Since the second week in June my milking schedule has been very erratic. Up until this week my Saanan doe gave 6 qts a day but for the last week has dropped to 3 or 4. Would the erratic milking times have anything to do with this. Nothing else has changed. She's not off her feed and except for being bred this week everything is the same. The milking has been on time this week and should continue so. I would appreciate any input. Thanks Peggy

-- Peggy (wclpc@cookeville.com), August 05, 2000

Answers

Hi Peggy.

I'd say the erratic milking times probably account for this, at least with my experience. We show, so whenever we show both the girls at home and ones showing will loose some in production. Alos other factors, such as time of freshening and weather can impact too. Just get her back on schedule and try giving her a bit more protein in her feed and good alfalfa hay, that should help. After showing at nationals the milk tester was coming the next week and i had to quickly remedy the problem so i went to milking 3 x's a day. If the demand is there they need to make more milk. Hope this helps.

Bernice.... also dill and fennel seeds sprinkled on their food helps production too

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), August 05, 2000.

Thanks for the quick answer Bernice. I'm trying real hard to milk on schedule and will try the seeds. I happen to have them on hand. Thanks again Peggy

-- Peggy (wclpc@cookeville.com), August 05, 2000.

You're welcome. Good luck:)

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), August 05, 2000.

Peggy is this the only doe down in production or is she just the only one you are milking. We had for years mysterious dropping of milk supply in several of our older does, always blamed it on the heat and the fact that they were being bred and well......that they are Nubains :) Since reading Judy Kaptures info on staph mastitis we have illiminated this completly, we dry cow with Pirsue mastitis infussions. Does can harbor stap with no other signs other than decrease in milk supply, we also sent in milk samples askin for them to specifically to look for staph, yep they found it at very low levels, even called me personally to ask me how I could possibly know...Since it doesn't hurt anything and it is inexpensive you may want to at least dry cow her this year with Pirsue. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 05, 2000.

Hi Peggy,

If you want a quick boost in production, feed her some beet roots. I cut them up in bite-size chunks. Just about 1/2 to 1 pound per day has made a significant difference in my does' milk production.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), August 07, 2000.