A Milking Challenge

When we finished with baling the Back Forty, we left the gates open so the goats could go everywhere out there.

Maybeline, Odie and Aurora

I wasn’t sure how long it would take for them to figure it out, but it was just the next day.

Of course, they waited and figured it out just about time to milk in the evening, so I had to go out there.

It was time for Ava to quit scratching on a bale and get milked. Look at that full udder!

Ava

I didn’t want half the herd to go with us and half the herd getting left on the wrong side of the fence, so we took our time walking back.

Ava, Cutie and the rest of the herd

I do think the girls thought I was walking too slowly.

Caroline, Cutie, Ava, and Astra

Most of the rest of the herd gave up following us.

Eventually, we made it back to the barnyard, and everyone got milked.

Cutie

I am working hard to keep up with their milk by making lots of Mozzarella cheese for this winter.

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Starting the Good-byes

Friday night I penned several of my March kids.

I got the pen that my dad made loaded in the back of my truck.  I have to say it’s kind of awesome that I did not have to borrow a truck to sell kids this time.

I still had to have one of my nephews come help me.  Why would I have to have help if I got the big pen loaded by myself?

Gouda and his maa, Hilda

Gouda.  Gouda is huge.  There is no way I was going to load that big Gouda boy by myself.

Gouda

Anyhow, with the kids sold, I will hopefully no longer have to get heads out of fences (Sacagewea and Darling).  I also sold Cutie’s girl, Bianca.

Cutie and Bianca

That means I got to milk her again. The third time must be the charm because she did actually let me milk her.  She rather sat on my lap which makes it a bit awkward, and she wouldn’t let it all down, but we’ll get there.

Cutie

Since I sold some of the kids from the north paddock, I figured I could add one up there.  I finally weaned Snow White.  She was not happy about it.

Snow White

We’ll see how milking Caroline goes.  The first attempt wasn’t very pretty, but we’ll see… This morning, she was much better!

Oh and we’re milking in a newly painted milk room.

Well, the floor looked good for a little bit.

Astra

Now that I’ve actually milked in there, it’s not quite so clean.  But it’s still a lot better than it was!

We’ve Got Milk

Once again, moving the moms into the north paddock means I don’t have room to wean anyone else.  That means, Snow White is still out nursing her mom.

Snow White

That means I can’t milk Caroline yet.

Caroline

I’m not too upset about that because I’m getting quite a bit of milk from Ava and Astra.  This is one day’s milking.  Astra is pretty consistent from morning to night milking.  I get a little bit more from her in the evening.  I can’t believe how much more Ava gives me at night.  It’s crazy!  In the morning I get right at a quart.  At night, she almost gives me a half gallon on her own.

I’m glad to be getting so much because Penny’s boy Frisco is getting a bottle.

Frisco getting a bottle; Penny eating and Pipsqueak nursing

She is actually being pretty nice about it.  In the past, she’s tried killing me for feeding her kids.  I still get a little nervous when she gets close to me.

Penny and Pipsqueak

I’m guessing LilyAnn is making a ton of milk too.  Her udder looks huge, and little Ringo has exploded in colostrum poop scours.

LilyAnn

She better appreciate me cleaning that up for her.

Ringo

I also think his tail is permanently stuck in that position from being folded like that before he was born.