# freshening



## brierpatch1974 (Sep 28, 2005)

Its not time for me to do this but what is the best way to freshen a goat. How do I start cutting back the milk production in order to do this and when is it the best time do do it? lol hows it all work. 

BP


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Freshening for an animal is going back into milk. To freshen, you re-breed. To end lactating is called 'going dry'. usually a goat is rebred so it kids so it gets dried up 2 months before refreshening... ifthat makes any sence, lol


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## TexCountryWoman (Jun 22, 2004)

You can milk your goat the first three months of pregnancy. Then give her two months off, the last two months of pregnacy. Pregnancy is five months. A goat "freshens" when she gives birth. She is fresh with milk again. And the lactation process starts over. Goats can be milked for 10 months or so. I plan to breed all my goats this year in October (that's the plan anyway, hope they cooperate!)....then they will all kid (or freshen) in March. Their female offspring will then be old enough to breed the next fall (fall 07), along with the moms, and the process will start over. This year, my does (the adult females) were bred at all times of the year and they freshened in December, April and I still have 3 to go, it's been crazy! Hopefully, next yr will be better coordinated. Sometimes it is nice to have your goats freshen at different times of the year so you can have a staggered milk supply. If you have further questions, please ask


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## TexCountryWoman (Jun 22, 2004)

brierpatch1974 said:


> Its not time for me to do this but what is the best way to freshen a goat. How do I start cutting back the milk production in order to do this and when is it the best time do do it? lol hows it all work.
> 
> BP


to start drying up your goat, go from twice a day milkings to one a day milkings. Then to every other day, then just stop. Some people just stop. The goat will just dry up. If the udder looks like it going to explode, you can milk it out a bit, some people just leave it alone.


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## brierpatch1974 (Sep 28, 2005)

Thanks for clearing this up for me. Do you need to do anything to a doe 3 months pregnant to dry her up gradually or just stop milking all together one day? I want to have next years young be born around the end of march/early april. 

BP


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## TexCountryWoman (Jun 22, 2004)

If the doe is three months pregnant, just start milking her a bit less fequently then stop. She will dry up on her own. If you want kids the end of March, you should breed your does the end of october. You will have to watch and see if they come back into heat 21 days after they breed to make sure it 'took".

Here is a good website with lots of goat info. When you get there, go to "site map" and scroll down to what you want. It's great!

http://www.fiascofarm.com


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