this ensures the grass we are getting right now that you are doing what you can to get to the worms. Also before turning her out to browse give her hay and that way she wont eat to much grass and make sure the dew is dry before you let her out. Worms transportation is the dew. They move up the blades of grass when its wet. If you do decied to dry her off milk and then the next day only take half what you usually do , and then start milking once a day and only take half each day of what you have taken the day before. Dont strip her out either. The less you take the less she will make back. Soon she will dry up good and when she is dry you can dry treat her for the next time you breed. I know I have rambled but hope some of this helps. She looks pretty good to me and not on the fat side as with dairy youdont want them fat just healthy...Its basically your call as to what yuo want to do.