How much milk does a goat give on average per day, per day and per year?

Average data on the duration and amount of milk production per year

There are three types of goat breeds: some give milk, others are kept for their beautiful soft wool, and others get both.

It turns out that a goat gives quite a lot of milk per day. But you need to understand that if you take a kid on the farm, you will be able to get milk yield only after the first lambing. The table shows average figures. And how much product you will receive will be clear when the pet lambs.

To increase milk yield, stimulation of lactation is needed even before the first pregnancy. To do this, massage your udder regularly. This will help the female quickly get used to milking and avoid future stagnation and, accordingly, mastitis. After the offspring appear, the milking process will quickly improve.

In households, small livestock live up to fifteen years, but on average from eight to ten years. In healthy livestock, milk yield increases up to five years, then growth slows down for two and a half/three years, and then goes down.

The ripening time for lambing is about five months. But they cover the female only by the age of one and a half years. The fruit ripens in one hundred and fifty days. Accordingly, by the age of two years your pet will be able to get milk.

Important

Don’t expect that she will give a lot of it - only about two liters per day, which will be completely spent on feeding the babies (six months). Maximum productivity begins after the female gives birth to her third offspring.

You can see how much milk and what milk yield from a goat per day is in the table. A well-fed, well-groomed, high-quality goat prepared for milking every day (at the peak of lactation) gives the owner 4.2-7.9 liters of an excellent product. Which is enough for both the kids and the owners, and even for sale. And the amount of product specifically for your pet will depend on many other circumstances, which we will consider in the article.

Dependence of milk yield level on the number of milkings

One of the main factors that affects the amount of milk is the regularity of milking. The owner must arrive for milking at the same time. Try to avoid being late even by 10 minutes. Milk collection takes place within a specified period of time. Milking is carried out three times a day. It is recommended to adjust the milking process to your personal schedule. The animal will get used to it, and the owner will not have to postpone his current affairs.

During late autumn, artiodactyls are milked 2 times. The optimal interval between milking is considered to be 12 hours. In warmer months, the period between milkings is reduced to 8 hours. The number of milkings increases up to 3 times.

It is recommended to milk the young individual up to four times a day. The time period will be about 6 hours. This will allow you to develop the udder and further increase your milk yield.

The number of milkings is determined according to the following algorithm:

• after giving birth, it is recommended to milk the goat 4 times a day;
• after the milking process, milking is performed three times;
• in case of reduction in milk production, they switch to twice-daily milking.

The number of milkings is related to the level of milk supplied. For example, if about 2 liters are produced every day, then triple milking is used. If you can collect more than 3 liters of product, two milkings per day is enough. Three times daily milking can increase milk yield by 25 percent.

How much milk can you expect from a goat?

How many liters of milk does a goat produce per day? Some livestock breeders claim that it can milk 5–8 liters per day. But in order to get such a quantity of a healing and tasty drink, you need to learn how to properly maintain this animal and milk it. By what signs can you identify a milking female? She begins to produce milk when feeding kids. Special hormones have an effect on the animal's udder. As a result, it begins to develop and fill with milk. Females of special dairy breeds begin to fill their udders quite early. But is it possible to milk it right away?

It is not recommended to milk an animal immediately after milk appears. For several days you just need to wash your nipples with clean water. Real lactation usually begins only after the kids are born and lasts a little more than six months. If the offspring are born in the spring, the female will produce milk until late autumn. She will then begin to prepare for lambing again. Dairy females can be milked for 8–9 months.

Before milking begins, females must be prepared for this. Preparation is carried out a month before the appearance of the offspring. The udder is massaged without causing pain. The first milking can be done an hour after lambing. At the same time, you need to ensure that the offspring are well-fed and that the goat itself is in good health. If goats are kept on a farm specifically for milk, then it is better to immediately remove the kids from the female and feed them separately. Before milking, the animal must be given water to drink and a piece of bread or an apple should be placed next to it.

How much milk does a goat produce per day? This largely depends on the age of the moth and its breed. The best breeds can be considered the following:

• Russian;
• Saanen;
• Cameroonian;
• Toggenburg;
• Mingrelian

Females of these animal breeds produce approximately 6 liters of milk per day. Regular goats can only produce 2-3 liters. A good goat can produce quite a lot of product daily for the first 4-5 months of lactation. Then milk production begins to decrease. The amount of product given depends on the following factors:

• feeding;
• animal care;
• taking care of them.

In summer, it is better to give the goat fresh food in the form of green grass and leaves, fresh fruits. The animal should live in a warm but ventilated room. These individuals are able to understand human emotions and become very attached to the people who milk them. A goat produces milk, which is much more nutritious and fatty than cow's milk. From one female you can get 14–20 liters per week. Cottage cheese and sour cream obtained from milk are also dairy products. They are also denser than those made from cow products.

How much milk does a goat produce per year?

This amount is achieved by those people who milk their animals 8–9 months a year. After the first lambing, the milk yield is quite small. The best are the second and third lambing. How long can an animal be milked? Milk begins to disappear after the 6th lambing.

Milk volumes depending on the age of the goat

The volume of milk depends on the age of the goat. Maximum milk yield begins after the 3rd lambing. Often goats that have reached 6 years of age are called “old”; in fact, from this age animals enter the time of maximum productivity.

Milk yield depending on the age of the goat:

• A firstborn dairy goat produces up to 5 liters of milk.
• After 2-3 lambings – up to 9 liters.

The difference between the first milk yield and the maximum is 40-50%.

Diets for increasing and maintaining milk yield

The goat's body is contradictory - the digestive system easily processes rough and not so nutritious feed, and at the same time requires regular changes, renewal and supplements, which activates their gastrointestinal tract. A goat on a pasture eats thorns, tree branches, cereals, weeds, and readily eats watermelon rinds, pumpkins, and various kinds of root vegetables. But if the food contains tasty and more nutritious additives, the goat will always choose them first, which often leads to incomplete consumption of food and its spoilage in feeders.

To compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals, you need to use premixes and lick salts.

The basis of the diet for goats is hay, it should be dry (humidity 17%), with leaves and small stems. It is also possible to use straw, but it must first be prepared - chopping (straw cutting), followed by soaking in salt water and mixing with chopped root vegetables and other vegetables. In the summer, green grass is used instead of hay.

A valuable feed for goats are brooms made from branches of birch, aspen, ash, rowan and other trees. They must be harvested at the beginning of summer from branches with end diameters of up to 1.5-2 cm. Drying of brooms is done in the shade in rooms with active ventilation. Goats are fed 2 brooms per day.

