I am planning to have four to five does kid at the same time some day in the future, but I don't want to be milking more than two or three. I'd like to choose the best two or three milkers and keep milking them. If I dry off the others early will that have any affect on their futures as milk producers? Does it help them to become better producers if they remain in milk longer? I really want to see what potential my young does have without having to milk so many, as long as it won't be detrimental to their future production and udder development.
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I think that sounds like a good plan, Margaret!
Patty it seems you have perfect answers here, and I am inclined to think that a combination of this sounds perfect. I totally agree with Jan that setting up a system of staggering things out will help a lot. I plan to stagger our kiddings so they don't all have spring kids because I have such a large family and I want milk all the time I am going to breed were we have kids throughout the Fall/Winter & Spring. No Summer, I have already decided that is way to hot where I live. I figure this way I will have girls hit there peaks at different times and hopefully have a more balanced production through the year. I have so many for a newbie, that it seems to me to be sensible for me to stagger kidding so I am not overwhelmed with the work, the learning to milk, the need to relocate what is not retained etc. besides I am thinking this way until I am more experienced at noticing and dealing with problems like cocci that my risk with my does and kids will be less if they aren't all exposed at once. Does this make any sense to anyone and does it seem logical or am I way off base with this thinking. It's ok. I asked. You can tell me if it sounds stupid. I just don't want to risk an outbreak of something getting everyone at once if I don't realize what is happening, do to lack of experience and was hoping doing this would help prevent that.
I have finally started weighing my milk this year and have a much better idea about their production although I will say my initial instincts were right. Unhappily I have had to go to once a day milking due to connective tissue disease and I know they are giving less due to that change. I would think staggering your does freshenings would allow you to see what they can do without being overwhelmed by having to milk five of them. Another thing to remember is that FF improve the next time around. I had about decided not to keep a FF until this time when both her udder and production are better.
I hear ya! With my baby going to college this fall, I'm facing some tough decisions myself.
Patty Meyer said:
Oh, of course! I don't know why I didn't think of that about the length of lactation. I have some tough decisions to make balancing goat goals with my families needs and wishes. Thanks Deborah! :)
There are people who believe that does will be better milkers throughout their life if they are milked as long as possible in their lactations, although I have not heard of any research done on this.
One thing about potential production is that the goat giving the most milk in the beginning may not be the one that lasts the longest, so a goat with a lower peak may ultimately give you the most milk over the entire lactation. Some goats have much higher peaks than others but may not have the longevity of a doe that did not peak as high. So, to have a full picture of a doe's milking potential, you need to milk them through their lactation.