How many times to milk a goat after lambing: rules and frequency per day

A goat is a productive, unpretentious domestic animal, which both large farmers and owners of small farms are willing to breed. However, many, especially beginners, often have questions about the technique and timing of milking. To increase milk yield and preserve the he alth of a goat, it is important to explain how many times after lambing and on what schedule it is recommended to milk a goat, what to do before and after lambing, how the milking procedure occurs.

When a goat starts to give first milk

Goats are considered sexually mature at the age of 6-9 months. Fertilization should be carried out after reaching one and a half years.It is believed that by this age the goat is fully mature, ready to bear offspring. Once fertilization occurs, hormonal changes begin to produce milk in the udder.

No kids

First, colostrum (thick yellowish liquid) forms, and only then milk appears. It is secreted until the moment when the kids begin to eat adult food. If the pregnancy is not the first, then the goats must be sent to launch 1-1.5 months before lambing. This increases the daily amount of milk, its quality. The goat is usually fed a diet with a high concentration of protein.

Experts recommend:

• make the first milking of a goat no later than 1.5-2 hours from the moment the offspring appears;
• before that, it is generally undesirable to milk her;
• do milking 4 times a day for the first week, then switch to three times a day;
• take into account the time of year: in summer a goat is milked three times a day, in winter - twice.

A lot of controversy raises the question of the need to keep a mother without kids from the moment of birth. Some leave them together to breastfeed until they are 2 months old, others take them right away, preferring early weaning. The choice here remains with the owner.

Important! On average, goats give milk for about six months, but in some dairy breeds, the lactation period lasts up to 11 months.

Udder preparation

For a goat, the milking procedure should become familiar and comfortable, and milk yield should be as productive as possible. To do this, special attention should be paid to preparing the udder for lambing and milking - usually it starts a month before calving. Most often they get by with the usual udder massage.

It is carried out as follows:

• carefully rub one lobe of the udder with light hand movements;
• the pounded portion is lifted, slightly squeezed with the palm of the hand, pressed against the top of the udder;
• return the share to its original position;
• repeat the procedure with each beat 4-5 times.

To increase the amount of milk, the goat is first milked, each time massaging the udder with hands for 1-3 minutes. This is done on a schedule every 4-5 hours. Then the number of milkings is reduced to 1-2 times per day. So the animal becomes obedient, calms down, gets used to the hands of the breeder, and massage will favorably affect the blood circulation of the body and productivity. Thanks to this technique, goat milk production reaches its peak in a couple of months.

It is also recommended to teach animals to wash the udder, as not all of them are good at this simple hygiene rule. However, this is necessary, therefore, it is advisable to accustom to washing even before childbirth. Usually, warm water is used for washing, then the udder is dried with a sterile cloth. You can use paper towels. If the animal is often outside, then it is also worth washing the udder every week with baby or laundry soap.

Some farmers simply wipe the udders with germicidal wet wipes, which is also acceptable. It is important that they are free of fragrance or additives. It is recommended to cut nails before milking or bathing.

Important! For the prevention of udder diseases, as well as for injuries, wounds, special preparations are used to lubricate the Zorka, Fitosepta type, as well as baby creams or petroleum jelly.

Rules for milking a goat after lambing

Milking after childbirth should be done regularly.It is by nature that the kids drink the milk completely at first, but the goat needs to be milked additionally, even if it continues to feed the offspring. This facilitates the future milking procedure, and also allows you to free the udder from milk residues.

From the moment of birth, kids are placed separately so that with their horns they do not injure the mother's irritated udder, do not learn to constantly be near her.

Handmade technique

Before manual milking, the goat is restrained, although this is not required if she is already accustomed to her owner and behaves calmly. It is believed that a familiar voice for the animal acts as a calming factor, guarantees safety, which makes it stop resisting or kicking. Therefore, when milking, it will not be superfluous to chat with a goat.

How to do manual milking:

1. After childbirth, the first few jets of colostrum are taken into a separate cup due to the danger of pathogens and dirt.
2. It is not recommended to choke on the ground or floor, otherwise, even with regular cleaning, a specific aroma will appear over time.
3. The milking process should not be interrupted, nor should the pace be changed. You need to do it quickly, at the same speed, rhythmically. This will be more convenient for the farmer and more comfortable for the animal.
4. Usually the first few days milk is given to goats, even if they were taken from their mother.

At the end of the process, it is necessary to wipe the mammary glands from milk residues, also massage a little with your hands, preferably grease with a special cream, for example, for children.

Important! Milk from the udder must be milked completely, to the last drop. The last servings of milk are the most saturated in terms of fat concentration. Unmilked leftovers can cause inflammation and disease.

With milking machine

Milking an animal with a milking machine greatly facilitates the process for the farmer, especially when there are more than 10 heads, but it is desirable to pay more attention to the comfort of the goat:

• she needs to be fed while milking with the machine;
• it is recommended to fix the legs of the animal in advance with the help of special racks, but you can get by with a simple rope;
• necessary disinfection of the apparatus, washing with udder massage;
• the first trickles are usually also separated by hand into a separate cup.

After fixing the device, it is recommended to monitor the uniform flow of milk into the container. When milk stops flowing, you can remove the machine. It is recommended to milk the leftovers by hand. After that, the udder is wiped, smeared with cream, the milking machine is washed, and the goat is sent to the herd.

Frequency

The frequency of milking is determined by various factors. For example, the time of year: goats are milked three times a day in summer, and twice a day in winter. After lambing, animals are milked 4-5 times, and strictly according to the regimen. This increases the goat's productivity by 20%, as the animal's body gets used to the schedule and often stimulates lactation itself. On the 8th-9th day, the number of milkings is reduced to 3 times, after a month it is adjusted to two times.

The number of milkings also depends on the volume of milk produced. If there is less than 2.5 liters of milk per day, then two milkings can be dispensed with. If more, then it is advisable to milk 3-4 times a day.

Usually, farmers adhere to the initial four-, five-time regimen for almost 3 months after the birth of offspring. But still, the most favorable regimen after the transition of kids to adult nutrition is considered to be milking three times a day.

Goat milk is preferable to most other types because of its high taste and healing qualities, and its inexpensive content and unpretentiousness only increase love for it.Real goat cheese is especially appreciated by consumers. Despite the fact that many are afraid of the milking process, there is nothing complicated in it. Even a novice farmer can master it, if you follow the advice of experienced livestock breeders and treat your animals with love.

Recommended