The Milk Room

In between the kidding, hide-and-goat-seek, fence repairs, and everything else, I’ve been working in the milk room.  If you’ve been very observant, you might have noticed the progress.

Clockwise from Dolly, Sidney, Andy and LilyAnn

Andy, Dolly and Cookie’s boys

Dolly and Andy

Well, I am pleased to announce that it is so close to being truly finished that I’m going to say it’s done!

milk room viewed through the screen door from the soap room

I added the trim, and other than possibly putting handles on the bottom cupboard doors and fixing the spots we messed up the wall, it’s done.

I already love the cupboards for my medical and hoof supplies.

The counter is perfect for setting my gallon tote on (instead of the floor) once I wean kids and start milking in earnest.

Cinnamon

The goats really haven’t noticed.  As long as they get their food, they’re happy!

Stormy

While I was doing cupboards and using up reclaimed counter tops, I put this in the garage!

I plan to put my photography stuff in here.  Did I mention I’m trying to turn it into a little photography studio?

If all goes well, by the end of the summer, my garage will be completely done!  I can only hope!

The MGiT Program

Something new that I’ve done this year is start the MGiT (Milking Goat in Training) Program.  You see, all of my milking goats are getting old.  Two of the girls I’m milking are nine and the other three are six.

Stormy

That’s why I got Sam–to introduce more dairy blood back into the herd (because I’m also milking goats that are half dairy/half meat).  I kept three of his girls last year.

Sam Goodberry

They are all pretty easy going and like food.  I think I’ll be able to get them trained.  Cutie was one of the first to join my MGiT Program.  She would come in and eat some sweet feed while I messed with her udder.  She did perfect with that part of the training.  The only area she needs to improve on is leaving when she’s done.  In short, we have our first successful graduate of the program.  Now she just needs to have a kid and make milk.

Cutie

I have Haley as one of my milking girls, and she has a gorgeous Sam daughter, Zinnia.  I thought it would be good if she could come in with her mom while I milked.  Unfortunately, she’s too shy (wild) to do that.  The one time she thought about coming in, my big old milk goats got in the way, and I had to slam the door or I’d have had five goats in a room built for one.

Zinnia

I have had some success in calming her down by just sneaking up when she’s cornered or reaching over her mom.  She’s decided it’s okay to get petted, but she’s still kind of shy.  Hopefully, she’ll be able to join the program later in the summer.

Haley with Zinnia and Zorro

Then there’s Dolly.  She had two beautiful girls, and I want to keep at least one; although their dad is Fionn, making them closer to three quarters meat goat.  Sidney is a sweetie.  I gave her bottles, and she did come in with her mom, but she didn’t really need training.

Sidney

LilyAnn is the wild woman.  I had tried the sneaking up and catching her like I did with Daisy last year, but it wasn’t working well.  I did manage to get her to come in to the milk room a couple of times.

LilyAnn

It seems to have helped. She will let me scratch between her horns.  Sadly, she isn’t interested in food when she’s in there, and I think she might be the first to have flunked out of the program.

The one who has most whole heartedly embraced the program is Andy.  Seriously.  He is in the door before his mom, and he doesn’t care if his mom is there or not.  He’ll try coming in with any of the other girls.

Andy and Dolly

He also has struggled with leaving when it’s time.  I have to really shove him out the door.

I just haven’t had the heart to tell the poor boy he’s never going to actually get to be a milking doe.  It’s a shame because he’s really done well with training.

I hope you’ll come back and join me for Friday’s Hunt.

Friday’s Hunt v3.21

Welcome back to Friday’s Hunt.  I want to thank everyone who joined in last week.  I had a lot of fun visiting everyone who linked up.  It’s very simple.  Anyone can participate.  The link opens at 7pm Central time and will close Sunday at 7pm, so you have plenty of time to enter.  Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to visit some of the other entries.

If you didn’t participate this week but would like to next week the topics will be:  Starts with V, Week’s Favorite, and inch.   I will always keep a list of the items for the coming week in my sidebar at the top.  I am crazy busy with teaching and working on the farm right now, but I will make sure to visit all participants.  Without further ado, here’s my interpretations for the week.

Starts with U:  I’ve only had one goat on the farm whose name has started with U–Ursula.  She was only here for a short time before she went to another farm as a bottle kid.

Ursula

Week’s Favorite: Finally getting weather to allow me to go out and walk in pasture is certainly my favorite of the week.

Robin

Kids:  What was I thinking?  I should have waited to do this prompt in a couple of weeks until I have new kids.  But, I will share Dolly and her kids.  When I let Dolly in to milk, we are joined by all three of her kids.  Sidney is a sweetie, and Andy just likes the food.  LilyAnn is learning to like me and enjoy having me scratch behind her horns.  She is supposed to be a keeper.

Clockwise from Dolly, Sidney, Andy and LilyAnn

We’ll see if I can truly tame her down.

Now it’s your turn!