Extended lactation

LaurieLovesLearning

I will be cross posting this to both goats & cattle.

https://modernfarmer.com/2021/02/no-milk-without-meat/

We do an extended lactation with our cows & then give the one milking a break (& get her bred) & milk the other for a couple of years, then get her bred. That is why we have more than one cow.

A cow will give the most milk after calf #3. Yet this article says with their goats, they only breed them once. I wonder how that compares.

You would never get to leave home without a relief milker and I wonder if he has to milk twice a day. We usually milk once a day. For our present cow, we are doing twice/day.

One thing to note is that udder care is important. He does not use a machine, he milks by hand. A machine is always going to be harder on an udder.

I am sure quality of feed comes into play too.

Someone is trying this with their dairy sheep too.

It would be interesting to learn more of his actual routine & practices with his goats.

Hassena

Hi @LaurieLovesLearning

We are just completing out first year with goats.

We have one for, that's 6yrs old. Our best milker. We were trying to dry her up. Then we switched pastures and she needs to be milked.

I've heard of goat breeds like saanens and lamanchas can be milked for 2years without breeding. I do believe it now.

A good diet rich in browse not grain. It's possible.

We also milk by hand. It's work but gentler on the animal.

Monek Marie

@Hassena I will be milking goats for the first time this year. The kids are just one week old.

Do your goats have their horns or do you de-bud them?

AdrienneHew

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/892519#Comment_892519

I'm sure you know already that it's optimal to disbud during the first week. The first doe I got was disbudded. The second one has her horns.... she just had littles this spring and we opted not to remove them since last time we took a goat for the procedure, they didn't do a very good job... although we may have been a little late in bringing him in. But I have a feeling we're gonna regret not doing it this time as those things are pokey if the goat isn't particularly calm. That said, the doe without horns seems to have an easier time breaking out of her pen. LOL. So far the one with them hasn't.