Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Too Much Milk

I was not expecting to have to be milking right now. But here I am having to milk two to three times a day. I am putting Collette's doelings in a separate pen at night then milking her in the morning before turning them back in with her during the day. Calico is producing way too much milk for her twin bucklings and I am having to relieve some of the pressure, they are also only nursing on one side.

Collette did really well with her first milking. I put the hobbles on her with no problem. When I put the syringe barrel on the first teat and she tried to kick, it lifted her whole back side up off of the milking stand and dropped her off of the table.

This was something that has always scared me because I was afraid that it might break a goat's neck if they were latched into the neck stantion or stanchion (however you spell it).

She fell off the milk stand on the opposite side of the table from where I was sitting. I jumped up and ran around the milking stand to find that she had already recovered herself and was eating her grain. She had her hobbled hind feet on the ground, her front feet up on the stand, her neck fastened in the stantion with her nose buried in the grain, typical goat.

I had to unhobble her, release her from the stantion, tug and pull until I got her nose out of the grain and then reload her onto the stand. From there the milking went very smoothly, she decided that kicking with a set of hobbles on was not a good idea. She learns very quickly.

Right now while I am typing this I am tasting Collette's milk for the first time. Her milk does not have nearly as much cream in it, as Calico's does. It is more homogenized and it tastes totally different. It is very good just tastes different. All goat's milk tastes different from goat to goat. You should always taste the milk of a freshened milk goat that you are thinking about buying.

I have been letting Calico run loose in the yard with her babies. She comes to the door and cries until I come out. She then runs and loads herself onto the milking stand and makes me milk her when her udder gets tight and heavy. She is producing enough milk for us, the dogs, the cat and her babies. I have been having to milk her twice a day but as the bucklings are getting bigger they are taking more and I am only having to milk her once per day, whether she likes it on not.

6 comments:

Linda Foley said...

Hello - I'm Linda and found your blog a while ago. I am enjoying reading about your goats and milking.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Linda
http://bb.bbboy.net/thejourneyforum

Christy said...

That is a lot of milking! I'm milking one goat twice a day and that is overwhelming sometimes.

Kelly said...

We bought 2 doelings and have plans for next spring. I have never milked a goat before and will go to a nearby farm for lessons. LOL. I never thought about milk tasting different from goat to goat. I am trying to get the girl use to being touched on their little teats. I don't know if this will help but I don't want to upset them when the time comes to milk. I'm glad that your girl was unhurt when she fell. Is it necessary to hobble them?
Kelly

Jiller said...

Hi,
Is everything okay with you and your family? Haven't seen a blog post for almost a week and that isn't like you! No hurry if everything is okay, just a little worried is all!

Hugs from California
Jill

KAREN IN MASS said...

EXACTLY WHAT "JILLER" SAID..IS EVERYTHING OKAY WITH YOU AND YOURS??? NOTHING ON BLOG FOR ALMOST 2 WEEKS NOW!!!!
HOPEFULLY YOU ARE JUST BUSY!!!!?PLEASE LET US KNOW!!

KAREN

Pintura Springs said...

Hello, Linda, thanks for reading my blog.

Christy, I wasn't quite ready to be milking just yet but Calico's babies are taking all of her milk now, so that is one less that I have to milk. However, Paris just kidded this evening, so I may be milking her when she comes to her full milk in a couple of days.

Kelly, It is only necessary to hobble them when you are milking a goat for the first time if you don't have patience. It is easier for me to train them with hobbles, it keeps my stress levels down and it keeps the milk from being spilled or contaminated with hair and/or goat feet.

Jiller and Karen, Thank you for your concern. It has been a rough patch for me in the last couple of weeks but I will try to post tonight before I go to bed.

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