# Help my goat is going to dry up!!!



## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

Okay, I have a LM doe who was bred, had a baby, and is now being milked twice a day, but is only 
giving a cup or two each milking. :really She is a second or third freshener and usually gives a gallon each day. 
Her baby buckling might not have been nursing very much when we were milking her only once a day,
so that is a possibility that she just wasn`t producing as much, and so she just didn`t need to make as 
much. Does anyone have info or ideas of how to get her to give more milk? Like milking her 4 times a 
day? :help2


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

When was the kid born? 
What are you feeding her and how much? 
yes milking more times a day will sometimes help in production but something seems to be off have you taken her temp and what is it?


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

Agree with Sondra. Something is wrong - either getting sick or milk fever or? Temperature would be helpful.

How long has she been lactating? And what are you feeding? Have you changed your feed regimen from when she was giving a gallon/day?


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

The kid was born 2/22/10, and we usally feed her a cup of grain, and a cup of afalfa pellet which
I wasn`t doing last year, but I made sure to add afalfa pellets slowly. Is it true that if you aren`t 
milking a goat very much, but then you milk her alot, she won`t give as much because you weren`t demanding as much, right?


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Her baby would have eaten more than that for sure. Mine are always happy to eat a good 1-2 quarts a day to start, and once they get 3-4 weeks all bets are off- they can eat whatever is there. A cup of alfalfa pellet isn't doing much of anything. Usually you feed 3 lbs a day (which is more like 6 cups 2x per day). You don't have to be quite as slow adding the alfalfa pellets because they aren't high carb like grain. 

If she's getting grass hay with only that much alfalfa, I'd say that's the problem. 

Of course.. I'm thinking measuring cup, you may mean whatever container you are using to scoop. Have to know how much it is in weight or some other measurable amount.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Yes Kallie-Milk removal is the only signal to make more so yes demand is the key but not the only factor in milk production.

What condition is the udder in? Is it hard? Large? Glands soft? Loose skin? Does it feel like there is milk that you are not getting out or is it really a drying udder? Has she been tested for CAE? 
Were you getting a gallon a day on one cup of grain and one cup of alfalfa?
What is her roughage? Good quality hay? 

If you have not milked regularly in the month since freshening she could just be dropping to the level of milk the kid requires. With a single kid she will not be signaled to produce much. It is advisable to milk out completely as soon as the kids have had a good dose of colostrum and milk twice daily regardless of the kid nursing so you are setting the demand high in the first stages of lactation.
Lee


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## racyford (Sep 10, 2008)

Did you de-worm your doe after she kidded? Some of the more experience goaters may debunk this; it may have had nothing to do with the issue. All I know is that this worked for me. In my "personal" experience, I believe that a worm problem caused a drop in milk production. After I dewormed my does, I increased my milking to 3 times a day for two days and between the two 'solutions' my production increased. {I was new to goats, the goats were new to me, I did not have a scale and my children were doing the milking chores most of the time. This is the explanation for why I did not notice it sooner or correct the condition before it got too noticeable, production-wise.} 

On a side note, what part of MI are you in? I lived in Mancelona, MI for a year when I was a child. It was one place I really hated leaving.


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

I live in Tecumseh Mi and her udder feels like a normal udder, it`s a big udder, but not hard, I am pretty sure I am getting all the milk out. She has good quality grass hay, she gets two to four flakes a day. She is a piggy eater when she is on the stand so she knocks out some of the grain.
5oz. of grain, 5oz. of alfalfa pellets twice a day. So she needs more than that, like a lot more?
Also she was wormed before and after she gave birth and we bought her a last year and have not CAE tested her since then. Does CAE always have something to do with the milk? And do any of you think I should start milking her 3 times a day, she will get more grain and more alfalfa pellets, and maybe the demand for milk could help?


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I know my does would drop in milk production considerably if I only fed 5oz of alfalfa pellets 2x per day...but probably not to the level you are seeing if they still got free choice hay and browse and clean water. (I've ran out of alfalfa pellets or grain at times and so can vouch for what I know they will decrease to...sad but true). We do free choice alfalfa pellets/hay and all the grain they can eat on the milkstand, just as a comparison. They all milk a minimum of one gallon per day and most milk more until they start to slow down in the fall. 

Does the milk taste okay. Can you CMT it today and send out a test tomorrow? 

Yes, you could have a worm problem, but to know what worm you'd need to fecal...and if the load were heavy enough to affect milk production this much, I'd be extremely worried about the doe. Are her eye lids white? What wormer did you use? 

Good luck with her. Hopefully she'll be back where you want her to be very soon.


