Contents
How to milk a goat after lambing
Before you milk a goat, you need to study the information on this issue. Mistakes in the distribution process can significantly reduce milk yield.
How to milk a goat after lambing
If the goat has not yet had kids and this is the first pregnancy, the udder is prepared in advance. About 4-5 weeks before lambing, the udder is stroked every day with gentle massaging movements. To make the movements especially soft, use a fluffy towel or rag soaked in warm water.
If you need to milk a goat, treat it as kindly as possible.
It is best to immediately purchase dairy goats, as they can be milked immediately after the birth of the kids. Animals of other breeds begin to distribute only 2,5-3 months after lambing.
An hour after lambing, when the animal is in a satisfactory condition, the first milking begins. Do not let babies near the milking goat, as they can injure the udder with their sharp horns and will drink all the milk. They can also damage the nipples and bleed them. It is advisable to milk the animal yourself and water the cubs from a bowl.
Since at first goats have strong lactation, they are milked often – about 5-6 times a day. Babies are fed no more than 4 times a day. For the first month, the cubs are fed only with milk, the second and third – with milk diluted with water, and then transferred to a regular diet. The mother is transferred from milking six times to three milking times.
How to milk a goat that already has kids
If the goat has already had cubs, then milking is stopped 2 months before the appearance of new kids. This is done gradually so that milk stagnation does not occur. The number of milkings is reduced to 1 time per day, and then a day or two is skipped. After a week or two, the udder should become flaccid and soft without any lumps. Knowing how to properly milk a goat that has already had kids, you can maintain good milk yield.
Milking rules:
- you need to milk the animals at the same time. This technique increases the amount of milk even in dairy goats;
- be sure to massage the udder with light movements before and after milking;
- from time to time, it is advisable to treat the udder with petroleum jelly;
- milk must be milked to the end;
- it is better to milk goats outdoors.
If milk becomes scarce, pay attention to the animal’s diet. The consumption of potatoes and grain crops is minimized, and the portions of milk forage are increased.
You can even milk a goat without kids, if you regularly massage her udder, stimulating lactation. But this will take time.
Correctly followed recommendations for distributing a goat are a guarantee of animal health and good milk yield.
Also interesting: a hybrid of a cucumber