Diet for a goat with a daily milk yield of 5 kg:

• meadow hay, clover, forbs, legumes and cereals – 1.5 kg;
• brooms of deciduous trees – up to 1 kg;
• root vegetables, chopped vegetables – 3 kg;
• Sunflower cake – 0.4 kg;
• grain of oats, barley, wheat – 0.3 kg.

To avoid sharp fluctuations in productivity, it is necessary to gradually change diets. This primarily applies to the spring and summer periods. Before being put out to pasture in the summer, milk goats must be given hay and brooms so that they eat less green matter. They do the same in the fall - add hay and other products from the winter diet to the daily dacha in small portions.

How to increase milk yield?

The main reason for decreased milk production is poor nutrition. In the summer months, when sending goats out to graze, they carefully select the pasture. This should be a meadow with high soil moisture, but without signs of waterlogging, where the grass cover is lush.

There are herbs that can be used to increase milk yield. This:

• clover;
• chamomile;
• parsley;
• nettle;
• horse sorrel;
• yasnotka.

Goats whose herbal diet includes parsley and other herbs may produce milk with a specific odor. It is recommended to periodically treat pregnant and postpartum females with several walnut kernels, which not only increases the amount of milk, but also makes it fattier. Animals are given clover that is slightly wilted so that their digestion does not deteriorate. Laminaria and nettles are placed in the feeder in dried form.

And in winter, it is useful to treat your pets with harvested apple, plum, birch, and shrub branches to enhance lactation.

Goats that give birth should not feel thirsty; the amount of milk produced depends on the consumption of water. If there is no natural drinking source on the pasture, then the animals are given water before being released from the barn. And the pets in the barn are given water after they have eaten enough hay.

The quality of milk deteriorates when the goat's body is deficient in mineral elements. Therefore, pregnant and postpartum females are given nutritional supplements containing a set of minerals necessary for lactation. The veterinarian will tell you which drug to choose. A good and cheap source of minerals is salt rock, which animals lick whenever they want.

Walking in sunny weather is beneficial for pregnant goats. It not only improves the immunity of unborn kids, but also promotes good milk yield.

On the recommendation of a veterinarian, a first-time goat can receive prebiotics. These drugs strengthen the immune system, help food digest, which increases milk yield by 20%.

How to feed

The menu of a lactating goat should consist of silage, pasture grass, feed, hay and be balanced. Their number varies, taking into account the productivity of the goat, its age, and physiology.

Feed distribution

The animal is released 60 days before lambing. 7 days before the launch, the volume of feed is reduced, leaving straw, up to 1 kg of hay, mineral supplements, and water.

This is especially important in the nutrition of highly productive goats, which are quite difficult to breed. At the first goat, the nutritional value during the gestation period is increased by 10%

With a milk yield of 800 liters per 300 days of lactation, the menu of a dairy goat in winter should contain feed (per day):

At the first goat, the nutritional value during the gestation period is increased by 10%. With a milk yield of 800 liters per 300 days of lactation, the menu of a dairy goat in winter should contain feed (per day):

• coarse – at least 3 kg;
• concentrates – 1 kg (350 g per dose).

Menu of a queen of the same productivity during pasture feeding in summer:

• grass – 5-7 kg;
• hay – 500 g;
• concentrate – 700 g.

Approximate dietary norms for lactating dairy animals with a live weight of 50 kg, a daily milk yield of 4 liters and a fat content of 3.8% are presented in the table below.

Table 2. Approximate dietary norms for goats

Feed distribution rules

When distributing feed, the following rules must be followed:

• Abrupt changes in menu composition are unacceptable;
• contaminated, frozen or spoiled feed is not used;
• the required amount of fiber is taken into account;
• Be sure to use vitamin and mineral supplements;
• ensuring animals have access to water (approximately 2 liters per 500 g of milk).

Milk synthesis may be limited due to lack of water, which in turn leads to inflammation of the udder.

In addition, it is necessary to maintain the water temperature at least 1 degree. The same applies to watering goat kids and uterine uteruses.

Vitamins for goats

What to feed to increase milk production

To ensure normal digestion, you should give 1-3 kg of roughage per day:

• The goat readily consumes hay from small forest and meadow grass, the daily norm is 2.1-2.6 kg.
• Half of it can be replaced with twig food (the nutritional value of branches is commensurate with meadow hay as 2:1).
• The nutritional value of concentrates is 2.6 times greater than that of hay.
• Barley, bran, oats, corn – 0.9-1 kg.

Grain and cake are fed finely crushed, it is better to moisten the bran a little with water so that their dust does not irritate the respiratory system, causing sneezing and coughing. Concentrates are given in mixtures.

Root vegetables for goats

Juicy food (potatoes, silage, root vegetables) is given instead of pasture in stalls or when pastures are burned.

It is the main milk extractor and digestive improver.

The daily intake of juicy food consists of:

• chopped turnips, beets and carrots – 3.2 kg;
• boiled potatoes – 1.3 kg;
• silage – 2.4 kg;
• cabbage, tops – 3.6 kg;
• table waste, potato peels, food scraps, which can be pre-flavored with crushed grains and bran;
• salt – 10 g.

In addition, in the second half of pregnancy, bone meal or chalk should be fed in an amount of 20 g.

Food delivery and milking mode

To increase milk yield, the animal is fed 3-4 times. When distributing feed three times, the best time is considered to be: 6-7 hours, 12-13 hours, 18-19 hours with equal intervals.

The feed is given in the following sequence: when dispensing all types of feed at the same time, first it should be concentrate, then juicy food, and finally roughage. Each subsequent type of food is given after the previous one has been completely consumed. Silage and kitchen scraps are fed early in the day when goats are moving a lot, and highly digestible food is fed in the evening.

Approximate schedule for food distribution and milking:

• morning – distribution of feed and root crops, milking, watering (about 4 l), haylage;
• lunch – delivery (to choose from): root crops, silage, swill from food scraps; milking; 2 brooms or haylage;
• evening – distribution of feed, milking, watering (about 4 liters);
• night – haylage and broom.

Nurseries, buckets, feeders, troughs must be cleaned of residues every time.

Timing of lactation

The duration of the lactation period is determined by the breed. The record holders should be called Saanen and Gorky goats, producing a product without loss of quality for 8-9 months. But, on average, pets supply their owner with milk for 6-7 months. These are the summer, autumn months and a few days of winter. A goat produces the greatest amount of milk in the summer, when it consumes succulent grass feed.

See also

What to do if a goat does not allow milking and what is the reason, how to accustom her to milkingRead

First milk yield

Fresh milk has a unique composition. Consumption of dairy products brings many vitamins and valuable microelements to the human body. Store shelves are overflowing with pasteurized samples. Therefore, real milk is valued among buyers. In this regard, many farmers are thinking about raising cows. However, not everyone is capable of keeping cattle. In this case, it is worth remembering another promising area of ​​agriculture - goat breeding.

