Have a Toggenburg/Guernsey mix. She`s been a great milker. Want to dry her up. Went from twice daily milking to once a day. Been doing it for a week. Opinions on how to completely dry her up (safely). All input is appreciated. Love this site.
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Hi Bruce.
You need to reduce her "energy" for milk production by gradually weaning her off nutrient dense food such as alfalfa and grain over 1-2 weeks. That snuffs the coals of her milk producing engine :)
Then just stop milking. As milk builds in her udder without being milked out, a back-pressure will form against the milk producing cells in the mammary tissue, telling them to cease production.
Dry off is pretty easy to do in goats that are producing less than 3# a day. If she is producing more than that, keep a closer eye out for engorgement, which may need to be relieved with a full milk out one time a few days after milking has stopped.
Tammy
I should have also said to transition alfalfa hay to grass hay. She still needs hay in her diet, just not the high protein and calcium of alfalfa.
Tammy