This may not be anything new to some here but I'm passing it along just in case you are like me and never heard about this.
Hubby and I are retired but not so old yet that we want to give up owning livestock and benefiting from them. Right now I am milking three goats that are owned by three families and produce milk for their owners. In the past I have always bred them in the fall and early winter and then dried them off two months before freshening. I always thought you had to do that in order to get milk. My big issue is we keep producing babies and, softy that I am, I then don't want the babies to be sold so they all stay here. The goat herd is growing and I don't want that. We are at a time that we don't want to add any more critters but felt we had no choice if we wanted milk.
An old friend suggested that I just keep milking the does and they will keep producing. I was amazed. She said milk production will fall off in winter but in spring it will pick up again. I didn't believe her but I tried it...and it worked. Two of my does are giving me 3/4th gallon a day and have been milking for 13 months. The other doesn't count yet as she just freshened this spring and is a first freshener.
I am looking forward to milk all year round and no kids to worry about. Just wanted to pass this info along if you are one of those that wants the milk but doesn't want the kids.
Willow
Hubby and I are retired but not so old yet that we want to give up owning livestock and benefiting from them. Right now I am milking three goats that are owned by three families and produce milk for their owners. In the past I have always bred them in the fall and early winter and then dried them off two months before freshening. I always thought you had to do that in order to get milk. My big issue is we keep producing babies and, softy that I am, I then don't want the babies to be sold so they all stay here. The goat herd is growing and I don't want that. We are at a time that we don't want to add any more critters but felt we had no choice if we wanted milk.
An old friend suggested that I just keep milking the does and they will keep producing. I was amazed. She said milk production will fall off in winter but in spring it will pick up again. I didn't believe her but I tried it...and it worked. Two of my does are giving me 3/4th gallon a day and have been milking for 13 months. The other doesn't count yet as she just freshened this spring and is a first freshener.
I am looking forward to milk all year round and no kids to worry about. Just wanted to pass this info along if you are one of those that wants the milk but doesn't want the kids.
Willow