I am training a couple of other people to milk now so they will be able to help me in the spring. The only goat currently in milk is my 10 year old doe in her 8th month of lactation who I am milking once a day and she was giving 2 cups. She has nice teats and is very very patient as long as she is eating her grain.
The problem is my trainees are not fast enough to milk her out on her usual ration of grain. I let then give her 50 percent more and try to cut it down the next day when I milk, but they are still not fast enough to empty her so I sometimes give her a little more and empty her. I am afraid if I do not empty her I will loose the little production there is and have no milking goat to use for training.
The doe is also starting to put on a little weight and she was probably bred 3 weeks ago. I can milk her out by the time she is about 2/3 or 3/4 done with her usual ration but that's not enough to make up what extra the trainees need.
I have 3 trainees and they each milk one day.
How can I succeed at this and get my trainees to learn to milk faster while not overfeeding my goat or loosing what little production is left? I am stumped.
Replies
When I'm training, I bury the grain under some thick alfalfa hay. No extra grain, but the work of digging down (while getting mouthfuls of hay) takes her longer, and buys time for the trainees. Good luck!
As for "chopped" hay, I just gather up the crumbs that accumulate on top of the hay stack. I have a pretty small feed bowl on my milk stand, so I need small bits. Also makes it easier to mix with the grain. If you put hay pieces on there that are too large, some goats will just toss the hay out with their noses so they can get to the grain.
When I said alfalfa pellets, I really meant any type of hay pellets. According to the Standlee website, alfalfa pellets are 16% minimum protein, but timothy and orchard grass are 8% minimum protein, so a grass hay pellet would definitely be less likely to make her fat. I also tend to need the hay pellets right after my does kid, which is when they have so much milk that it takes me longer to milk them, so the higher protein alfalfa pellets are just right for that situation.
The advantage of any type of hay pellet over grain is that too much grain can also cause rumen and digestive problems, such as diarrhea or goat polio, so if you can't find a grass hay pellet, the alfalfa hay pellet would still be better for the goat.
Thanks so much, I like that idea of making her food last longer. I will try the chopped hay idea first. Certainly hay in her bowl wont excite her but I am guessing the idea is that with the chopped hay mixed in it will take her longer to eat her grain ration. I have no hay chopper but I assume I could just cut some with scissors. How fine a chop works best?
I don't have any alfalfa pellets but could get some though I am wondering if they are any less likely to put on weight than her 18% grain ration. She has been gaining weight since getting the extra grain to help the trainees milk her and is probably 3 weeks preg. So I am leery of letting her gain extra weight for fear of huge kids.
When I have a doe that eats faster than I milk, I mix in alfalfa pellets or chopped hay.