Lactation Curves & Charts
The Curve
Daily production plotted against days in milk. A normal lactation climbs quickly to peak around 4–8 weeks after freshening, then declines gradually for the rest of the year.
Two things matter in that shape:
- Peak — how high she gets
- Persistence — how well she holds it afterwards
Persistence is the underrated one. A doe who peaks lower but declines slowly often out-produces a flashier one over 305 days, and she's easier on herself doing it.
Comparison Charts
Compare across a doe's own lactations, between does over the same period, or as rolling 7-day and 30-day averages that smooth out day-to-day noise.
Reading the Shape
| What you see | What it often means |
|---|---|
| Early peak, fast decline | Nutrition falling short of demand, or an underlying health problem |
| Flat, never really peaks | Under-conditioned at freshening, or the ration isn't supporting production |
| Steady with slow decline | Good management and genetics |
| Sudden drop | Check for mastitis, heat stress, feed change, or a missed milking |
| Year-on-year lift | Your breeding and management are working |
Production falls before most other symptoms show. A doe who's down noticeably overnight is worth a hands-on udder check and a temperature before you look for a feed explanation.
Projections
Where there's enough data, the chart includes a 305-day projection — see Lactation Periods and the forecasting explainer.