I used to work on a cow dairy a few years back for 8 years. Well known fact that they gave more milk in the mornings then evenings. My 8 and 10 year old Pygmy goats that have never been milked before, have been over flowing my little jar I use in the evenings. They come close in the mornings but not what I get at night. I have never milked the Pygmys before. They have always been allowed to raise their babies, but are wild as hares so I took them this year to tame them down. Do goats in general do this? I know this is a Nig Dwarf forum but not much difference, they are both breeds of goats.
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I've only just started milking for the first time my first goat, so I don't know much, but I was actually wondering the same thing. My little doe gave about an ounce less in the A.M. than in the P.M. very consistently. I know an ounce isn't much, but that will tell you how much milk I was getting - NOT a lot. ;)
I have only had my Pygmy's to raise and sell babies from. None are what I would call "pocket goats " I have and had a few you can pet while you have food. No food forget it. I never asked any more out of them, never needed to. As long as I can get them in a pen with food thats all I wanted. The babies after I weaned them would come around quickly after they where sold. Most went to homes where they got one on one attention and came around very quickly. I have 2 older does (the ones I am milking) that are not going to keep producing so I want to keep a doe from them at some point and I didn't want the babies to be like them so thats why I am bottle raising them. And no the older does do NOT want to be milked. One is happy to eat once she is in there and gives me plenty to feed babies, but the other in NO way does she want any part of milking OR eating, but her daughter is the one that will JUMP the short gate in the barn and go to the stand wanting her food, wouldn't go so far as to want to be milked LOL but gives no NO problems.. stands eats and I usually have to get her to leave...I have tried to mess with the babies while they are on the dam but as soon as momma walks off there goes the babies. Does take off with them. I know its obvious I did not raise the does to be the friendliest in the world and that its too late to make up for that, but I am hoping with bottle feeding the babies and keeping THEM back I will have tamer does in the future.
I spent 8 years at the dairy in which I had been told the reason why the cows gave as much milk in the mornings is because they had the cooler nights with less distractions. When it was hot you can forget getting much milk. The cows where pampered as much as cows can... water misters, huge fans everywhere, nutritionist, loafing barn, loose stalls... you name those cows got it and it showed in the tank. The herd I milked had 100 cows (total herd 300+) and was milked 3x and most of those cows where 100-150 pounders... I had no idea that goat and cow milking could be so different...
Thanks for all the input! I am really enjoying the conversations and info I am getting here. Brings back a lot of memories when I had big goats milking them.....
The problem with milking pygmies is that they haven't been raised as milk goats for a long time. AGS has a pygmy registry, but there are a lot of difference between an AGS pygmy, which is a dairy goat, and a NPGA pygmy, which are raised for pet and show. When you have zero emphasis on teat size, length, orifice size, and production, they won't be very good. I've seen this with my dexter cattle, which have not been raised as dairy animals, although they are promoted as triple purpose (milk, beef, and draft). They really have pretty terrible mammary systems. Like pygmies, they can raise babies, but that's about it. It is also interesting to hear what you're saying about their personalities. In the dairy goat world, people talk about a goat's will to milk -- your goats don't sound like they want to be milked, which is another personality trait that dairy goat breeders focus on. Even my does that are less than friendly run into the milking parlor, jump up on the stand, and are well behaved while I milk them.
I have never known my goats to give more or less milk in the morning or evening if they were being milked 12 hours apart and their water buckets stayed full all the time. If those cows were giving more in the morning, there was a reason for it, because that's not normal. Even when we had our heat wave with 100 degree temps during the day, the goats gave the same amount morning and night. I was thinking that they would start giving less in the evening because of the heat, but they didn't. Their overall supply did go down for both night and day milkings, and that is a well-known fact that I've seen. It has been well researched in cow dairies. For every degree above 80-something, production decreases by some percentage. I don't remember the numbers, but heat does decrease production.
Personalities can also be different from breed to breed. We dam raise all of our kids, and we have no problem with wildness in either our Nigerians or la manchas. I have heard that some breeds are not as calm and easy to handle, but I don't have any experience with them. I do know that personality is partially genetic, and I initially culled goats that were not easy to handle. It's been years now since I've had a goat with a bad attitude. The other part of the equation is simply handling the kids.
Lynnette has long teats and milks out quick... Valerie long teats but small holes takes awhile.. Wild VERY short teats and one hole is off to the side so I can't get a rhythm going and have to milk one side then the other but its really quick. Husband will drink the milk but I don't care for milk at all... not straight anyway. Any kind of milk.
I've heard pygmies have good drinking milk. The issue is their teat size making it difficult to milk them, but it sounds like you're doing well. I LOVE the flavor of Nigerian milk... very sweet.
I am bottle feeding the 5 babies between the 3 of them. Any of the extra milk I cook with.. I do know I have to shake the jar pretty good cause all the cream is thick at the top! I did milk an Alpine years ago and sold it to a man that was bottle feeding a foal. The cream wasn't near this thick. Maybe one of these days I will be able to get a pure Nig and see what kind of milk production they have. I do have a half Nig/Pyg here and a Reg Nig buck... Time will tell...
In general, First Fresheners have a smaller milk supply their first time, and only get better from there... not being super familiar with pygmies, I think you're getting a good amount from her... lol like I said though, I've only ever milked one goat of my own... your other does are doing good too it sounds!! I've heard pygmy goat milk is high in butter fat like Nigerian's is... are you drinking your milk?
OK I understand what you where saying now. I was just lumping them all together as "goats" and not the breeds they are. I see where what would be normal for Pygs may not be normal for Nigs. So you think that the FF is doing great at 18 oz a day? I thought the oldest doe was doing good LOL. Lynette is 10 YO and Valerie is about 8. This is the first time I have ever taken their babies from them. Wild (FF) lives up to her name but she is VERY food motivated!
