Saturday, March 29, 2014

Milking Machine- Take 2

This morning went so much better! I am only milking one goat at a time until I get the hang of this thing.

First up was Trixie. She's very short, so I'm having a hard time getting the pail and inflations positioned up under her. I finally got it without her kicking, but I wasn't getting any suction. Duh! I'd forgotten to open the valve to the pump.

I wanted today to be a good experience for her, so I just left the pail and inflations under her and milked her using my hand pump. Everything went smoothly except for the fact that she only gave me about a pint of milk. She's really off so far this year.

Next up- Scilla. Here is her udder before milking (please excuse all her goo, I need to clean her up again today. Having kids is messy work). Everything went as smoothly as could be hooking the machine up to her. Milk was a-flowing!

The directions said to watch for the rate of flow to decrease to know to remove the inflations. I think I could have left them on longer than I did, but better safe than sorry. See, she still has milk here.

Now this is her after her kids got done with her.


Things went equally well with Onyx and Phoebe. By the time I got to Phoebe, I left the inflations on slightly longer and think I got her milked out better.

I just let Betty Buttercup's twins nurse on the stand. The boy was ravenous again, but Lulu just kind of played with her breakfast. BC wasn't full, so someone had been nursing overnight. A couple more days and these two will be joining the other kids in lockdown overnight so I can start milking BC too.

Look at those legs! Lulu is already a diva! 

I got this picture a few days ago of Lulu and Opal. Lulu was such a monster baby! Opal is on the left, Lulu on the right. Opal is 3 days older and Lulu is bigger!

They look so similar, their mamas have to do the sniff test to tell who is who. Pretty girls! I can't wait to see Kat's babies.





6 comments:

  1. Last year I sold all the kids. This year, I will be keeping 3-4 (I hope) lamancha doelings. I have 2 keepers so far and one doe left to kid.

    Everyone else will be sold. I should have no trouble selling the girls. I was able to sell all my boys last year. I am not opposed to taking them to the butcher if I don't get any interest in them though. The hard part of the dairy business is that you just don't need that many males.

    I'm glad your Nubians found a good home too!

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  2. Lulu looks like she could be part rabbit with that set of legs!
    Kimberly

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  3. Wow! Look at those legs!!!!!
    I can't wait 25 more days!!!!!!

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  4. Pioneer Preppy raises lambs to sell, and I know Kim had to have their milk cow butchered. I guess I could do that if I had to but I wouldn't want to.

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  5. Harry,
    I've just got to make a point. It is not meant to offend you or anyone. I just have to make the point (or a couple). I must be in a soapbox mood : (
    Sorry Kristin for using your blog for my super long point(s).

    As horrible as it is to have an animal killed. It has to be done if we are to eat meat. In fact, I have tried eating a vegetarian diet before and my body doesn't do well on it at all. I am a total softy. I have a hard time handling situations when the animals are injured and need doctoring, because I can't stand seeing them in pain. But it has to be done.
    When each of our cows were butchered, I made sure that they were very happily eating, and then went into the bathroom and turned on the vent while they were shot. Once that is done, I am fine. Hopefully in time I will get over that. Most people that were raised around it, it doesn't bother. But for those that aren't it takes forcing yourself to get used to it and except it.
    If you want to know what goes into the food you eat, its really the only way. Because the meat you buy at the store is in no way raised or butchered in the way God intended. Even the produce that is certified organic isn't always grown in the best ways, but no chemical use is all that is required to be certified. There is nothing about what kind of good things they have to add to the soil.

    Also a good part of preparedness is raising your own meat, eggs, dairy, and produce. I have read about a lot of people that think they can keep a bucket of seeds, and if TSHTF (pardon the language) they will plant a garden. Its laughable. It takes a lot of time and knowledge from experience to grow those seeds into a edible plant. By the time they are grown, those people will have starved to death or robbed other people.
    I think I'll stop myself now.
    Kimberly- I'm stepping down now.

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  6. My mom can't watch the chickens being killed either. The first one I did was really hard, but now I don't have any trouble with it.

    I don't want to have to kill any of my bucklings, but I think I could do it if I needed to. If they don't sell, I'll just take them to the local processor. They asked $40 each to do them and will give a discount if I bring 3 or more.

    I couldn't agree more with Kimberly- the time to learn these skills is before you need them.

    Y'all have a lovely day. I hear my goats yelling at me since I'm running a little behind this morning. I need to gulp down this coffee and get to milking.

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