This article was written by Kristy Blankers and Delma Kennedy. Introduction After a normal lactation (NL), extended lactation (EL) goats start a second lactation curve during the production period at about 330 days when milk yield begins to increase again. Figure 1 compares the lactation curves of goats in normal and extended lactations over a two-year period. Figure 1; Lactation curves in goats in extended lactation compared to the lactation curves of goats in two subsequent normal lactations (Douhard et al., 2013). Differences between the normal and extended lactation curves include: Weight Change Goats maintain their weight when they aren’t bred and start to gain weight after 330 days when milk yield begins to rise as shown in figure 2.…
