NH Homesteader's journal

[NH Homesteader]

He went already, thank you stranger for saving me! Lol!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

He went already, thank you stranger for saving me! Lol!

LOL! Sometimes things happen for a reason!

 

[NH Homesteader]

It's spring, there's a partridge drumming away.... Since I woke up. Nonstop, lol. He's very proud of himself.

Babies go tomorrow, yay! They're all around 20 lbs. Good solid little things, I'm very happy with them!

 

[sumi]

Yay on the sale! How is the milking etc going?

 

[NH Homesteader]

Last week I tried everyone's milk together and it tasted goaty. today I pasteurized and tried Lilly and Patty's milk (ha yeah don't even have Lilly anymore). Same thing. Smells fine when it's raw in the fridge and after pasteurizing it smells goaty?? I don't get it.

So tonight I'm separating Mimosa and Bellini and their kids and I'll milk them. I'lI try it raw and then try it pasteurized. If it tastes funky both ways I'll take fecals to the vet, and maybe consider a blood draw for mineral levels. I feed the same stuff I fed Lilly when I milked her in the past so shouldn't be feed related. Weird. And frustrating, after trying to make milk happen for YEARS!

Might be over cooking when pasteurizing too, I was multitasking and not stirring as much as I should have been.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh also, FEM if I wanted to dry Patty off, can I do that by taking her baby away for more time each day and pulling her grain, or do I really have to milk her a bit to help her dry off?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

If I have a goat that's not a real high producer I'll just go cold turkey...they might get put in a pen with no grain for a couple days then pitched out to the pasture. I know, I know it's kinda mean but it's the fastest and least complicated way.

But, for a really good producer I'll ease them down like you're talking about. If she gets really uncomfortable I'll ease the pressure just a bit, but not every day...maybe every second or third day depending on her level of discomfort.

Stinks that your milk tastes funky! I'm definitely no help in the pasteurizing department so I've got no advice... Except - ,get it really really cold! I love me some ice cold milk!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I haven't milked her before (other than a tiny bit this year) but she does not have a giant udder. She had two huge kids. Now she has one huge kid, lol. But between her being psychotic on the stand, having tiny teats (milk machine does not like them any more than I do!) and me having the human cherubs to chase around... She might get the rest of the year off. She can play babysitter with my GG's lol

 

[frustratedearthmother]

he might get the rest of the year off.

Sounds like a plan to me!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'm having a hard time keeping weight on her too, her babies are huge life sucking things lol. She's been dewormed and I've bumped up her feed, going to get higher protein feed tomorrow. Blue Seal's dairy goat pellets are like 20%! I'm putting her on that in addition to the 16% sweet fed and alfalfa pellets.

Side note - gave my parents 18 eggs yesterday and still have 36 eggs in the fridge!! DH found a stash in Clifford's house lol! The turkeys are laying well now too. Yay eggs!