How to Keep a Goat's Milk Production Up

Keeping up a goat's milk production helps make sure you have plenty of fresh milk for as long as possible after your goat gives birth and starts producing milk. Whether you're preparing for a dairy goat show or milking competition or you just want to have plenty of milk for your family, proper nutrition plays a key role. Focus your efforts on caring properly for your goat and you'll see the results in your milk pail.

Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Water bucket
  • Alfalfa hay
  • Dairy goat grain ration
  • Milking pail
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Instructions

    • 1

      Give your doe constant access to clean, fresh water throughout her lactation -- every slurp of water she takes helps her produce more milk, says Gail Damerow, author of "Your Goat." (see reference 1) Place the water bucket outside the goat pen so the goats can reach through the fence and drink it; this keeps them from tipping it over and accidentally soiling the water with feces or bedding. Refill the water bucket once or twice daily and clean it weekly. Provide warm water during colder months to encourage increased water consumption in the winter.

    • 2

      Feed your milking doe high-quality hay and allow her to forage in a pasture as frequently as possible. Stick with alfalfa, a readily available legume hay that typically contains more milk production-boosting protein than grass hay. When you purchase alfalfa hay, look for bales that feature a rich, green color, small stems and plenty of leafy growth, recommends University of Florida professor Barnet Harris, Jr. (see reference 2, page 6, top of column 1)

    • 3

      Boost your milking goat's daily energy levels with a balanced dairy goat grain ration. Purchase a commercial grain concentrate formulated specifically for milking goats. Typically these rations contain 16- to 18-percent protein. As a rule, give a full-sized milking goat a half-pound of grain concentrate for every pound of milk she produces each day. If your goat produces three pounds of milk twice each day, then she'll need about three pounds of grain each day. Provide half that amount if you're milking a miniature goat, says Damerow. (see reference 1)

    • 4

      Milk your nanny at least twice daily to stimulate milk production. Empty her udder on regular intervals, preferably every 12 hours if you're milking twice each day. This essential milking practice helps keep your goat's udder from becoming overly full, which sends signals to her brain to decrease milk production. At the end of each milking session, take the time to strip the last of the milk from each teat; compress the top of the teat with your thumb and index finger and slide them down the length of the teat several times to remove any remaining milk.