Posted by Vicki McGaugh on April 03, 2001 at 12:51:58:
In Reply to: Drying off posted by Tom on April 03, 2001 at 07:35:47:
We dry off when the doe is 100 days pregnant, by that time she is usually milking less than 2 quarts a day. So we just stop milking her. About 3 days later I will relieve perhaps a couple of cups a side, repeating this if she overfulls. You do not want to milk her out, just relieve some. Always cleanly, teat dipping after wards. Then when the sides are clearly shrinking, I milk the udder all the way out and use a mastitis infusion for staph. One tube in each side, cleanly of course. If she is milking over 2 quarts a day, and you don't want to continue milking her, you can milk her once a day, cutting way back on her grain, until her production is lower than 2 quarts. You don't have to infuse the udder if you don't follow that type of management. Less grain and a lower quality of hay will bring the best milker into lowered production. Vicki