Learning...

I have been milking a small doe that lost her babies and she has given us yummy milk for 4+ weeks. Her teats are so small I bought a maggidan milker and then finish by hand. it hasn't been a problem. However my easy milker kidded with triplets 2 weeks ago. I separated late night and milked her this AM. The difference in ease of milking is astonishing! I am keeping her two doelings hoping they will milk as easily.

Do you think the FF tiny teated doe will improve with the next freshening? As an older person ease of milking is a priority. Should consider selling and finding another easy milker?

Our main priority here is fresh sweet milk not extra work.

I love having the babies but do not want to keep does over time that are not easy to milk.

Ditto on what Adrienne said. Also, if she lost her babies, her supply probably isn't as good as it would have been if she had kids. Even in optimal conditions, however, everything improves with subsequent freshenings -- teat length and production and personality on the milk stand. Even now I find it hard to cull first fresheners because when I look at the milk records behind my best does at age 4-5, many of them were mediocre as a yearlings.

The best indication I've found is pedigree. Stuff pops up from two or three generations back in pedigrees, which is why it's a good idea to buy goats with excellent pedigrees in whatever you want -- whether it's milk or show. My first milk goat was a good milker with long teats, but she never threw a daughter worth keeping. Her son threw a master champion with the most gorgeous udder (even at age 7 now), as well as a goat that we sold as a first freshener because her udder attachments were horrific.

As for teats, you need to know how long her mother's teats were, as well as udder texture -- and her sire's dam's teats and udder. When I first got goats, I thought it was all about teat length, but today I'd much rather than a goat with short teats and a soft udder than a doe with long teats and a meaty udder or small orifices. Today one of least favorite goats to milk is the one with the longest teats because her orifices are so small, she takes a long time to milk out. Teat length definitely gets longer with subsequent freshenings (especially when kids are nursing), but orifice size and udder texture don't change much.

Of the first three goats I bought, I sold two of them within a couple years because they were horrible milkers. I kept the one I mentioned above, but apparently I just got lucky with her. Her pedigree is mostly unknown goats from unknown herds who didn't milk test, so I'm thinking they were the quart a day goats that could raise twins and that's it.

When I bought my fifth doe -- Sherri -- I studied her pedigree three generations back and didn't see a goat that I didn't like (pictures, production records, descriptions of udder texture, etc.). She is by far my favorite goat out there, and I've kept four of her daughters, which were all better than her. I'm keeping one of her sons this year because she's 8 and who knows how much longer she'll be with us. When building my herd, I bought does that were 1-3 years old culled from excellent herds because they weren't quite perfect, but I bought the best bucks I could afford and bred up. There is no such thing as a bargain buck.

So, that's a very long-winded way of explaining that without a crystal ball, all you have to go on is really the pedigree. Not only will that give you an idea of what this doe can do, it will give you an idea of what her offspring can do.

Replies

Kare March 30, 2011 at 11:48pm

Deborah, That is some excellent advice! Thank you so much!
Deborah Niemann-Boehle March 30, 2011 at 10:18am

Ditto on what Adrienne said. Also, if she lost her babies, her supply probably isn't as good as it would have been if she had kids. Even in optimal conditions, however, everything improves with subsequent freshenings -- teat length and production and personality on the milk stand. Even now I find it hard to cull first fresheners because when I look at the milk records behind my best does at age 4-5, many of them were mediocre as a yearlings.

The best indication I've found is pedigree. Stuff pops up from two or three generations back in pedigrees, which is why it's a good idea to buy goats with excellent pedigrees in whatever you want -- whether it's milk or show. My first milk goat was a good milker with long teats, but she never threw a daughter worth keeping. Her son threw a master champion with the most gorgeous udder (even at age 7 now), as well as a goat that we sold as a first freshener because her udder attachments were horrific.

As for teats, you need to know how long her mother's teats were, as well as udder texture -- and her sire's dam's teats and udder. When I first got goats, I thought it was all about teat length, but today I'd much rather than a goat with short teats and a soft udder than a doe with long teats and a meaty udder or small orifices. Today one of least favorite goats to milk is the one with the longest teats because her orifices are so small, she takes a long time to milk out. Teat length definitely gets longer with subsequent freshenings (especially when kids are nursing), but orifice size and udder texture don't change much.

Of the first three goats I bought, I sold two of them within a couple years because they were horrible milkers. I kept the one I mentioned above, but apparently I just got lucky with her. Her pedigree is mostly unknown goats from unknown herds who didn't milk test, so I'm thinking they were the quart a day goats that could raise twins and that's it.

When I bought my fifth doe -- Sherri -- I studied her pedigree three generations back and didn't see a goat that I didn't like (pictures, production records, descriptions of udder texture, etc.). She is by far my favorite goat out there, and I've kept four of her daughters, which were all better than her. I'm keeping one of her sons this year because she's 8 and who knows how much longer she'll be with us. When building my herd, I bought does that were 1-3 years old culled from excellent herds because they weren't quite perfect, but I bought the best bucks I could afford and bred up. There is no such thing as a bargain buck.

So, that's a very long-winded way of explaining that without a crystal ball, all you have to go on is really the pedigree. Not only will that give you an idea of what this doe can do, it will give you an idea of what her offspring can do.
Adrienne March 30, 2011 at 8:04am

One of my goats just freshened for the second time in February. In the beginning I found her quite difficult to milk, however her udder has softened up and her teat size does seem to be getting a bit better. But I have found that I have to use a slightly different tactic with her. I imagine that with her next freshening she will have stretched out a bit. I do think that your does teat size will improve with her next freshening, and probably for a couple more freshenings after that. Even the doelings you are keeping from your easy milker may start out with tiny teats like this. Having that milker should help you quite a bit with those first few lactations. Were I in your position I don't think I would sell her right now, however, if you do decide to sell her just know that you are going to be blessing someone else with that sweet little goat, and keep your eyes out for an older doe with qualities more similar to your easy milker.

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