Chickens in the Road Forum | Chickens in the Road

Once a Day Milking

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3:20 pm
March 9, 2010

Mighty Chicken

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It can be done, and the switch over can take as little as 3 days.

We have been doing this for a while now, but need to bring her milk up again, so will go back to the twice a day for a time.

When you change to once a day, there will be a drop in daily production by about 1/4 or a bit less if I remember correctly. It has been a while since we switched her over. I think she was only a month or month and a half or so into her lactation too, and was giving a tremendous amount at the time.

You can use the method that is described in the book "The Family Cow" that I mentioned before, or you can put a calf on for half the time. It is really nice because it gives more freedom, but you still get your milk. We did this with a heavy milker with a healthy udder, and it worked beautifully and gave her no problems! We did watch her closely, and if there was any sign of a problem, we would have switched her back.

6:21 pm
March 9, 2010

Flatlander

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posts 1508

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I milked one of my goats once day last year…and I[m planning to do the same again with 3 this year ..and my Jersey cow, who I will pick up at the end of this month.

But i do it totally different..what I do is after the kids are born..they drink 3 weeks completely with their mom.

After 3 weeks…I separate them for the night..and bring all the kids together…I milk the next morning..and after milking..mom and kid are re united for the day.

I know it is better to seperate them during the day and milk in the evening…but I like them to go outside during the day so I choose the milking in the morning.

I'm planning on doing the same with the cow and calf

9:27 pm
March 9, 2010

Suzanne McMinn

Sassafras Farm in Roane County, WV

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Astrid, that's what I did with Clover. I separated her from the babies at night (not far apart, just put the babies in a crate in the same pen with her but they couldn't get to her) and I milked her in the morning. Then I let the babies out and they were with her all day and I didn't milk her in the evening. This worked for me. She filled up overnight and I could get milk then the babies could be with her all day, which seemed important to me.

Clover made me do it.

2:55 am
March 10, 2010

Flatlander

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yes for me too…I want the babies to grow on milk and nurse with their mom.

Doing it this way…she makes enough milk for both them and us.

After a few months…when I think milkproduction drops…because theydon't need as much anymore…I can milk twice a day, to keep prodution up…if I want.

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