Southern by choice
Herd Master
Guess you'll have to start going to bed earlier Joe! "Real" farmers go to bed with the sun and get up with it
I know of no one that goes to bed when the sun goes down. It is round the clock. lol
Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.
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I know of no one that goes to bed when the sun goes down. It is round the clock. lol- Thread starter
- #2,532
So this morning milking was the easiest yet. As is the norm, she was full and tight. Only one side seemed to have an over-pressure and leak when touched. This morning I milked her more than I have yet. When I was done, the teats would fill but were loose and pliable, no pressure at all, and her bag wasn't tight anymore. Took just less than a quart and I'm sure I only took 1/2 of what was there.
I seems she has one teat that forms a "hard" plug at the tip. When I first start milking it she is uncomfortable about it and the stream is very thin. After I strip a few ounces though, it loosens and disappears and the stream becomes fine and she doesn't seem to be bothered anymore. Crunchy took about 1/2 of a full 20 oz coke bottle for breakfast, and I was able to re-fill the bottle almost full with the remaining milk. So her lunch time feeding is ready, just needs warming up.
I went out last night ~9:30 just to offer her a "top off" and it was funny, she was bouncing around and trying to run and jump. So cute!
I seems she has one teat that forms a "hard" plug at the tip. When I first start milking it she is uncomfortable about it and the stream is very thin. After I strip a few ounces though, it loosens and disappears and the stream becomes fine and she doesn't seem to be bothered anymore. Crunchy took about 1/2 of a full 20 oz coke bottle for breakfast, and I was able to re-fill the bottle almost full with the remaining milk. So her lunch time feeding is ready, just needs warming up.
I went out last night ~9:30 just to offer her a "top off" and it was funny, she was bouncing around and trying to run and jump. So cute!
animalmom
Herd Master
Me thinks @Latestarter is a smitten man. CC has worked her charm on him. He is under her spell! Brava CC!!!
dejavoodoo114
True BYH Addict
Since CC doesn't seem to be milking off mom, I would do your best to get all the milk you can from her. As CC grows she will want more and more. You don't want to reduce the milk you will be getting and risk the chance of having to buy milk replacer. Trust me, not fun!
Southern by choice
Herd Master
You can increase volume but if he reduces her a bit now then for her health overall it is better. We had to do this on a doe.
When the doe is producing so much but her udder does not have the capacity then that milk leaks because it simply cannot contain it. That opens the goat up to very high risk mastitis. E-coli etc
If he can milk her halfway out for a few days so she slows the production down a bit then he can start milking her "normal" like 2x a day without her leaking.
dejavoodoo114
True BYH Addict
Ah, yes. I had forgotten that part. And she is a FF as well right? Definitely don't want mastitis...
Baymule
Herd Master
Ain't all this fun? Yellow poop on a new lamb makes me happy too, so don't feel like the only weirdo out there checking on baby butts. Yeah, hate to tell ya' but get up and get moving in the AM, you have goats waiting on you!! 
Yeah, hate to tell ya' but get up and get moving in the AM, you have goats waiting on you!! - Thread starter
- #2,538
I think my back and the rest of me is starting to develop muscle memory for crouching to milk. It's kinda weird and unexpected but it seems to be helping the arthritis in my right hand as well. Also starting to develop ambidextrous milking capability. Rarely squirt it all over me or miss the bucket anymore. Still have to be a little cautious and I get really careful if I set the bucket down... Afraid she'll kick it or lift and put her hoof down in it. I still don't have that perfect stripping motion yet and it seems I can only really use my thumb and 1 finger, sometime 2. I only milked her twice today and her evening milking she wasn't completely tight like she has been so I think the three days of partial milking 3-4 times a day helped back her production up a bit. I think I'll continue with the twice a day routine right through now, but increase my "take" each day till I'm milking her out, I expect by the end of this week. Right now I'm getting more than the baby is eating with just partial milk outs... I'm figuring it's still colostrum as it's still yellowish tinged so I'm not ready to drink it yet... Maybe by this next weekend? 
OK so CB and CM got their first CD&T shot at dinner time (right at 5 weeks). They were NOT pleased with me. Serves them right for coming up and nibbling my pants leg while I'm trying to feed CC. Chocolate Moose (CM) is turning into a moose! He has to weigh 1/2 again what CB (Cream Brulee) weighs. He's a good inch+ taller and longer than she is as well.
So Mel got his first introduction to the goat pen.
He did really really well. I took in cereal & animal crackers to attract the goats and Mel was right with me as I sat in a camp chair and fed all of them, standing side by side in front of me. Mel likes animal crackers too No butting from the adult goats. No real nervousness, just the expected caution. Mel really liked the new baby CC, and went right to licking her to clean her. He also found lots of little edibles laying around that he just had to sample. 
He didn't get overpowering or running around. So I expect he'll become a daily visitor, probably around feeding times then for longer periods.
Man is it getting warm here at mid day. Not much breeze today and I went in the shelter at 1 o'clock or so and it was like an oven in there! There is shade in the pen early and late in the day, but not much at midday. Gotta get the fencing finished so I can let them loose so they can find lots of cooler shady places during the heat of the day.
I think I'll continue with the twice a day routine right through now, but increase my "take" each day till I'm milking her out, I expect by the end of this week. Right now I'm getting more than the baby is eating with just partial milk outs... I'm figuring it's still colostrum as it's still yellowish tinged so I'm not ready to drink it yet... Maybe by this next weekend? OK so CB and CM got their first CD&T shot at dinner time (right at 5 weeks). They were NOT pleased with me. Serves them right for coming up and nibbling my pants leg while I'm trying to feed CC. Chocolate Moose (CM) is turning into a moose! He has to weigh 1/2 again what CB (Cream Brulee) weighs. He's a good inch+ taller and longer than she is as well.
So Mel got his first introduction to the goat pen.
He did really really well. I took in cereal & animal crackers to attract the goats and Mel was right with me as I sat in a camp chair and fed all of them, standing side by side in front of me. Mel likes animal crackers too No butting from the adult goats. No real nervousness, just the expected caution. Mel really liked the new baby CC, and went right to licking her to clean her. He also found lots of little edibles laying around that he just had to sample. He didn't get overpowering or running around. So I expect he'll become a daily visitor, probably around feeding times then for longer periods. Man is it getting warm here at mid day. Not much breeze today and I went in the shelter at 1 o'clock or so and it was like an oven in there! There is shade in the pen early and late in the day, but not much at midday. Gotta get the fencing finished so I can let them loose so they can find lots of cooler shady places during the heat of the day.
Mike CHS
Herd Master
It sounds like you are finding out what we did after being here for awhile. Things that used to be hard are now more routine and extra effort doesn't always hurt tomorrow.
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
So glad things seem to be settling down into a routine and Mel presented himself in a mannerly fashion. It won't be long until the time tending to the goats will be your "Catch my Breath" and get a drink break, too...then back to work before it really does get Hot and Humid. That's one reason I am pushing so hard myself....along with company coming. I can't take it for too long anymore, so with the mid 80s here now, those 90s are just around the corner.
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