You should not hope that the goat will become a constant source of milk. The young individual will not produce milk immediately. An animal becomes milkable only after pregnancy and several births. The first milk appears after the first lambing. Nature itself programmed the animal’s body to feed small goats.

At first, dairy breeds will show modest milk yields. The resulting product will only be enough for the emerging offspring. However, there are exceptions. Some purebred goats produce large amounts of milk after the first lambing. And not only the newborn goat, but also the owner of the animal can enjoy this healthy product.

Farmers offer two ways to raise offspring:

1. Away from mother. Young animals are given only part of the milk yield. The remainder is taken for personal use, for sale or for the production of dairy products.
2. Together with his mother. The milking process begins 4 months after the kids are transferred to the usual method of feeding.

The choice of method for raising young animals is at the discretion of the farmer.

A couple of days before giving birth, the goat’s udder fills up and becomes elastic. Females begin milking approximately a couple of hours after the birth of the offspring, provided the goat is in good health. If the animal looks lethargic and there are deviations from the norm, then it is necessary to provide rest for a while. Only after this can milking begin.

To begin with, the udder is lightly massaged. This improves blood flow. As a rule, after giving birth, milking can be continued for up to 8 months, in rare cases - up to 10. After six months, the amount of milk is reduced, the taste deteriorates and the fat content is lost. Eventually, the time for milking the goat ends. To resume lactation, she needs to bring offspring again.

It is worth remembering that goats of downy and meat breeds produce a small amount of milk. Milk yield is not always enough even for young animals. Therefore, these breeds should not be milked after birth.

How many milkings per day is optimal for a goat?

A similar question is often asked by beginning farmers. The quantity and taste of goat milk depend on various factors. For a large milk yield, it is necessary to provide the animal with favorable living conditions, a balanced diet, and compliance with the basic rules of milking.

Follow the advice of experienced livestock breeders:

• follow the goat's milking schedule;
• try not to change clothes;
• Before milking, give the animal warm water;
• wash the udder and dry with a soft cloth;
• Massage the udder to promote blood flow to the nipples.

Milking time is set individually. The time interval between milkings depends on the level of milk received. Typically, the female is milked two or three times a day. The main thing is to maintain the same amount of time between milkings. Maintaining a clear feeding and milking schedule will have a positive impact on the profitability of keeping a goat.

In most cases, the milking process is carried out in the morning and evening hours. At the same time, they strictly adhere to the same period of time. However, there are exceptions to the rules. For example, in the summer months three milkings will be required, because the animal spends the whole day walking. A large amount of grass eaten will increase the level of milk yield. For convenience, daytime milking can be carried out in grazing conditions.

The frequency of milking directly depends on the age category of the goat. After the first birth, a young female must be milked every 6 hours. Over time, you can switch to milking three times a day.

Important! With the onset of autumn, the level of milk production will decrease. Therefore, you can milk twice a day.

But you should not assume that older individuals can be milked less frequently. Age is not the main indicator in this matter. Much depends on the breed of goat. With proper care, a purebred animal, even at age, will produce up to 7 liters daily. It is strictly forbidden to allow milk to stagnate. It is necessary to milk everything to the end. This is the only way to avoid the formation of mastitis in a goat.

How much milk can a goat give per day, month, year - average milk yield

Own farming attracts not only rural residents. Inspired city dwellers also often try to plunge into farming headlong. As a rule, people try to get a goat to get milk.

Not as big as a cow, unpretentious and very mischievous, it is the best alternative to cattle.

The first question that novice livestock breeders ask is how much milk does a goat produce per day? The answer to this depends on many factors.

When does milk appear and how to increase milk yield

Goats begin to produce milk after the birth of their offspring. They ripen early - at 6–9 months, depending on the breed. But they can be covered after reaching physical condition. This usually happens at 1.5 years.

During the period from the moment of fertilization until birth, the hormonal background of animals changes, which leads to a gradual increase in the udder and stimulates the formation of first colostrum and then milk. Pregnancy lasts up to 155 days and ends with lambing.

Lactation is a natural process designed to satisfy babies’ first needs for a balanced diet.

Goat kids are kept on natural feeding in different ways: some are weaned from their mother within a week, others are left for up to 1.5–2 months, and breeding goats need maternal feeding for up to six months inclusive.

After the first lambing, the goat usually has little milk, even after milking. The main thing is that the goats have enough of it.

The lactation period lasts from 6 months. Dairy goat breeds such as the Saanen produce milk for up to 11 months of the year. Before lambing, animals are “started”, switching them to high-protein diets.

To increase milk yield in the first days after lambing, the goat is carefully milked, resorting to udder massage. This should be done at least 4–5 times a day.

Maximum indicators are recorded in different breeds after the third or fourth lambing.

Signs of a Good Dairy Goat

How many liters of milk a goat produces depends on many factors. First of all, it is influenced by heredity, breed and care. But you can identify a promising dairy goat in advance, by external signs:

• active and curious behavior;
• shiny eyes and fur;
• skin and coat without flaws, dense;
• back straight;
• wide chest;
• rounded, barrel-shaped belly;
• legs spread wide apart.

Pay special attention to the udder and its structure. The milk should be properly attached and not interfere with walking.

Too large volumes and sagging are a signal to consider another option.

A round, not very fleshy udder will be milky. Choose a goat with medium-sized milkings, without sharp divisions into shares. It is not recommended to take an animal with milkings directed in different directions.

Why milk yield decreases or milk disappears completely

If we ignore the natural decline in milk production before starting goats, there may be several reasons for the decline:

Low temperature, lack of ventilation, high humidity and dirt. It is necessary to maintain at least +6°C in the pen, maintain hygiene and regularly lay dry bedding. A sudden change in diet. New foods must be introduced gradually, taking into account physiological characteristics. Failure to comply with milking schedule

It is important to get your goat accustomed to a routine. As a rule, they milk it twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. Health problems or stress

Minimize risk factors, maintain hygiene not only in the pen. It is necessary to thoroughly wash your hands and care for the udder.

How to increase milk yield

An increase in the amount of milk can be influenced by organizing proper and nutritious nutrition. Everything needs moderation: don’t overdo it. Obesity is a bad incentive for lactation.

It is important to provide goats with a balanced, high-protein diet with a high content of succulent feed. Clean and fresh water should be available at all times

At least 5 liters of moisture per day is required.

Take care of your health: do not neglect preventive veterinary examinations. Dairy goats need exercise to maintain their physical condition. They must have a walk, even in winter.

