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Fun Farm Facts Friday – January 2nd

Welcome to the very first “Fun Farm Facts Friday!” (say that three times fast)

Living on a farm is a constant learning experience… quite frankly it’s an uphill battle at times. No matter how much you research, no matter how long you have been farming, there are always little surprises along the way. I intend to share some of the most interesting facts that I have learned over the years, along with all the questions that I am asked most often.

So, I am going to start the year off answering the question that I am asked the most… The answer may seem obvious when I tell you, but people just don’t think about it…

The question: When do goats begin to produce milk? 

The answer: Goat’s (or any mammal for that matter, including humans) must be bred and have babies in order to produce milk. The goats begin producing milk once their kids are born (called freshening). They first produce colostrum, then begin milk production shortly there after. Their supply will continue to grow over the next two months, at which point it will level off. Depending on the breed, if the doe is left unbred her milk production will start to decrease as she reaches the one year mark from her last kidding, or in some cases sooner. Some goat breeds can be milked for up to 18 months, however the amount will not be at the same level as it was in the months after her kidding. So, each year the goats are bred to maintain their milk production.