Depressed Doe = Less Milk?

Our doe's two kids went to a new home this past Sunday. We had been milking her for a month, mornings only, by separating the kids at night and then milking 12 hours later. She kidded at the beginning of July, but we waited four weeks to start separating the kids and milking. We were getting on average, 1.75 cups of milk each morning. We started milking twice a day this Monday, and have noticed a steady decrease in the amount of both the morning and evening milkings since then. It's Friday, and we're now getting half a pound less a day than we were the beginning of the week. I don't feel I'm doing anything differently in the way I milk.

 

Could she be depressed? She hasn't been calling for her kids anymore, but I wonder if she's still adjusting. Also, we are fairly regular in milking times, but the time can vary as much as an hour (between 7 and 8 am or pm) as I am 9 months pregnant and training my kids to do the milking. :) Maybe that's been an issue. Any ideas?  

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Replies

  • I have noticed that a doe's production may drop when her kids are no longer nursing, regardless of whether they were sold or are still on the farm. While it could be depression, I think it may also be that the doe is no longer getting the constant stimulation of the kids' nursing during the day. This is one reason that in the big factory-farm dairies, they milk three times a day (every eight hours round the clock) rather than twice.
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