Homestead Happenings

Goats 1, Milkmaid 0

The time has come to start milking my goats, Sammy and Cocoa.  Their kids are over a month old and have started eating hay and grass plus they are drinking bits of water from the pail.  I figure I can leave them on their dams until I get good at milking so the does will not dry up.

So I set up my milking place.  Buying a milk stand is not an option.  I know I can build one but if I start one more project around here my hubby will not be happy.  Guess I need to finish the girl's room that I am working on first.

So I get a table that was in the goat pen (for them to climb on) and I put a little feed pan there by attaching it to the fence.  I add and chair and poof! my milking place.

Having read about milking step-by-step I feel that I am armed with enough knowledge to get the job done. My goats had other ideas.......

This is Cocoa

She was unhappy from the second I washed her udder.  She kicked and wiggled and called to her kids.  So I put them in the pen next to where we were so she could see them and that calmed her down....until I tried to milk her.  See my yellow rope.  Well that did not work.

This is me trying to get Cocoa to be still.  The grain I gave her was gone in a flash so here I am trying to bribe her with hay.  No luck.  I moved my bowl (that held a tiny bit of milk) because she had already seen fit to step in it.  I will be getting a goat hobble......very soon.

I knew I was losing to a goat but I was determined to get some milk from both sides.  If nothing else this was a training time for both of us.  There are no more pictures after this because I sent my eldest daughter, Kit, to the house.  The giggling was getting on my nerves.

I released Cocoa and got Sammy who was no better than Cocoa.  So I got a bit from both sides of her.  Then I put everyone back in the pasture and when back to the house taking with me the sign of my defeat.

Yep, this is what I ended up with.  Want some?  Me either.  I will not give up.  So far I have figured out that I need to cover my table (aka stand) with rubber so they will not slip.  I also need a different restraining device since the rope was not working.  Some places say to seperate the kids during the night so that the does are full in the morning and them will want to be milked.  We are considering this.

What about those giggles?  As the Mother I could not let that stand.  So I let Kit try it for herself.  The giggles have been silenced.  When I do come in with that first good milking my blessings will know that it was not easy.  Then they can learn to do it.  Who will be giggling then?  Me!

Have a blessed day!

Mother of 6 blessings from the Lord

Helpmeet to my Hubby who is my best blessing of all