# Drying off a doe that doesn't want to be dried



## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

So now that I got my new Nubian in milk I do not need to or want to milk my boer anymore. But my boer is getting very upset and jealous that I am milking another doe.. I know my boer is going to scream and holler if she doesn't still get her grain twice a day.. What kind of grains can I give her that will not make her produce so much milk? I have still been milking her twice a day to try to slowly dry her off because her udder gets really full.. I have been milking her out about 3 cups (maybe a little less, so she gives a half gallon in a day and a half instead of each day) instead of 4 and her udder still looks like its ready to burst. I think she's got more milk in there then before I started milking less out... Am I doing this wrong? Should I just start milking a little out once a day and see if that slows down her production?

I did not want to cut her grain drastically because I don't want to upset her rumen and because she is a little under weight which is also why I don't want to keep milking her. I cut her grain down to 1.5 cups alfalfa pellets, 1 cup oats, 1/2 cup BOSS, and 1/2 cup beet pulp at each milking (twice a day) I know the alfalfa pellets should make her produce more milk but like I said I want her to gain weight and she was getting 4-5 cups twice a day...

Any ideas or suggestions??
Thank you!


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

You could try just giving her grass hay and stop the grain until she is dry. If she then needs some more, you can start again once she is dried off. I'm guessing though that being dry and a boer, she won't need grain. You might just want to wait to restart the grain when you are about ready to breed her to "flush" her and then you can continue it until she is in the condition you wish her to be in. Flushing works best when they are going up in condition but not getting fat. I don't know how undercondtioned your doe is thouhg, so you will have to be the judge of that. Also, be sure she is not carrying a parasite burden. 

To dry off my does, first I start by taking them down to once a day milking, for at least a week or two. Then I just stop milking, don't bring them in the milkroom for grain. I check udders at least daily by pressing up in the center and if there is no give to it, milk a little off so there is. If she was super full with no give and especially if she was leaking, I will check again in 12 hours. They dry off pretty fast this way.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

fmg said:


> You could try just giving her grass hay and stop the grain until she is dry. If she then needs some more, you can start again once she is dried off. I'm guessing though that being dry and a boer, she won't need grain. You might just want to wait to restart the grain when you are about ready to breed her to "flush" her and then you can continue it until she is in the condition you wish her to be in. Flushing works best when they are going up in condition but not getting fat. I don't know how undercondtioned your doe is thouhg, so you will have to be the judge of that. Also, be sure she is not carrying a parasite burden.
> 
> To dry off my does, first I start by taking them down to once a day milking, for at least a week or two. Then I just stop milking, don't bring them in the milkroom for grain. I check udders at least daily by pressing up in the center and if there is no give to it, milk a little off so there is. If she was super full with no give and especially if she was leaking, I will check again in 12 hours. They dry off pretty fast this way.


Im pretty sure she has no parasites, she has recently been dewormed with ivomec and fenbendazole. She is pretty thin, I can feel hip bones more than I would like on a boer. I do not plan to breed her again, she will remain a pet.

Her main diet is pasture grass now that I am drying her off. Maybe a little oat hay but very little, her belly always seems very full with just what she is getting in the pasture and the feed I have listed above. Do you think I could still give her all the feed I'm giving except the alfalfa pellets?

Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Because if I do not give her any thing at all in her grain bowl she will scream for hours and that won't go over well around here with the neighbors..


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

How long does it usually take for the doe to start drying to where you don't have to milk her at all?


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## mountaingoats12 (Dec 31, 2013)

Feed her sage, fresh or dried. She will dry up quickly with this herb.....don't feed alfalfa because it encourages milk, stick with grass and a SMALL amount of grain.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Just a few days, maybe a week, once I start only milking a little bit. I have seen around here some grass hay pellets, maybe you can get her some of those. I actually feed my does alfalfa all the time and they don't seem to have problems drying up.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

mountaingoats12 said:


> Feed her sage, fresh or dried. She will dry up quickly with this herb.....don't feed alfalfa because it encourages milk, stick with grass and a SMALL amount of grain.





fmg said:


> Just a few days, maybe a week, once I start only milking a little bit. I have seen around here some grass hay pellets, maybe you can get her some of those. I actually feed my does alfalfa all the time and they don't seem to have problems drying up.


Mountain goats, How much sage? Just a little everyday? I hope I don't drop any and my other doe gets ahold of it! Lol

Fmg, when you start milking once a day do you milk her all the way out?

Thank you both? 

Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Yes, when I am once a day milking In do milk them out all the way. When I start to really see them step down production is when I start just relieving a bit of the pressure.


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## mountaingoats12 (Dec 31, 2013)

I mix 1-2 teaspoons of the dried sage in their grain twice a day, more or less depending on how well it's working. I don't measure fresh sage, you can just throw a handful in everyday for her to eat.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Thank you both! 


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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