Curious and mischievous, goats are easy to care for. Their milk has excellent delicacy properties. Perfect for sour cream and homemade cheese, besides, a clean and well-groomed animal will never have a specific, pungent odor - these are prejudices.

Why does a goat give little milk: reasons

If after lambing a goat produces little milk, perhaps there is an inflammatory process in her body or there is not enough phosphorus and calcium. During pregnancy, you can add mineral preparations to food or drink - tricalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate or chalk from a veterinary pharmacy. 3 weeks before lambing they stop giving minerals.

During pregnancy, a lot of calcium in the female is used to form the skeleton of the kids and to produce colostrum. Further lactation further depletes the reserves of minerals in the animal’s body.

Calcium is well absorbed if the animal’s body has enough vitamin D3. In spring, the female may have a vitamin deficiency. Good absorption of the necessary elements occurs only if there are no helminthic diseases.

The reason for low milk yield is most often incorrect or insufficient feeding. Goats of the same breed produce different amounts of milk, depending on the individual characteristics of each animal. The better the animal’s appetite, the more useful product it gives.

Getting milk from a goat

Articles often appear in newspapers saying that goats provide milk in households. At the same time, their nipples grow. Journalistic materials cause surprise and excitement, comments from those who read the suspicion that these goats are hermaphrodites. In fact, there is nothing surprising. Milk from males has been obtained since ancient times: sorcerers and sorcerers used it to treat female infertility and increase male strength. In Eastern countries it is sold at a very high price.

If the goat's nipples have grown and he begins to give milk, then it must be milked, otherwise mastitis may appear. The fact is that in all species of mammals, each individual has both male and female hormones, and gender depends on the hormonal balance. Sometimes a shift occurs that causes such phenomena. It has been proven for centuries that in goats such shifts occur more often than in other ungulates.

Then the male begins to produce milk. It has a very high fat content and a sweet taste. They say it resembles melted ice cream.

At the same time, the goat retains the ability to cover goats, and the females from this “marriage” always have very high milk yields. The character of such goats is calm; an unpleasant odor appears from them only during the rutting period.

Every goat owner wants to get the maximum amount of dairy products from their pets. And just for the family, and for sale. Since farmers have appeared who are engaged in breeding and raising small ruminants specifically for dairy purposes, and the demand for goat milk has increased among the population, the question of the volume of the product supplied is indeed relevant.

As you can see, it all starts with choosing a breed to keep, then a specific animal, and then you need to ensure not only good feeding and maintenance, but also love the pet, show it to the vet on time, be attentive and disciplined.

These are truly unique pets. Even goats can give milk - precious and medicinal. Therefore, your time, financial and moral costs will definitely pay off.

Reasons for decreased milk yield

When the amount of milk decreases, you can suspect:

• animal aging;
• hypovitaminosis and mineral deficiency;
• poor quality diet;
• deterioration of appetite due to changing the usual food to a new one;
• insufficient water intake;
• fear, being in a stressful state;
• development of internal disease;
• stress from a change of owner or home;
• helminthiasis;
• entering into a state of sexual heat;
• illiterate maintenance, cruelty to animals.

Pregnant and postpartum goats should be kept in a separate room in comfortable conditions. In the winter months, the air temperature in the goat’s home should not fall below +8 °C, and in the summer it should not rise above +20 °C. There should be no drafts or dirt in the barn where the milking pet is kept.

How much milk a goat will give depends on the behavior and attitude of the owner. The animal is sensitive to the lack of care and attention. Milk production decreases significantly when goats are stressed. Therefore, the owner should treat the animals kindly, not shout at them, not hit them, or frighten them with loud noises.

What to do if milk yield is low

You should not expect high milk yields from goats; of course, in the first month after lambing the animal will delight its owners with milk production, but then gradually the amount of product obtained will decrease. At best, cattle will produce 12-16 liters of milk per day, and this applies to dairy breeds. From 3 to 5 liters per day can be obtained from an average lambing female, if the milk yield is less than half this indicator, then there is reason to wonder why the goat reduced milk.

A decrease in milk production is associated with pathologies and depends on physiological factors.

Reasons for the drop in milk production

The age of the animal is the main thing a farmer should pay attention to if a goat suddenly stops giving milk. With aging, irreversible processes occur in the body of cattle, which lead to deformation of the mammary glands and hormonal changes.

In this situation, it is unlikely that it will be possible to influence the milk yield; it is better not to torture and slaughter the animal. Poor nutrition also affects milk production, but it is worth noting that few goat breeders will leave their pet hungry; another thing is that the goat does not receive the necessary microelements and nutrients along with food. Lack of protein, vitamins and mineral salts in the uterus will negatively affect milk yield. Poor food also affects the quality of milk, and low milk yield is often associated with a sudden change in diet. For example, if you feed your animal hay all the time, and then decide to treat your goats with compound feed, then do not be surprised at the drop in milk production, so it is better to change food products gradually, combining the new type of food with what was given before. Intoxication – goat poisoning occurs due to eating low-quality products, rotten vegetables, poisonous branches or grass, or ingesting mold along with food. If you suspect that the animal has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian immediately, because only by promptly identifying the cause of the pathology can the animal be cured. Housing conditions - poor milk yield is associated with excessive humidity, lack of sunlight in the stall, as well as excessively high or, on the contrary, low temperatures in the room where the cattle are. Inactivity - lack of movement will certainly affect the deterioration of milk yield, so take your goats for a walk at least 2-3 times a week. Diseases - every fifth case of agalactia in goats is associated with pathologies of the udder and genital organs. A complete lack of milk is one of the signs of mastitis, a disease in which the tissue of the mammary glands becomes infected. Simply put, mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the udder. When a disease is suspected, conduct a full clinical examination to avoid putting the animal at risk.

A decline in milk production is sometimes associated with the preparation of artiodactyls for the next season of mating and bearing offspring. The female's body prepares itself for upcoming difficulties by storing fats and nutrients necessary for recovery after childbirth.

Ways to increase milk yield

The principle - more water - more milk, you must remember! If there is no source of clean drinking liquid at the grazing site, the animal should be given a drink before walking. When kept in a stall, it should be given water after eating hay. As you can see, how much milk a goat gives per day depends on you.

A lack of components of the body's mineral complex leads to a decrease in the quality of milk. Special supplements are sold for females to compensate for the deficiency of microelements. Which one to choose, consult with experienced goat breeders and veterinarians. Some people like to use the so-called for this purpose. “salt (or salt) licks”, they promote the growth of hair, muscle mass and, importantly, milk yield.

You can’t do without vitamins: use both natural and special complexes as prescribed by a veterinarian. Fir and larch paws have long been recommended for use as feed additives. Bananas and banana peels give a good effect.