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

racyford said:


> Did you de-worm your doe after she kidded? Some of the more experience goaters may debunk this; it may have had nothing to do with the issue. All I know is that this worked for me. In my "personal" experience, I believe that a worm problem caused a drop in milk production. After I dewormed my does, I increased my milking to 3 times a day for two days and between the two 'solutions' my production increased. {I was new to goats, the goats were new to me, I did not have a scale and my children were doing the milking chores most of the time. This is the explanation for why I did not notice it sooner or correct the condition before it got too noticeable, production-wise.}


It is always advisable to worm a doe either the day she kids or the following day. The worms are opportunistic and when the doe is under stress,(kidding, coming into milk) that is a great time for them to launch "full steam ahead". So I would say certainly a heavy worm load could result in reduced milk (after all, she is not getting as many nutrients from the food she is consuming).

Kallie,

Our does - heavy milkers - get 2 lbs/grain each milking and free choice alfalfa hay. So if you want more milk, feed more, high density - nutritious-wise feed. And yes, milking her will stimulate milk, but you will need to increase her feed. Free choice on the alfalfa pellets (at least 3 cups offered anyway!) and slow increase on the grain.

Have you taken her temperature?


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

I will get back to you on the tempature. I will milk her 3 times a day and how much more should I give her? 6 oz. today. 7 oz. tomorrow, and so on? Would that be too much too soon? She was wormed before and after she gave birth. We do herbal wormers and fecals. I will let everyone know her temp and her eyelid color after I milk her this afternoon.


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

Not sure if you need Ivomectin Plus or can just do Ivomec. But I would worm this girl with Ivermcectin product. 

Herbals (if you are fecaling and not finding anything) may be fine - but not when you have an animal that is doing poorly - and not producing milk 45 days post kidding, the animal is not doing well! To me, at this point you need to be ruling out possible causes, such as worms, in addition to the increase in feed.

Since she has been on the grain, I would give her 1 cup today, AM/PM, then 1 1/2 cups AM/PM for 2 days, then up it again by 1/2 cup for 2 days etc.


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

Okay I totally got mixed up, she is actually getting 5 times a much grain and alfalfa pellets as I 
said. Sorry for the mix-up everyone. Her fecal showed she had no worms and her temp is usally lower 
than usual, it was 98.9, but I am going to check it again to make sure.


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## Ping (Jan 21, 2010)

If that temp is correct, then she is very likely in milk fever from not enough calcium. You need to get CMPK into her. Injectable from your vet is the best. 30 ml under the skin split between two separate places.

So, you're actually feeding 25 oz of alfalfa pellets? That is only 1.5 pounds. Is that twice a day? She needs at least 3 pounds per day total.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

OK her temp is way to low she needs IMO calcium so get some CMPK from your vet ASAP if you don't have it. 
and agree not enough alfalfa


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

98.9 is a strong indication of milk fever. There are many posts on here telling you how to handle milk fever, but the first thing she needs is a source of Calcium.

CMPK injectable - vet item. 60ccs Sub Q in the flank area every 4 hours. Split the dose into 30ccs each side.

MFO or CMPK oral can also be used. 30ccs mixed with gatorade (or something like it), again every 4 hours.

Is she still eating well on the milk stand? Cudding?

Also give her 4-6ccs of B-complex, SubQ. I would also give a large pinch of baking soda, just to make sure you don't have any acidosis going on as well.

If you don't have any of the calcium products, then go to GoatKeeping 101. Sue Reith has an article that tells how to make homemade CMPK. You need to act on this doe ASAP.


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

Yes she is getting 25 oz. of alfalfa pellets twice a day is that enough?
I can get it from the vet okay, I will see what I can do about that.


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

I forgot to mention that she is eatingl and cudding well.


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

Thank you all!


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

OK 50 oz of alfalfa pellets is yourr 3lb however some does just require more to maintain their calcium levels and some aren't really getting as much as the others in the herd but right now she needs the cmpk so hope you can get it from your vet. Up her alfalfa and maybe even for a bit cut back on her grain. Don't milk her completely out right now so she will absorb calcium from her own milk and get her over this hump.


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

I tried something before I even called the vet. Taking her buckling away at night made
her milk production go back to almost normal. Thank you all for you help.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Don't use that as an indication that she is OK or off the hook just taking the kid away is not going to cure her of milk fever she needs calcium and now or your likely to lose her.


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## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

I would take her temp again with another thermometer to make sure that the other temp you got was correct. And also take a temp on a herdmate for comparison. If you cannot get another thermometer, then take your doe's temp again and take another does temp right after and compare to be sure everything is ok with the thermometer. In other words, make sure it is not equipment failure.

I remember being a newbie nurse and being freaked out by a patient's heart moniter showing he was fixing to bite the dust when in reality a telemetry wired had come loose. I apply that lesson now to everything.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Oh, I didn't understand the buckling was still on her! That'll do it! Those guys are piggies. Keep him off every night and milk her out in the morn and either give him a bottle if he'll take it or leave some in her udder for his breakfast.


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## LamanchaLover (Jan 11, 2010)

I will take her temp again just to make sure. What is the best way
to give calcium?


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

CMPK injected, you get it from a vet. It is cheap.


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