Author Topic: Goats' - Freshening  (Read 22147 times)

pamaples

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2009, 12:58:52 AM »
I like that; staggered breeding; milk year round, Yippie!

cmharris6002

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2009, 01:03:46 AM »
In the past I have staggered breeding to milk year round. Now I like to take the holidays off and have more family time. I milk 300 days a year and am dry from mid November to mid January.

Christy

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #17 on: September 15, 2009, 01:11:46 AM »
Well you need a break sometime!

susanne

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2009, 04:08:51 AM »
i'm milking the fourth year through now. break? i want the milk ;)

cmharris6002

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2009, 10:19:48 AM »
How many are you milking at any given time Susanne?

Christy

pamaples

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #20 on: September 15, 2009, 01:22:04 PM »
Yeah, that's just it. I like the milk year round and I am only milking 2 or 3 goats at a time. My family is grown and my need for milk, yogurt, and cheese is not that great any more. I do know people who will buy  my milk and fresh cheese anytime I say I have extra, but I don't want to go into a large scale production. I have enough irons in the fire.

susanne

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #21 on: September 15, 2009, 08:57:05 PM »
i'm milking about eight but the number will eventually increase.
i think it is more like a lifestyle i choose. i have some people that got a goat share and they are happy to get fresh milk year round too. i'm working towards not have the does freshen every year as raising the kids is a lot of work i could be without ;)
at the same time, i can not bring it over me to see those little things as a waste product.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #22 on: September 15, 2009, 09:19:42 PM »
I have a dunb question that just poped into my head to add to the pot here. I grew up milking cows but never a goat. I guess any goats we had were boys I don't even remember them having teats. Any any case do goats have four teats like a cow? Or do they have two?  ???

FRANCOIS

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #23 on: September 15, 2009, 09:24:53 PM »
two.

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #24 on: September 15, 2009, 09:36:49 PM »
Thanks Francois I don't know why that suddenly became important to know. Dad would probably have slapped me upside the head for asking such a dumb question.

pamaples

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #25 on: September 15, 2009, 10:16:28 PM »
Susanne, we are not commercial and we have always let the mom's raise their own kids. When they are old enough we separate them at night, milk the mommas in the morning, then let the kids out. We only milk once a day at first and start out separating the kids 2 then 3 days a week then increase. Later, when the kids are old enough to sell, they are weaned and sold and then we milk twice a day. Granted, this is subsistence milking, but it has worked for time immemorial for us.

cmharris6002

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #26 on: September 15, 2009, 11:24:45 PM »
We bottle feed. So far all of my kids have been reserved before birth and picked up at our farm when they are a week old. When I have extra bucks I sell them for $25/ea on craigslist.

I don't keep many kids back for my herd because I want to stay small. I always tell myself that I should milk through then I get a new buck and want all the does bred which means kids again :-\

Christy

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #27 on: September 15, 2009, 11:30:32 PM »
Does an older goat give better milk than a younger one?

susanne

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #28 on: September 16, 2009, 12:20:31 AM »
yes, goats have normally two teats, the buck too ;)
if the goat is a bit older, she will have more milk. better quality?? i don't know.
i just need to keep some of the kids to see if a breeding works. i like playing with genes ;)
as a seed stock breeder, i can not afford to dam raise the kids. i would not get the money i get now when i sell my animals.

cmharris6002

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Re: Goats' - Freshening
« Reply #29 on: September 16, 2009, 12:50:35 AM »
I agree with Susanne, older does give more milk but not 'better' milk.

My stock comes from 'Top Ten Breed Leaders' in butterfat, protein, and production, that way I know my does are genetically geared to produce lots of high quality milk but feed and husbandry also play a major role in milk quality.

Christy