Vickir73 & The Chunky Dunk!! - pics of first show

[frustratedearthmother]

I should have read your posts earlier - can't believe I missed Conroe Trade days! I'm not that far from you by Texas standards. I'm south of Houston.

Are you getting set up to sell raw milk or pasturized? I'm curious on what it takes to get approved. I milked two goats last year and had people buy milk from me to raise puppies on, for their orphaned kid (goat kid) and for soap - but understand that it can't be sold for human consumption without licensing.

Congrats on your new goats - they're gorgeous!

 

[autumnprairie]

I am so excited to see your new improvement plans. I wish you lots of luck

 

[Vickir73]

Frustrated, the next trade days in Conroe is in October. It's the first Saturday of May and October. There were TONS of people coming thru and lots of different kinds of animals. We are definitely planning on attend in October. I'll have at least 2 bucklings (they'll be wethers then) for sale and I'm thinking about ordering some pullets to grow out and sell in time for the trade days. If they don't sell, they'll just be added to the flock - so win/win for me

Autumn, I'll take pics of the existing building this weekend and post them next week. I could really use some feedback on how to build out/improve what's there. I'll be selling raw milk and cheeses. Yes, legally you are supposed to be licensed; however, I've also been researching goat shares, but you have to be very careful about that too. You are selling a share of your herd, so I'm not sure I want to do that . . .

 

[autumnprairie]

I thought about becoming licensed too but I decided to wait until I buy some more land instead of just an acre. I really want to extend my herd and flock and maybe add a pig and a steer to help to become independent instead of buying my food from the grocery store.
I wished you lived closer then we could can together.

 

[Vickir73]

ok, goatie friends. In the quest to get licensed (hopefully by this time next year), I am beginning plans for my new milking building.

The idea at first was just to convert the building the I use now - but after speaking with the ex this weekend he said nope not gonna happen. Too much trouble. Why don't we just build you a new one from the ground up???? Well, let's see - how long did I have to think that over ????

Any one have any suggestions? 1 milk stand? 2? windows, cabinets, things they don't like about theirs? thinks they love about theirs? how high to build the milk stand? I like being able to sit down while I milk so I'm thinking about 3 feet off the ground at least. A window unit will be a must down here. I would also like a space for a refrigerator and if I can talk him into it, a sink area (which would probably require drainage of some sort - which I might have to sweet talk him for this Not sure I can get hot water, but would at least like an area where I can rinse things off. I know I'd like cabinets on the wall so I could move all my meds from the house to the milk room (since we'll have a window unit, I can make sure the temp stay correct for the meds) and a space for a (future) milking machine.

I also posted this in the "milking" forum for people who maybe don't read journals, so if you know of a better place to post, please let me know.

 

[Vickir73]

Autumn, would love it if you were closer - why you you just come on down ? We have 103 broilers we will be processing in about 6 weeks or so (depending on size). This is the first year we are doing this, so we'll see how it turns out. I need to research about how is the best way to separate it for strips & breasts without wasting too much. I've gotten a few people who have said they would be interested in buying some of the processed birds, so we'll have to see about a final price once they are ready to be dressed (but I'm thinking between $6-8 a bird). We skin them (plucking is just so gross & time consuming) and the process is A LOT quicker!!!

We have have 3 male piglets we will be processing this fall sometimes. The other piglet is a female, which my brother is keeping to breed (so hopefully we won't have to buy any more piglets). We are really trying to become more self-sufficient, it's just a work in progress (especially when the gardens don't do as well as you hoped they would). Eventually, I'd like to get a miniature Jersey cow (but for about the price of one of those, I can re-fence the pasture, which will probably happen first anyway) and that would be great because any calf she had could go in the freezer too. No more having to buy beef.

I don't have any friends out where I live. All my friends are here where I work (a/k/a The Big City). They are all very interested in what we are doing but none can (or really want) do it. It would be nice to have someone to share with - besides my freakin family. I swear when you pull onto our property it is starting to looking like a freakin trailer commune

 

[Vickir73]

oh and guess I could update y'all on how the weekend went. It was very nice. We got tons done. Show chicks rebanded and moved to the show coup. Pullets moved to the separated space in the main coop. New feeders built for the broiders. Pikachu was banded - see if he bites me again We pulled a bot fly worm out of Boots' neck Saturday. I'll post pics later - boss is in the morning so I need to get some actual work done. Pikachu is pouting and Boots is trying to recover. We put him in a crate in the chicken coop (which is where he eats and sleeps) and gave him some tuna and goats' milk. I am also giving him 1 cc of PenG for 3 days. I'm really hoping he will recover. He is a sweet, sweet kitty.

Also ruined an ENTIRE batch of cheese this weekend. Completely my fault, but I'm still I tried a new milking/straining method this morning so if this works, it will help A LOT.

Also decided to stop milking Emma - her udder is lopsided and I really want to dry her up. 'course with Angie still nursing (at almost 5 months old) I'm not sure how long that will take.

Counting down the days until Saturday when I go get the new goats. I'm super, super excited - first step towards that dairy is making sure I can keep enough milk supply.

 

[Vickir73]

Having an issue with my milk lately - it started Sunday- it tastes like goat butt gotta figure out what is wrong.

Just 3 more days until I get my new goaties

 

[autumnprairie]

Are they eating something new? Are you using soap and water? I am out of ideas. I am on my way back home for a month then back to California for my Dad's Memorial service

 

[Vickir73]

I'm sorry Autumn

My process of handling the milk hasn't changed.