It has been noticed that walking animals in the sun not only strengthens the future goat offspring, but also increases the level of milk production.

Probiotics are often prescribed to goats at the veterinary clinic. They increase immune reserves, perfectly absorb food and increase milk volume by almost twenty percent.

Some housewives say: “A goat is a horned dog.” They become real friends: they take offense or are drawn to their owners, love affection and calm, benevolent speech. As studies have shown, they respond to attention to themselves by increasing their milk yield. If you scream, let alone whip an animal, you won’t get much. Make sure that your pet in the general herd is not offended by other animals.

Goats are supporters of comfort. Ideal keeping is in a separate house, where in the cold season the temperature should not be lower than plus six degrees, and in the warm season – no higher than eighteen Celsius. Warmth and absence of drafts, cleanliness and good food, affection and attentiveness are the main conditions for high productivity.

What measures can increase lactation?

• The main thing to remember is that the milk must be milked without leaving any residue.
• You need to milk a goat regularly, at the same time.
• To make lactation painless and milk yield happy, it is recommended to massage the udder before and after goatling.
• Experienced goat breeders advise, in addition to the main milkings, to milk the animals three to four times.
• You can include silage and root vegetables in the feed; it is generally accepted that they have a milk-producing effect.
• Milking not in the barn, but in the open air has a good effect on lactation

The lactation period depends on the breed. A dairy goat can be milked for 9 months, starting immediately after lambing. Representatives of other breeds give milk only for half a year, then milk yield decreases, and only goats drink milk for three months.

In order to milk a goat, a little physical strength will be required, but you need to be patient. This procedure is not complicated, but painstaking

Everything must be done carefully and slowly so as not to cause pain to the animal. The labor-intensive process of milking the firstborn and feeding the babies determines the amount of milk in the future, as well as the health of the mother and babies.

If the firstborn is provided with comfortable living conditions, rational food, proper milking and good care, after the first lambing you can get up to 5 liters of tasty and healthy milk from her.

Do not forget that only love and affection will help establish mutual understanding and trust with the goat. Be attentive, and your pet will repay your care!

Milking a goat is not difficult, but you need to follow some rules

When breeding small ruminants, a beginning livestock breeder faces a number of difficulties, one of which is milking goats. A person who is far from the realities of rural life has a vague idea of ​​this process and does not know the many nuances that need to be taken into account. But having decided to breed animals, you should not retreat at the first difficulties: if you have knowledge, practice will not cause difficulties, and the process will soon become familiar and routine.

A healthy goat udder is a guarantee of milk quality

Milking rules

Compliance with the milking schedule affects the amount of milk. The farmer must not skip the milking procedure. As a rule, goats are milked in the morning and evening hours. Strict adherence to the regime will help regulate the lactation process in the goat. The animal’s body will be able to collect the maximum amount of milk at the start of milking.

It is important to maintain good hygiene. The owner must wash his hands and the container for collecting milk. The animal's udder is carefully washed with warm water and wiped with a soft cloth. For blood flow, it is recommended to massage the udder.

During peak sexual activity, milk yield decreases. In some cases, milk may disappear completely. As a rule, this behavior is observed in the autumn months. After the birth and feeding of the offspring, the body does not see the need to produce milk. Resumption of lactation will occur only after the next lambing.

Automated goat milking system on a farm.

The importance of maintenance and care for productivity

Dairy goats should always be kept separately from other groups of animals. For any type of housing (tethered, free), dairy goats are housed in separate rooms. This is necessary to avoid interference with milking, control of abortions, and pregnancy.

Nowadays, goat farming and large farms are just beginning to develop. Most of the livestock is concentrated on farmsteads in the form of small groups (1-10 heads), which in the summer are grazed on pastures, and in cold weather they are locked in barns, which, at best, have a walking yard. This type of housing leads to an increase in milk productivity in the summer, and in winter the milk yield drops sharply or stops altogether.

On medium-sized farms (up to 100-200 heads), a pasture-stall housing model can be used. But in winter, you need to use loose goat houses with deep bedding, good lighting and ventilation.

Microclimate indicators in premises for dairy goats:

• temperature – 12-19 degrees;
• relative humidity – 60-70%;
• floor area – 1.5-2 m2/head;
• walking area area – 2-4 m2/head;
• active supply and exhaust ventilation;
• natural light.

The milking procedure is of great importance. An incorrect approach to obtaining milk leads to disruption of milk flow and the appearance of pathologies. Typically, double milking is used - in the morning and in the evening, and during the suckling period - once, the second milking is replaced by feeding the kid. But this leads to incomplete milk release, which is especially common in highly productive animals, when kids do not fully consume milk, which leads to a decrease in productivity from the very beginning of milking. Therefore, it is advisable to introduce three-time milking on farms.

At the time of receiving milk, it is necessary to provide the animals with compound feed, which has a positive effect on productivity, and also increases the interest of goats in visiting the milking parlor and facilitates the work of the staff. During milking, it is necessary to massage the udder so that the secretion is actively released from the alveoli and ducts.

Rules of hygiene and udder care

When the goat begins to give milk, you need to wash and dry the udder. Let's look at this in more detail, including the need and features of massage.

Hygienic rules must be strictly observed.

• The stall or pen where the animal is located must be perfectly clean.
• During lactation, the udder of females swells and the body is susceptible to infections, including mastitis. Cleanliness is an important condition.
• When a goat's udder becomes overgrown with hair, it must be cut - the hair can get into the milk or carry pathogenic bacteria.
• The milking machine, or rather its parts, is sterilized before use or immediately after use.
• Be sure to boil the water for washing the udder.
• The milkmaid's clothes are always worn the same (this develops a reflex to release liquid), they must not only be clean, but if necessary, they must be boiled.
• Napkins and towels for wiping should be sterilized.
• Wash your hands twice with deodorized soap or wipe with an alcohol wipe.
• Massage treatments are required. They increase milk volume, prepare the udder for milking, and prevent mastitis.

Both halves of the gland are massaged in turn. First you need to rub it with your palms on all sides, first lifting it up a little and squeezing it slightly. Then lower it down and continue rubbing and repeat four to six times with each half of the gland. After this, start milking, but drain the first milliliters into a separate vessel, not into a container with raw materials.

Interestingly, the lobes of the mammary gland in a goat are not reported. When young animals suck milk, it is released from the udder, and between feedings it accumulates in it. Moreover, alveoli-ducts-cistern accumulate in turn in this order. When there is a lot of it, production stops. Emptying the gland is a stimulus for the start of secretion. If you do not fully select milk, mastitis may begin.

Warming up the gland (washing with warm water and massage) improves fluid release.

