I bought Lulu and her one month old daughter in February from a muslim gentleman who kept about 15 nubian crossbreeds in a pen about the size of a shoe-box.

He said Lulu had been mated in January (or perhaps early February), shortly after kidding.

Whereas the local muslims keep goats for eating at festival time, I decided to have a go at milking.

After separating kid from mother, Lulu produced a generous supply of milk in the morning.

Shortly after, her milk quantity has reduced. I am wondering whether she is pregnant and whether the reduction in milk is due to pregnancy.

If she is pregnant, I would prefer to stop milking her and reduce her grain amount until the final two or three weeks.

How can I tell if she is pregnant, without the tell-tale barrel chest,which only comes in the last six weeks?

-- gregory barton (gbmillion@hotmail.com), May 12, 2003

Answers

How often are you milking her? If it's mornings only, that's why her milk prodcution decreased. It is supply and demand! Try switching to twice a day and she may improve. Even when pregnant, they shouldn't dry up until 2 1/2 - 3 months gestation. What breed is she?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), June 09, 2003.