Sounds like your FF has some potential to be a great milker next breeding!! She's already doing pretty well... The main thing I was saying is that even though Pygmies and Nigerians are goats, there can be a pretty big difference in "the norm" even between standard milking breeds, so what might be normal for one breed might not be for another... I don't know if your question is one that will fall into the "pretty much all goats are like that" category or the "this is normal for Pygmy goats" category... if it's the last one, then your Q might not be so easily answered here unless there are others with Pygmies. Deb will probably be able to give you the best information in that regard.
Maybe they are more willing... who knows... I know that the 2 older does HATE to be messed with and have to either be herded over to the milk stand while another is on it or I have to drag them to it. The one doe gives me 28-30 oz a day, the other older doe gives me about 18-20 oz a day and the first freshener (which RUNS to the stand so she can eat) gives me 16 oz a day. I will be glad when I can wean the babies.... I understand they are different in breed standard.. I was just saying they where both caprines.
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I've only just started milking for the first time my first goat, so I don't know much, but I was actually wondering the same thing. My little doe gave about an ounce less in the A.M. than in the P.M. very consistently. I know an ounce isn't much, but that will tell you how much milk I was getting - NOT a lot. ;)
I have only had my Pygmy's to raise and sell babies from. None are what I would call "pocket goats " I have and had a few you can pet while you have food. No food forget it. I never asked any more out of them, never needed to. As long as I can get them in a pen with food thats all I wanted. The babies after I weaned them would come around quickly after they where sold. Most went to homes where they got one on one attention and came around very quickly. I have 2 older does (the ones I am milking) that are not going to keep producing so I want to keep a doe from them at some point and I didn't want the babies to be like them so thats why I am bottle raising them. And no the older does do NOT want to be milked. One is happy to eat once she is in there and gives me plenty to feed babies, but the other in NO way does she want any part of milking OR eating, but her daughter is the one that will JUMP the short gate in the barn and go to the stand wanting her food, wouldn't go so far as to want to be milked LOL but gives no NO problems.. stands eats and I usually have to get her to leave...I have tried to mess with the babies while they are on the dam but as soon as momma walks off there goes the babies. Does take off with them. I know its obvious I did not raise the does to be the friendliest in the world and that its too late to make up for that, but I am hoping with bottle feeding the babies and keeping THEM back I will have tamer does in the future.
I spent 8 years at the dairy in which I had been told the reason why the cows gave as much milk in the mornings is because they had the cooler nights with less distractions. When it was hot you can forget getting much milk. The cows where pampered as much as cows can... water misters, huge fans everywhere, nutritionist, loafing barn, loose stalls... you name those cows got it and it showed in the tank. The herd I milked had 100 cows (total herd 300+) and was milked 3x and most of those cows where 100-150 pounders... I had no idea that goat and cow milking could be so different...
Thanks for all the input! I am really enjoying the conversations and info I am getting here. Brings back a lot of memories when I had big goats milking them.....
The problem with milking pygmies is that they haven't been raised as milk goats for a long time. AGS has a pygmy registry, but there are a lot of difference between an AGS pygmy, which is a dairy goat, and a NPGA pygmy, which are raised for pet and show. When you have zero emphasis on teat size, length, orifice size, and production, they won't be very good. I've seen this with my dexter cattle, which have not been raised as dairy animals, although they are promoted as triple purpose (milk, beef, and draft). They really have pretty terrible mammary systems. Like pygmies, they can raise babies, but that's about it. It is also interesting to hear what you're saying about their personalities. In the dairy goat world, people talk about a goat's will to milk -- your goats don't sound like they want to be milked, which is another personality trait that dairy goat breeders focus on. Even my does that are less than friendly run into the milking parlor, jump up on the stand, and are well behaved while I milk them.
I have never known my goats to give more or less milk in the morning or evening if they were being milked 12 hours apart and their water buckets stayed full all the time. If those cows were giving more in the morning, there was a reason for it, because that's not normal. Even when we had our heat wave with 100 degree temps during the day, the goats gave the same amount morning and night. I was thinking that they would start giving less in the evening because of the heat, but they didn't. Their overall supply did go down for both night and day milkings, and that is a well-known fact that I've seen. It has been well researched in cow dairies. For every degree above 80-something, production decreases by some percentage. I don't remember the numbers, but heat does decrease production.
Personalities can also be different from breed to breed. We dam raise all of our kids, and we have no problem with wildness in either our Nigerians or la manchas. I have heard that some breeds are not as calm and easy to handle, but I don't have any experience with them. I do know that personality is partially genetic, and I initially culled goats that were not easy to handle. It's been years now since I've had a goat with a bad attitude. The other part of the equation is simply handling the kids.
I've heard pygmies have good drinking milk. The issue is their teat size making it difficult to milk them, but it sounds like you're doing well. I LOVE the flavor of Nigerian milk... very sweet.
I am bottle feeding the 5 babies between the 3 of them. Any of the extra milk I cook with.. I do know I have to shake the jar pretty good cause all the cream is thick at the top! I did milk an Alpine years ago and sold it to a man that was bottle feeding a foal. The cream wasn't near this thick. Maybe one of these days I will be able to get a pure Nig and see what kind of milk production they have. I do have a half Nig/Pyg here and a Reg Nig buck... Time will tell...
In general, First Fresheners have a smaller milk supply their first time, and only get better from there... not being super familiar with pygmies, I think you're getting a good amount from her... lol like I said though, I've only ever milked one goat of my own... your other does are doing good too it sounds!! I've heard pygmy goat milk is high in butter fat like Nigerian's is... are you drinking your milk?
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