Goats - milking before birth

During this period, special attention should be paid to the condition of the udder: it should not harden, lumps should not appear inside, it should not be hot and painful. The last drops contain the largest amount of fat, and if they are not milked, this will benefit future offspring

The last drops contain the largest amount of fat, and if they are not milked, this will benefit future offspring.

This does not mean that a pregnant female is forced to give milk.

Agree, milking a goat that shy away from human hands is quite difficult. A mixture of lemon juice and baking soda is a powerful healing agent. It is necessary every day, at the same time, to approach the goat, talk to it tenderly, while lightly massaging and wiping the udder with a terry towel soaked in warm water. At the same time, you can feed the animal a small amount of chopped root vegetables (not potatoes).

How to increase milk yield?

Root vegetables are food that can increase milk yield. Turnips are especially good for this. Branch feed has a good effect on this indicator, but poplar branches should be avoided, since after them the milk begins to taste bitter. Among the herbs that increase milk yield, experts especially highlight amaranth (other names include redshank or amaranth), as well as quinoa and euphorbia. These plants contain a lot of protein, which helps increase milk production.

Many goat breeds are very demanding on the purity of water, so it is necessary to pay special attention to watering: every day you need to give them warm, clean water in the necessary and sufficient quantities, and also monitor the cleanliness of drinking bowls or drinking vessels. Moreover, the first milking should be carried out as soon as the goat begins to stand on her feet.

These animals are very sensitive to the milking schedule, so strict timing should be observed for this process. Even if you shift the schedule by one hour, a decrease in milk yield will immediately become noticeable. Before milking begins and immediately after it is finished, the udder must be washed in warm water, then wiped dry, spread with either a special ointment or Vaseline and massage a little

Moreover, the first milking should be carried out as soon as the goat begins to stand on her feet. These animals are very sensitive to the milking schedule, so strict timing should be observed for this process. Even if you shift the schedule by one hour, a decrease in milk yield will immediately become noticeable. Before milking starts and immediately after milking, the udder must be washed in warm water, then wiped dry, spread with either a special ointment or Vaseline and massage a little.

You can make your own massage ointment. To do this, you need to take beeswax and a little vegetable oil, and then thoroughly steam the mixture in a water bath. The proportions are selected empirically and depend on the desired consistency. This ointment softens the skin well and also promotes rapid healing of small wounds and cracks. It does not affect the taste of milk.

The last drops of milk must be milked especially carefully. Milking can be completed only when there is not a drop of product left in the udder (the exception is the milking described above before goating). In order to make sure that the udder is “dry”, after the milk has stopped flowing, you should wait a few minutes. Then you need to massage the animal’s udder and try to milk it again. This method is used even when a goat milking machine is used. To make the milking process painless, the hairs on the udder need to be trimmed regularly.

The goat's mammary glands need to be examined every day. This will allow you to notice emerging wounds in time and prevent their suppuration. If, nevertheless, an infection gets into the wound and sepsis begins, the animal must be immediately isolated and treatment must begin: the affected area is treated with an antiseptic and wound-healing tasteless creams (such as Solcoseryl).

You can get healthy goat milk only after lambing, and you need to prepare for this in advance. The goat must be gradually accustomed to milking, thereby carrying out serious prevention of one of the formidable diseases of the udder - mastitis.

Existing milking techniques

Let's first understand instincts and reflexes. The kid sucks its mother, the goat exposes its udder to it - this is instinct. He is “born” together with the animal. If you milk at the same hours, then by this time the goat will produce colostrum - this is a reflex. The more drink the baby takes, the more it is produced; similarly, the more often it approaches the udder, the more the mother is ready to give him this natural emulsion: nature has endowed all mothers with this property at the metabolic level - this is not an instinct or a reflex, but a peculiarity metabolic processes.

A thinking person, knowing these points, will understand how to organize milking in order to get the maximum useful product.

Milking rules:

• The udder should be washed with warm water before use. Then there will be no smell and harmful microbes will not enter. If it's summer and the goat is grazing, some recommend washing the udder skin with deodorized soap twice and rinsing well.
• Wipe the washed area with a sterile cloth.
• The hind legs are fixed. But not everyone does this; it depends on the habits and behavior of the female herself.
• Massage the udder, but without aromatic oils and scented creams.
• The milking process begins.

It is better to use a pen on pasture. Some people make it themselves, others order it. Sometimes you can find an industrial version.

There is a so-called “fist technique”. This is when you take the nipples (each) with your “thumb” and “index” fingers, press a couple of times until drops are squeezed out, and then rhythmically “squeeze” the milk out of the udder with the remaining fingers.

There are several mandatory rules:

• Milk until the last drops.
• The process must be fast and continuous.
• Work calmly.
• After milking, give a massage.
• Wipe the skin of the gland dry with a sterile cloth.
• Lubricate each nipple with a special deodorized cream/ghee/vaseline.

Some housewives believe that periodically during the milking process it is necessary to also use the plucking technique: the index fingers and thumbs are involved.
They put pressure on the nipple where it grows from the udder. Press two, three or four times, a white stream appears. It is better to express the first one into a separate container. This method is applicable when the goat has a small udder. If the gland is medium or large in size, then a combined technique is used, combining the use of both methods. Then the milk is milked faster and with better quality.

The use of milking machines, especially on large farms, is beneficial and gives a good effect, especially when the goats are accustomed to them. And this happens gradually. Especially in combination with manual milking. But each animal must be milked manually in order to completely empty the mammary gland.

When does a goat start giving milk?

A purebred dairy goat is milked as soon as it has given birth to its first offspring. The kids, as a rule, are separated, and they get the mother’s food product from the hands of the owners, in a bottle when they are very small, and in a pot when they are grown up. The remaining milk from the milk yield is consumed by people.

Non-dairy goats are less likely to be separated from their kids. It will be possible to milk the queens only when the babies reach three or four months of age. The female must be adult, healthy and well-fed.

The internal structures of the udder are formed before the process of fertilization of young female small ruminants; the goat's breasts are partially filled with milk already at this time. But milking them before birth is prohibited. It is allowed to wash the udder as a hygienic procedure, using soap in addition to water. 30 days before birth, the udder is prepared for milking.

How many years does a goat milk?

The animal begins to produce milk after the first offspring and continues to produce it for quite a long time. The lifespan of this type of livestock is 15 years, but long-lived goats have been recorded in the world, whose age was 20 years. The animal produces high-quality dairy products for 12 years, but only with good care, excellent nutrition and comfortable housing.

Productivity reaches its peak at the age of five, and declines after seven years of life. It is at this age that goats experience deterioration in health and other age-related problems. As a result of aging, animals feel worse, eat less and, as a rule, produce little milk.

