Did chores as usual.
Decided it was time to test out my milk stand and see if anyone was willing to try it out for me.
I set up the stand in a separate area and closed off the gate and let one at a time into the pen with the setup. I of course started with my home raised babies and one at a time I had them jump onto the milkstand and showed them where to put their heads to eat their grain. Snapped shut the headgate and to my amazement, no fighting, kicking, or frenzied screaming. I just fed a small amount at a time and then trimmed each ones hoof while they were standing in the headgate. It was so easy, I couldn't believe it. All of my girls who have been here since babies were excellent. Dan will have no problems at all milking when I can't!!
I spent some time on each ones hooves and had 7 of them done in no time. Now, I needed to encourage the three Newest Kids on the block to come in. I spent a good deal of time chasing and tricking to catch even one of them. It took both hands, arms, and legs to keep her in the stand. I even managed to draw blood while I was trying to trim her feet, there was so much struggling. I got my finger to quit bleeding after just a few minutes of pressure, but it didn't discourage my mission. I even made her stand in the head gate for a few minutes without any feed and then gave her just a little at the end to make her realize it wasn't all that bad.
I decided I was going to run out of patience with the next of the wildest so moved on to the Buck pen.
Now my boy Kokomo was a dream and practically lifts his feet for his trim.
Not my Alpine boy though, he has realized he is big, strong and faster.
I have him quite tame and decided I would be bringing the stand over to have him use it next. That stand was the best thing that we built for the goats so far. It made the job a breeze. Now to get the second one put together, then I can invite my cheese making buddies to do side by side milking with me.
P.S. Sharon, also let Dan know, one of the last does I just purchased is close. Quite close! She has bagged up pretty good, and I think we are going to be into the milk before we know it!!
I'm getting excited for the babies to start arriving. Dan is scouting out the items he'll need to make cheeses. Some days I think he's more excited about the whole milking/cheese thing than you! He's been to the health food store and told them they need to start carrying the starter stuff. I'll get Dan busy with hand excercises so he'll be ready to milk.
ReplyDeleteyou hussy you!! I am sure you could find things for Dan to do with those hands!!
ReplyDeleteNow on the milking,,been thinking about the different types of feed I should be feeding in order to get the best tasting milk, put Dan on that notion, as I know it makes a world of difference in the cheese! I already have them eating sweet grain, and just got a good load of Alfalfa that really looks and smells wonderful, so I think I am on the right track.
Good job on the milkstand! Some of them just give us back aches for a few weeks, then it seems some just take to it naturally.
ReplyDeleteYour weight loss is coming along...wow!