Devonviolet's - Kidding 2017

[Devonviolet]

Yes they are! I'm actually hoping for more from them both, once their kids are weaned. . . especially if I milk twice a day.

 

[dejavoodoo114]

Just as an FYI, because I didn't know this until my repro class... The act of milking (suckling) releases oxytocin. The "Let Down" occurs between 30 seconds to a minute after stimulation. (Stimulation could also be washing the udder etc...) The oxytocin is only effective for 6-8 minutes in ruminants. Therefor, if you have not drained all the milk that was available in that time period you will not be likely to get all that is actually there. And, you need to be ready to milk as soon as they are stimulated because that is when the timer starts.

You should have seen my 9 and 16 year old DS's faces when I started explaining, loudly and in detail, why they can't take 20 minutes to milk a goat!

By the way, I really want to make a milker like you have! We would all be ready to stop milking by hand!!

ETA: The oxytocin is what allows the milk to travel to the teat and be milked.

 

[Devonviolet]

I really want to make a milker like you have! We would all be ready to stop milking by hand!!

I love my milker, although, I thought it would empty the girls a bit faster.

@goatgurl's Dear Sister showed us how she made hers, when we were there to pick up Falina & Ruby.

We bought the parts, at a couple local hardware stores. There was a bit of a learning curve, to get it working (like making sure all tubing was on tight) & the plastic jar lid (with it's silicone gasket) was screwed on tightly. Then, I had to make sure the 60cc cath tip syringe was on the teat securely & that I kept pressure on the syringe until the suction created a nice tight seal on the teat in the syringe. I occasionally, break suction to massage the udder. I also do a type of "bump" action (with the syringe attached), like the kid would do, to keep the milk flowing, as I'm pumping.

I've read you don't want to leave suction on continuously, as that can damage the teat over time. So, I have learned to pump until I get a good flow & then let off the button until the stream slows, then push the button again to pump.

I occasionally need to remove the syringe & give the udder a good massage, when I notice the milk stream is slowing down, or stopping all together.

Towards the end, I go to hand milking, after a good massage, and am able to get a good 2 more cups, of milk. So, there is still some hand milking to do.

 

[goatgurl]

I don't understand why your pump only lasts thru one doe and a part of another. my pump lasts thru at least 3 going on 4 does. maybe try another one of the pumps and see if they quit that fast. I also use different size syringes for different sized teats. dstr#1 has a way of making a regular syringe into a cath tip and we've gone as small as 12 and 20 cc syringes. i'm so happy you're getting more milk. and yes I also hand milk at the end to strip them out.

 

[Devonviolet]

According to the weather report (out of Dallas), we weren't supposed to get rain until about 3:00 this afternoon. So, we were planning to get the lawn tractor out, and mow the back of the pasture.

Then, on the morning weather they said it would start at 11:00. When I was milking Falina, at around 8:30, it started to sprinkle & then bigger drops. So, DH & I decided we would put the milk stand in the hoop hut, since the goats are all over in the bigger chicken runs.

By the time I was ready to milk Ruby, it was raining pretty steady, and the milk stand was safely under cover, in the hoop hut. It did a great job of keeping the rain off - AND the free ranging chickens out from under foot (the love scratching through the hay), since I can close the door, to keep them out while I am doing the milking. I was so busy, I forgot to get photos. But, will try to get some tomorrow morning.

I was going to drink the milk "raw", but after speaking with a dairy goat person, avout some of the unhealthy bacteria, that can find their way into the milk, and if a small child drank it, it could make them very sick, I decided to low temp (165°) pasteurize).

So, as of yesterday, I had three gallons of milk, that needed to be pasteurized. I've been advised to only do one gallon of milk at a time, which allows for faster heating & cooling down to 40°F.

So, I spent some time online, researching pasteurizing of goat's milk. Pulled a few supplies out & then did more reading. Then looked for more supplies . . . do you know where this is going ? ? ? When I have a task, to do, that I have never done before, I tend to drag my feet, when it comes to getting started.

Well, I didn't actually get started until 5:00PM. And sure enough, in spite my research, I had to change directions a couple times & do things differently, than originally planned AND it took longer, than I thought, so I was worn out by the time I was finished.

BUT, once I went through the process the first time, I knew I could do it faster & better the next time.

So, this morning, immediately after cleaning up, after putting today's milk away, I got an older gallon, of milk out & pasteurized it right away. I am happy to say, it went quite smoothly, and I wasn't exhausted when I was finished.

Here is this morning's batch cooling down, in an ice bath, in the kitchen sink.

If I have the energy, I plan to do another gallon this afternoon. I figure if I do two gallons, for a couple days, I will get caught up, and will only need to pasteurize the current day's milk, to stay on top of things.

This afternoon, I'm planning to order some culture packets, to make Chevre & Sour Cream. With all this milk coming in, I'm going to bite the bullet & order a cream separator, so I can make the Sour Cream, as well as butter & homemade ice cream.

 

[Devonviolet]

I don't understand why your pump only lasts thru one doe and a part of another. my pump lasts thru at least 3 going on 4 does.

Well, the instructions (for the vacuum pump) say to drain the charge completely, with each use, before recharging. In the beginning, I was only getting 2 cups, of milk, from Falina. So, I wasn't using a full charge. DH tells me this is a NiCad battery (I think), which has a type of "charge memory". So, each time you use less than a full charge, it "remembers" that and only charges it that amount the next time. Eventually, the battery wears out faster, because of that. So, it needs to be replaced sooner.

The 20cc syringe, that your DStr#1 made for me, worked great, on Falina, when her FF teat was too small for the 60cc syringe, in the beginning. Now her teats are bigger, and fit the 60cc syringe nicely.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm going to bite the bullet & order a cream separator

Please let us know what you get and how it works! I've been contemplating it - but haven't made myself go for it.

 

[dejavoodoo114]

What kind of bacteria? I have never pasteurized our milk and we all drink it. No problems in all this time... What kinds of issues were they talking about for the kids?

 

[Devonviolet]

Following is a link to an article on the Goat World website:

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/goatmilk/rawmilk.shtml

It lists: E. coli, Brucella, Campylobactor, Toxoplasmosis and Salmonella, as bad bacteria in raw goat's milk, that can lead to major health issues.

Toward the end of the article, it says to low temp heat the milk to 145° F, and maintain,that temp for 30 minutes. I have been doing that for a week now. Granted, it does add to processing time. But, I feel more confident in the safety of the milk we are drinking and the safety, of the cheese that I am going to be making with that milk. Another plus to low temp pasteurizing is that the milk lasts longer in the fridge.

 

[Southern by choice]

We still do the 162 for 15 seconds when we stovetop pasteurize
The saf gard does it all auto matic... I still like stovetop better.