How to determine the age of a goat

However, it is not enough for an experienced farmer to know how long dairy goats live. He should also be able to determine his approximate age by appearance. For example, if people with whom he has not yet dealt offer a bargain. An eight-year-old goat may well be sold to a beginner as a three-year-old goat, in the prime of life.

First of all, an experienced goat breeder will pay attention to the teeth - remember the proverb about a gift horse. But the goat is not a gift, but purchased, so you definitely need to pay attention to the condition of the oral cavity.

At about four years of age, the deciduous incisors are completely replaced by the molars. They are located on the lower jaw in front. You can distinguish dairy from indigenous ones by their shape - the first are slightly narrower and smaller. If some of the incisors are still milky, it means that the goat is less than four years old - it has not yet reached its prime and is quite suitable for purchase. If all the incisors are already molars, then she is definitely four years old or older.

Gradually, the molars begin to wear off and turn yellow. Gaps appear between them, and the dentition itself becomes uneven. This becomes especially noticeable around the age of seven. If there are no such defects, then the goat’s age is from 4 to 7 years. It can no longer be called a successful investment, but still it will definitely last for a couple of years, producing kids and milk.

The defects listed above indicate that the goat is already 7 years old or more - it’s not worth buying one, unless for meat.

Individual approach and maintenance of goats

Like any living creature, each goat requires an individual approach. First, start with the names you will give each goat. These animals are very similar to dogs in relation to their owner. It's easy to make friends with them. Scratching and stroking are met with a bang. Statistically, goats that receive petting and verbal encouragement from their owner have greater milk production than those that are handled carelessly.

Remember, the amount of milk produced in a goat's udder is greatly influenced by her emotional experiences. Constantly shouting towards the herd can significantly affect the morale of the wards and the milk yield will decrease.

If you suddenly notice that the milk yield of only one of your goats has decreased, keep an eye on her: perhaps her friends are offending her, taking away her food or a corner occupied inside the barn.

Gentle milking also helps increase milk production

Some goat owners recommend removing aggressive elements from the herd - very cocky goats or bucks, especially if they are unproductive. But not everyone can calmly part with their pets or the wool, milk and offspring they bring. Therefore, try to regulate the behavior of goats within the herd; they react very sensitively to the approval or disapproval of the owner.

Living conditions are just as important for milk yield as good relationships. Let's talk about them in more detail.

Goat house

It is best if it is a complete aging, but a barn firmly on the ground, insulated and equipped according to all the rules, will also do. The main requirement for placing this shelter is the cleanliness of the air in the area where you are breeding. Natural factors greatly influence the milk yield of dairy goats, so take care in advance about the comfort of your place of residence.

Original goat house

The temperature inside the house in winter should be +6°C, and in summer +18°C. It is important that the temperature does not fall or rise above the specified values, otherwise the goats will begin to constantly get sick. In frosty weather, windows and doors are caulked or covered with rags, straw mats and other devices, preventing the cold from penetrating inside. In summer, try to remove manure from the room more often, and in winter less often, to preserve heat.

If one or more goats lambed during the winter, you should also not remove manure as it appears, because thermoregulation in newborn goats has not yet been established and they would benefit from an additional source of heat.

Goat with newborn kids

Dryness of the room is another mandatory requirement. When living conditions deteriorate, goats that are sensitive to moisture begin to produce a minimal amount of milk per day. Make sure that the humidity inside the house does not rise above 75%. You can prevent the penetration of moisture from the outside by covering the walls with roofing felt.

Good illumination of the goat barn will also play into your hands in terms of increasing milk production. Cut medium-sized square windows in its walls, at a height of about 1.5 meters from the floor. Open windows for natural ventilation of the room.

In winter, goats dine inside their barn

Pay attention to the floor too. It must be done at a slight angle so that all the liquid flows in one direction. The material from which it is made cannot be wood, as it rots quickly. It is best to use concrete for pouring. An adobe floor can also be an excellent option. If you still decide to choose wood, try to maximize its wear resistance by impregnating it with various chemical compounds and painting it with special paint.

Some goats like to lie on the floor of the goat shed, kicking off all the bedding with their hooves. Such extreme recreation can lead to colds and serious lung diseases. Make sure the bedding layer is deep enough so that it cannot be removed.

Take care of the mental state of goats who have just become mothers and nail wide shelves along the walls of the barn. Their height should be no more than 40 cm, since this is where babies will rest under the supervision of their mothers. Goats treat motherhood as a serious responsibility, almost humanely. Do not forcibly separate a mother who has given birth from her baby. Many people consider this method of weaning to be the most effective, but they forget that an animal under stress has a greatly reduced milk yield.

Goats have a hard time being separated from their kids during the first month after lambing.

Each goat in the goat shed should be equipped with a stall, fenced off from the others with wooden posts. Goats are quarrelsome by nature and fight constantly. If you want to keep the barn safe and sound, it is better that they do not see each other while resting.

It is often recommended to use straw as bedding for a goat house, however, if the floor inside the room is made of concrete, then peat or sawdust is perfect instead, since goats constantly go to the toilet right inside their home.

If you still give preference to straw, then keep in mind that it must be constantly changed, otherwise the goat will begin to drag good hay from its feeder onto the floor.

Goat pens

Goat hair care

In addition to constant cleaning of the goat shed, it is necessary to pay considerable attention to the hygiene of the animals themselves. So, using a comb or a brush with iron teeth, it is necessary to comb long-haired goats every day. This massage throughout the body increases milk yield and affects its smell, eliminating all foul-smelling elements from the surface of the goat’s body.

The process of combing wool from goats

Once a week, the goats are thoroughly cleaned using warm water and soda added to it. This is done to prevent lice from multiplying. However, if they do appear, use the following procedures:

• dusting the wool with pyrethrum powder (20 to 40 g per goat);
• washing with special anti-lice soap;
• washing with 2% creolin solution;
• wiping wool with disensectolin.

A product such as disensectolin has a rich black color and is highly contaminated by lice, therefore, despite its maximum effectiveness, it is not very popular.

Lice treatment is repeated after one to one and a half weeks to prevent eggs left by killed lice from hatching. After washing the goats, dry them thoroughly using a towel.

Hoof care

Without proper attention to the hooves of your charges, you can expect widespread foot disease in the herd. Initially, nature intended the gradual erasing of goat hooves during a free life, but keeping them in a barn leads to the fact that it grows faster than it wears off. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly trim it using an ordinary knife to normal sizes.

The main aspect of hoof care is trimming.

Video - Trimming goats' hooves

In addition to trimming, the hooves must be constantly cleaned, removing stuck dirt from the cracks, which leads to rotting of the stratum corneum.

