Milking schedule changes, how to do it?

[savingdogs]

So I've been milking Ginger and Molly twice a day since April, when the kids were weaned. They have been giving me around a gallon a day.

Over the past month, they have slowly dropped down to giving me about a 1/2 gallon a day, give or take. At first I wasn't sure if the amount just dipped for a couple days or if it was really dropping, and now for the past three days we got only 1/2 gallon consistently.

I'd like to start milking once a day only, like I did when they had the kids nursing. Should I just go to it cold turkey? Should I shift the time slowly? Should I choose morning or evening? Molly seems to be filling up mostly on ONE side and that side is full. Ginger still seems pretty full when it is time to milk both times a day and she has not dropped her production as much as I think Molly has (I milk into the same container and measure the total, I know, BAD). What would be really convenient would be to milk at 10:00 each day.

However, I occasionally leave for the day and have to leave early, and Trouble, my alternate milker, won't be home most days at 10:00.

Suggestions? I was considering going to milking in the evening only as that would be the most convenient.

Molly and Ginger are clamoring to be milked right now....they do NOT like this new idea of mine, I'm sure.

 

[Javamama]

Maybe milk them out halfway for a couple days and ease into the once a day milking? OFG does that with Nibbles so she should know. Definitely choose the time that works best for you.
I just sold one of the doelings this week and she was still nursing ever chance she got all day long and I just went cold turkey to only milking her in the morning as usual and it's fine. And if they are anything like mine, they are really more interested in the grain routine than wanting to be milked.

I think I'm going to milk for another month and then have them bred. I think Perdy will let her doeling nurse forever though. They are really into the whole mothering thing. Rory has given me the cold shoulder all week since I took her baby away.

 

[freemotion]

You should be able to go cold turkey, I'd think, if their udders were used to 2 quarts capacity per milking not that long ago, they can handle that pressure easily. You know they will complain either way. It is more about the missed feeding.

Choose the time that is convenient to you. I try to stay within a two hour window but rarely milk at the same time each day. I don't want them to know when I am coming to get them. Less stress on them if I am late if they don't have a set time. Less noise and complaining, too. No one has 'sploded yet!

 

[mydakota]

You should be able to go cold turkey, I'd think, if their udders were used to 2 quarts capacity per milking not that long ago, they can handle that pressure easily. You know they will complain either way. It is more about the missed feeding.

Choose the time that is convenient to you. I try to stay within a two hour window but rarely milk at the same time each day. I don't want them to know when I am coming to get them. Less stress on them if I am late if they don't have a set time. Less noise and complaining, too. No one has 'sploded yet!

This is exactly what I do. I think goats are a little more flexible than cows. I usually leave at least one kid on them as long as they will nurse them. Then, if I even want to go away for the weekend I can. Have done it numerous times. It made me nervous the first couple of times, but my experience has been that everyone is comfy and happy when I return and the milk supply is usually UP, indicating that the kid did a great job of milking for me while I was gone. I have two neighbors that can milk and that I trust. If I go away, I have one of them check on the girls at least twice a day to make sure that noone is engorged and hurting. They have never once had to milk them--they have always been just fine.

 

[ksalvagno]

I would just go right to milking once a day. That is what I did with my girls. In fact, after today, I'm going to every other day. The fullness indicates to stop producing milk.

 

[savingdogs]

Thanks everyone!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Yep, you can just go cold turkey. Heck, the other day my doe was being a jerk about coming out for milking, so I left her in the pasture and totally skipped the morning milking. She was ready to be milked that afternoon. I told her I don't have time for shenanigans. If a goat is a super high producer I wouldn't do that, but my doe is down to about 6 lbs a day (3 qts) so I wasn't worried about it.

 

[savingdogs]

Well I went a total of 22 hours between milking. Ginger was full but Molly seemed about normal. They were NOT happy last night and were fighting each OTHER (silly goats) but I just gave them extra hay and that distracted them.

I think I'll try to milk them 23 hours from this morning tomorrow and then go to 24 from there. Thanks for the advice everyone! I felt much better last night when they were bawling and upset knowing it wasn't from udder pain and instead from being spoiled brats.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey baby!

and they might just be feelin' frisky b/c they are coming into heat. Nibbles' milk was down and then when i moved her to the new yard i just didnt milk her at night and she was fine. well.. she was mad but i think it was more about not getting the snacks than anything.

but lets face it, she was getting too chunky so she's getting grain in the morning for milking....and hay at night. otherwise its, "get out there and free range baby!"

debbie is a little tougher b/c she gets so full - so Java was just right. when we start milking debbie once a day i'll only milk her somewhat out. but it sounds like you did a great job and everyone is happy.

btw, Nibbles says she wishes she could come and live with you (or java). apparently i'm very mean.

;-)

 

[savingdogs]

I do love these goats. I never would have thunk it. I've always looked at cows, goats and sheep out in pastures and thought BOAR---RING. But now I realize I'd probably like them, too, because of how I like the goats. It is like the milking season has brought us much closer, they are much more affectionate and dependent upon me.

I think it was the BRIBES though of all those cups of grain.... Ginger gave me the stink-eye this morning when I told her she was done, she was thinking she needed to make up for last night.

They ARE in heat, OFG, the three of them seem to be trading off which one is in heat. Perhaps that dropped their production? It makes sense that if they are getting ready for a new reproductive cycle, their lactation curve should be coming to an end. I think I might be able to milk Ginger once a day for a long while still, or at least I hope I can. I should stop once they are later in their pregnancies no matter what, right? I was thinking of milking Molly once a day, breed her at the end of the month, and then use the next month after that to dry her up. Then I was going to breed Ginger two months later. I only have one kidding stall and not room for any more, so I wanted to stagger the births this time so each group of kids can have the "good" stall for kids.
Does that sound like a good plan? Last year both does accepted their kids well and got their milk in well, so I'm thinking in their second year they will do fine, I'm not worried about them kidding one at a time.