My own goat thread-almost a goat drawing

[ohiofarmgirl]

cutest pic ever!

and yep... they are all a bunch of mockers until the free milk starts rollin' in!

even milking 2.5 (the half is Nibbles) we still dont have "too much"...



and yep i use the baling twine for everything... especially gates and such when we need something quick, and for building trellises when i stake up my tomatoes

 

[freemotion]

Thanks. I was visiting Stella online again. I haven't given up. I do think I want more than one doe. I was talking to friends at church and the more I talked the more people wanted to know if there would be extra milk. I think they expect me to give them our surplus so they can try making cheese and soap. Anyway, I'm not worried about having too much!

Although Stella is stunningly beautiful, don't overlook the other two if one is better behaved for milking....but oh, Stella! How I wish...hmmm, maybe I could skip getting pigs and sell the turkeys....

I sell a little milk "for pet use only or soapmaking...not for human consumption." People do well to know that you are not getting the milk for free....although some few special ones get some free.

I had to remind myself early on of something I read once. Subsistance farmers sell their best and use the leftovers for themselves. Successful farmers use the best for themselves and sell the leftovers.

Family first. No such thing as surplus, you will see! Especially if no one really ends up having to go dairy-free. DH and I alone used almost all of Mya's milk, 3-4 quarts a day. We need Ginger to help provide good milk for my parents, too. I could use even more cheese.... I have been carefully doling out what is left for the past two months, can't wait for more!

 

[Henrietta23]

Thanks. I was visiting Stella online again. I haven't given up. I do think I want more than one doe. I was talking to friends at church and the more I talked the more people wanted to know if there would be extra milk. I think they expect me to give them our surplus so they can try making cheese and soap. Anyway, I'm not worried about having too much!

Although Stella is stunningly beautiful, don't overlook the other two if one is better behaved for milking....but oh, Stella! How I wish...hmmm, maybe I could skip getting pigs and sell the turkeys....

I sell a little milk "for pet use only or soapmaking...not for human consumption." People do well to know that you are not getting the milk for free....although some few special ones get some free.

I had to remind myself early on of something I read once. Subsistance farmers sell their best and use the leftovers for themselves. Successful farmers use the best for themselves and sell the leftovers.

Family first. No such thing as surplus, you will see! Especially if no one really ends up having to go dairy-free. DH and I alone used almost all of Mya's milk, 3-4 quarts a day. We need Ginger to help provide good milk for my parents, too. I could use even more cheese.... I have been carefully doling out what is left for the past two months, can't wait for more!

I had to retrain the folks at church that we don't get our eggs for free just because the chickens live in our backyard. When I explained the cost of feed, bedding, and our time to keep them healthy etc. they still seemed to think I would trade a dozen eggs for an empty used egg carton. It was literally when DS started donating a dollar from every dozen sold to Haiti (a year before the earthquake mindyou!) that they started to see the light. And then they still see it that they are making the donation. Wait, what? They are getting a dozen eggs for their $3. I'm giving $1 to Haiti and covering some of my costs with the other $2! Who's making a donation? I appreciate that they support DS in this way but they don't all think it through very well.

Maybe you could meet us at Paul's when we go on our goat visit? I think Stella is gorgeous too, but I'm not opposed to considering the others as well. He even hinted we might like more than one, but that would only be if for some reason the vet's kids fell through. More than three would be toooooo many! At least where we live now. The others may not have her stunning markings but personality usually wins me over first. I know DH would appreciate the lower cost of the other two as well.

The person who really gets to me is the "friend" who convinced me to get chickens in the first place. She is completely against having hens that don't lay well. Nothing wrong with that, but she has no problem asking me if I'd be willing to let her have some of my good layers when she is looking for new birds. For free! After I've raised them to laying age and fed them and...... grrrrr. And THEN, if she has hens that are no longer laying well, she expects me to gratefully take them off her hands and give them a good home. Hello???? Do I have sucker stamped on my forehead??????
Sheesh! She will be the first to ask if she can have some cheese to try. I'd bet my payckeck on it!

 

[freemotion]

The ones that I give milk and eggs to for free are never the ones who ask. Do these people know that truly free-range eggs will be $6-7 per dozen in a store, IF you can find them? Nope. They are blissfully ignorant. I tell some of them to research backyard chicken tractors, and that they can get 2-3 hens to meet their families needs. They always stare at me blankly (trying to think of a reply, no doubt, and coming up empty!) and walk away or change the subject. Oh, well. I have to remember that I was ignorant about such things once, too. Well, never that ignorant! Or was I?

I would love to meet you at Paul's! Depends on the day....weekends are now out unless it is a holiday and school is closed.

An advantage of Stella is that her kids will have more value if they are spotty....

 

[Henrietta23]

Very true! About Stella's kids that is. I will contact him by email later and see what's what and let you know. He's not so far away that we couldn't go up on a weekday evening.