Goat activity

There is a misconception among some goat keepers that pure barn housing is suitable for a goat. What kind of milk yield then can we expect from these wonderful animals if they lack physical activity? That's right, none. Milk yield will be significant only in healthy animals that spend a significant part of the day on the move.

Actively living goats produce much more milk than those constantly living in a barn

How to choose a goat

When buying an adult animal, you need to take into account that, in addition to its dairy qualities, it is important that it be healthy. Shiny fur, thick, smooth skin, and a cheerful appearance are indicators of her good health. A developed, proportional body, a wide chest, a straight back, convex ribs and a voluminous belly, strong straight legs - all this indicates the productive potential of the animal. Of course, it will not be possible to determine by eye the real milk yield from a goat per day; it is better to do this by monitoring milk yield over several days. But based on an external examination, certain conclusions can also be drawn. A goat with good milk yield has a voluminous elastic udder, its shape is spherical or pear-shaped, there is no coarse hair on it, as well as growths and hardenings. The milk veins are visible through the skin. There are folds along the edges: a kind of “reserve” of the udder in case of an increase in the amount of milk.

What factors influence longevity?

The main limiting factor in the life expectancy of goats is the decision of the person sending the animals to slaughter. Thus, fattening goats are slaughtered at 9 months, producing goats at 6-7 years, and dairy goats at 8-9. But many external and internal factors can affect the period of economic use, and therefore life expectancy.

Diseases of various etiologies (infectious, parasitic, non-contagious) lead to serious pathological changes in the body. It is important to carry out vaccinations against dangerous diseases on the farm in accordance with the epizootic situation in the region. Deworming and treatment for external parasites should be regular. Carrying out mechanical cleaning of premises and disinfection will reduce the risk of pulmonary and intestinal infections. It is necessary to monitor the health of animals - carry out inspections when changing feeding, transferring animals from one group to another, mating, lambing.

Feeding plays a huge role. The growth and development of the animal depends on it. The diet must correspond to the physiological period - age, gestational age, lactation period. It is especially important to give colostrum to the kid in the first hour of life, this will ensure the formation of immunity. If you are late with the first feeding, growth will slow down, the young animals will be frail and susceptible to infections. In the diet you need to normalize:

• protein, fats, carbohydrates;
• total energy content;
• microelements, especially calcium and phosphorus;
• vitamins.

Goats are especially acutely deficient in calcium, phosphorus and a number of vitamins. Their deficiency leads to a deterioration in the condition of the skeletal system: bone fragility increases, some of them dissolve, teeth become loose, and their wear and loss accelerates. This is due to the increased secretion of calcium in milk and its high costs during pregnancy.

Increasing milk yield

You spent money and bought a dairy goat according to recommendations, but it produces no more than three liters of milk per day? Don't rush to argue with the seller. The intensity of an animal's lactation depends on many different factors. Later in the article we will provide you with recommendations for increasing your goat's milk production. Don’t be discouraged if at first the increase is only a couple of hundred grams, this is just the beginning.

Many factors influence a goat's milk yield

Choosing the right breed

When buying goats, you should give preference to those varieties that were bred for milk production through the efforts of breeders around the world. You can’t expect serious milk yield from ordinary goats, which means you won’t be able to save money at this stage. The cost of especially valuable breeds of these animals reaches 20,000 rubles. But don't worry, the price paid will be completely worth it.

Popular among farmers are breeds bred in the fertile conditions of the green hills of Switzerland.

Saanen goats

Legendary producers of nutritious milk. This breed has become incredibly popular all over the world, spreading not only in its homeland and Russia, but also in America, Britain, Germany and Holland. The body structure of goats of this variety is characterized by a large pear-shaped udder. Sometimes it is colored with small black dots, which are not a defect, but a calling card of the breed.

Saanen goats before milking

Speaking about milk production, it should be noted that one female Saanen goat produces a whole ton of milk per year! After the female survives lambing, her milk production will increase further. After the fourth birth, the goat will reach peak productivity. She will produce from 8 to 12 liters of milk per day, in two stages of milking. It should be said that some Saanen breeds set a real record of two tons of delicious milk per year, subject to proper care and feeding.

Saanen goats

The world is famous not only for the productivity of this breed, but also for the incredibly delicate taste of its moderately fat milk. Thick and nutritious, it is great for making butter, cottage cheese and goat cheese.

Alpine goats

This dairy breed appealed to such Slavic countries as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and was also loved in Italy, France and America. Alpine goats are in great demand due to their endurance and easy acclimatization. Their udders are voluminous, capable of producing large quantities of a delicious drink.

Alpine goat udder

The productivity of this variety usually reaches one and a half tons of milk per year, sometimes more. One goat brings approximately 5-7 liters per day. The consistency of the resulting milk is dense, the fat content is approximately 3.5-5%.

Alpine goat milk will be a great gift for parents. Children often refuse this healthy drink because it has a persistent, specific smell. However, the milk of this breed has no unpleasant odor.

Alpine goat

Gestation period of the Saanen goat

The gestation period of the Saanen goat is 150 days, however, like all other breeds. People consider it to be 5 months and 5 days from the day of mating. 2 months before lambing, milking should be stopped.

If a young goat, after the second walk, begins to critically reduce the amount of milk until the 2 month mark, you cannot stop milking it!

If there are 2 months left before lambing, and the goat continues to be milked, the number of milkings should be reduced and the feeding of succulent feed should be stopped. After the milk has completely disappeared, full feeding must be resumed.

How to increase the lifespan of goats

Experienced farmers know how many years a dairy goat lives, and they try in every possible way to increase this figure. There are several reliable ways to do this.

First of all, ensuring suitable living conditions. The goat should be able to shelter from the cold and wind in winter in a cozy, well-insulated barn. This is a really important factor that some beginners seriously underestimate.

It is also very important to have an understanding of proper feeding. This is especially important for goats, which are actively used to produce offspring and milk. Both of these factors greatly wear out the animal’s body and pump out large amounts of salts and minerals. And it is almost impossible to get them together with ordinary straw and grass. That is why experienced farmers take the issue of creating an optimal diet for animals very seriously, trying to diversify it with special additives containing the necessary substances.

The breed also has a certain influence. It has long been noted that purebred goats, with good care, live noticeably longer than their ordinary mongrel relatives.

If you are serious about raising goats, and have been doing this for a significant period of time, it is very important to regularly update the blood. The easiest way to do this is to buy a breeding goat from a farm that you have not dealt with before. This will avoid inbreeding, which leads to weakened animals, increased susceptibility to disease and, accordingly, early death. If possible, this should be done more often - at least once every 5-7 years. That is, when the main inseminating goat gets old, it needs to be replaced with a young one.