I purchased a mixed breed doe last spring who had last freshened in 2010. Her previous owner said she couldn't dry her off.
I'd been milking her (Milly) and two NDG does, one who last freshened in 2012 and the other this past spring (2013). I had surgery in early January, including carpel tunnel and CMC (base of thumb) and as I'm fumbling typing this I'm still wearing splints on both arms/hands, and my right hand won't be cleared to milk for another three or four weeks.
During this time my (grumpy, older) husband has been milking once a day. The NDG who freshened back in 2012 has dried up which I think is good, and the other NDG is down to about a half pound a day. The Alpine/Nubian mix, Wilma, is still at a steady 2 lbs per milking...
My question- Am I hurting her by continuing to milk her? Her coat/weight/hooves look good and I provide sweet feed formulated for dairy goats while I milk her. It's been an ugly winter up here in Ohio, so there's been very little pasture but we do provide a grass hay (round bale) in the pasture, and alfalfa mix in the barn. I'm going to bring in a buck in a few weeks and due to the small size of my NDG does, he will be a dwarf also. I'm not sure he'll be able to breed Millie unless he masters using stilts!
Any thoughts?