May we have some input from the more experienced long time breeders on the average length of lactation and the average amount of milk production on Nigerians. We know it all varies with genetics, what they are fed, the particular doe, and how many freshenings she has had. I know most Nigerians are capable of producing 2 quarts a day. Can be milked to 10 months and beyond, but more specific what milk amounts are considered Not Bad, Good, Great, or Exceptional with the corresponding amount of months milked.
First may we get some idea in months or weeks when a doe's milk production peaks, how long she can stay constant, when to expect her production to start slowing down and when do you decided to begin the process of drying her up?
How do you rate the does you are milking using the rating system, "Not Bad," "Good," "Great," or "Exceptional?" in the amounts of milk they are producing? How would you rate them too when this is corresponded with the the lactation cycle at their peak, staying constant, slowing down, to drying up?
Also how did you decide to milk a great or exceptional milk producer beyond the 10 month to one year mark?
Hopefully my questions make some sort of sense....lol :)
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Thank you again!
Juliana is correct that SCC is somatic cell count.
On the testing ... the labs have production charts and curves and all sorts of statistics, which they use to calculate your goats production over the course of the month based upon what she produced on test day. It certainly does make it much easier than having to weigh and keep track of every single milking!
Right, I remember now. Thanks you sweety!
SCC= Somatic Cell Count?
Deborah was talking earlier about that being an early warning sign for mastitis
Thanks, I really appreciate that, Deborah. I guess I won't feel to guilty if I wait a while then, but it does sound like it wouldn't be as hard as I thought. I thought I had to do a bunch of weighing and recording etc. every day for 305 days and I could see me giving up real quick from being to bogged down. I don't want to get into anything that is going to get me in over my head. I would rather wait 'til I feel more comfortable with other aspects of the biz than to end up quitting!
Unfortunately, I don't know what SCC refers to but I thought it would be nice to do them from FF on to watch for improvements. But I can always do that unofficially! I do plan to take pics and do some records on weight to compare to the following seasons. I figure I need all the info I can to help decide which ones to really build my herd on for improvement and that would be valuable info at decision time! Thanks again! Really!
When you're on 305-day test, you are only weighing and testing the milk once a month, so it's not that hard to dam raise and be on milk test. You just have to separate the kids for 24 hours. I won't separate the kids if they're less than two weeks old because they won't always take a bottle, and I just worry too much if they're too young and refusing a bottle for that long, especially because when mama gets put back with them, she is pretty much empty. And you are not supposed to test a goat in her first four days of lactation because it's not mature milk.
I say you're supposed to have all your goats on test because the rules say you are required to test them all, but I don't know how they enforce that. And if I have a first freshener that has no hope of getting a star, I may just stop testing her to make my life easier because I usually freshen about 15-18 a year. Interestingly enough, first fresheners usually have very low SCCs, so I'm not usually worried about them.
They can kid year round, and they just get added to the test whenever they kid.
If you can get your goats on test the first year, you are a stronger woman than I am! I do know someone who did, but she wound up only having goats for a couple of years, AND she bought her goats from someone who was already on test, so she basically had it very easy. It took us a few years to get our act together, and it was my oldest daughter who did it. Then when she went off to college, and we were not on test for a couple of years until I got my act together! I was going to stop after my youngest went to college, but I'm kind of addicted to those monthly reports now. And my husband (the hard cheese maker of the family) is getting kind of addicted too!
True. I was just talking production, but you're right. Her butterfat could surprise me! I guess I'll find out in two years, hopefully.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Now you really have me curious. You have seen the photo of Capri's milk, though not much milk but 40 percent cream on it. This has continued. I'm thinking that next year, even though I will only have two milking, it might be fun to do the test just to see.
My original plan was to keep Ginger (my baby) and her does and to sell Capri and Summer when I have to re-home someone. However, I am thinking if Capri's milk separating is unique to her (allowing me to easily have butter) and her butterfat is high, that I should be re-thinking that. She turned three in August so she should have good production next year, helped by me knowing better what I am doing.<g>
I am looking forward to the new book!
1: I know this will probably sound stupid because I think I remember Deborah saying this but I am not positive and would like to make sure.
If you do the 305 day test when do you start after the kidding? at day 1 fresh? or at some other point after actual milk has come in? and then you have to bottle raise all those kids? a whole herd would mean an awful lot of bottle babies to tend to!
2: Deborah, you said "SUPPOSED TO" but you don't have to? I am sure that I know of a huge herd where some are on test and some are not!? This is a bit confusing!?
3:From those of you who know how to participate in official milk test I would like to know if your opinions are the same as mine about something. Since I know nothing about this and have no real practical experience with milking IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT: it is way to much to try to put a herd on milk test the same year you are dealing with your first real kidding and milking season? I mean it sure seems like it would be stupid for someone like me to try this, this coming year, BUT I would hate to realize in later years that it is really not a big deal and that if I had just learned enough and prepared that I could have easily done it this very first year!
I would love the benefit to the herd and kidding sales etc. and most importantly knowing my herds real potential but this all seems like waaaay to much to deal with! Keep in mind that not only will it be my first big kidding season but also that I will be dealing with all FF's! And do they all have to kid in a certain time frame or do you just add them to the records as they kid? I hope I will have 8 due close together since no one settled for fall kiddings! (I have 8 girls that I have been keeping with my bucks all the time for about 2months now. After no fall kids I decided not to try to guess about there heats but to just leave them together and let nature take its course!} But I have one more that may get bred for a later kidding. ??????????????????????????????????
Sorry,I know I am being a pain!
It seems like almost every day I get on here and see a question that makes me say, "I have to remember to put that in the book!" The next book (coming out fall 2013) will be about raising goats, making cheese with goat milk specifically (because all the cheese books out there are written for cow milk), using goat meat, using goat poop (fertilizer and compost), and making goat milk soap. I hadn't thought about it before your post, but I really should talk about milk testing for all the reasons I've already mentioned in this thread. I have to fit that all into 80,000 words, but if I have space I'll talk about showing too! Thanks for the suggestions!
Margaret Langley said:
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