2006-04-30 - 2:59 p.m.

First Milking

I have never heard of some ones first milking going perfect but I was determined to have it all organized I was going to be the exception. Little did I know Barrels my goat didn’t have the same idea.

The night before I was trying still to think of a way to separate the babys from her so I could get part of the milk that morning, I could leave them in with the rams but then they wouldn’t be able to eat because the rams would be bullys and eat it all.

The next option was to put them in the small coop with Lucy chicken a renegade I was holding for Mrs. Lucy (Senior friend) to come pick up. That night I locked her up in the milking stand and her babys as usually went up with her I grabbed one of them.

No problem I got him inside the coop with no struggle. The next one struggled so much his head jerked back and his little pointy horn hit me in the temple missing my eye by a half inch. I almost fell to the ground with him.

I have a nasty little bruise this morning. I applied ice the night before to get the swelling down. I am going to have to rethink that strategy. I might have to lead her in the coop and hope they will follow.

It was too late to order a collar for both of them and it’s too early to get rid of them. The Lucy chicken was in the way but this morning Mrs. Lucy came to take her home with her I am relived.

The night before I put all my nice new equipment into the dishwater to disinfect and get clean. I forgot to cut the mastitis strips cause the one I have was made for cow udders four squares, goats only need two.

My husband also turned off the alarm this morning so I didn’t get out at the time I had hoped I would. I tried to get my own alarm for my side of the bed but the one I had decided to break that night. Barrels was ready at the gate when I came out.

I fed the rams some alfalfa hay to get them away from the gate and she ran to the barn and jumped up on her milking stand. I locked her head in and started to brush her. I put on the goat hobble on her legs I had a difficult time trying to keep it on she kept throwing it off three times. I finally got it on I thought.

I then cleaned my hands with this spray mixer I made 1 quart water, 1 oz of bleach and one squirt of dawn. I sprayed my hand and wiped off with a paper towel I had all this equipment in a carry cart but have plans to keep it in the barn later in a sealed container.

I poured some of it in a strip cup and on to the mastitis strips and it was not turning greenish or clumpy. I was ready!

I put some of the cleaner into a Dixie cup and dipped both of her teats into it and wiped off any excess with a paper towel. I proceeded to milk her.

It went well for a few min I got into a rhythm I was directing it into the pail one teat after the other and I thought, “Hey this is easy and great I think I will get about a quart from her really fast and leave another quart for her babys this morning.

The night before I had measured a quart of water into the pail to get an estimate to see how much I should get. I knew that if she gave me a gallon a day she would have at least 2 quarts in her that morning.

Suddenly in the middle of my thoughts she stopped eating to glance at me as if to say “Who are you and what are you doing? She started moving about on the milking stand and kicking to get off the hobble.

She was so short it was hard for it to stay on. I moved the pan from her spilling it. And proceeded to put the hobble back on and I couldn’t figure it out.

I thought maybe I don’t need it maybe it bothers her so I tried to do without it and she kept moving away from me till she fell off the other side. Oh my gosh! I thought she is trying to committee suicide rather then having me milking her! I put the pan on the ground and grabbed her before she twisted her neck.

I tried again she put her foot in the pail and tried to kill her self again falling off I grabbed her yet again. “Your getting the hobble! I told her. She completely stopped eating and started to kick till I finally got the hobble on her correctly I thought.

Even with the hobble she managed to jump till she fell off again. I grabbed her once again and put her back in the stand before she twisted her darn neck. I thought I need it against the wall next time this is NOT working. She kept moving away from which was hard to milk her, the milk would squirt on my leg and on the milk stand.

I sort of laughed on this one because I remember reading about how the first time you will get milk on everything but the pail! I thought how on earth can you do that if you direct it towards the pail, but if the goat is moving about that can happen I know that now.

She looked at me angrily I looked back and she grabbed her food bucket with her mouth and through it over food and all. NO! I told her picked it back up gave it to her, washed my hand yet again and tried to milk. Once again she knocked it over I said, Fine! Don’t eat but I am going to finish milking you till I say when not when you say when

So with one hand on top of her back holding her still from trying to fall off the other side I milked one teat with the other. Then I changed sides and did the same. At the time she started bellowing for her babys and they were crying back over and over it echoed in my ear.

Finally when I thought I had enough milk I stopped and looked at her. NOW I AM DONE she looked back at me and pooped on her stand. I guess I should be lucky she didn’t urinate in the pail.

I let her go thinking she would run to her babys but she proceeded to follow our routine and she went to the hay stack and started to eat her alfalfa there.

I let the babys go while at the same time trying not to let Lucy the chicken out and they ran to her and started to drink from her. She looked at me, I said, “See I told you I would save enough milk for them but nooooo you didn’t believe me. She just started coo to her babys..sigh...

I left her there for awhile because I had to go untangle one of the sheep from the electric chicken wire AGAIN. When I came back she was wagging her tail and looking at me like nothing had happened to let me know she was ready for our next routine to go graze out in the field where I stake her out for a bit. I let her graze till she sits down to chew her cud and I will take her back to the pecan orchard this usually is 15-25min

I told Tom I needed that bucket semi permanent there on the stand so she wouldn’t knock it down and I needed something on the feet from it flipping over.

It did once when I was clipping her she panicked and fell over with the whole thing! When it did that I took out her head and I grabbed her to hug her and she stayed in my arms breathing heavily too. That both scared us!

I also need some sort of rails on both sides to keep her from falling off again and trying to commit suicide. Right now this minute hubby is doing all three projects. I went out to go look it now won’t flip over any more, she won’t throw over her feeder anymore and we will see how the rails do.

I was going to just put it against the wall again but sometimes I will need to get on the other side of her so it won’t work against the wall.

I have to say this has been an interesting first time milking experience. As I sit here now my back aches cause of trying to capture her and put her back on the stand, she must weight almost a good sum of weight.

My eye/temple is throbbing. the seat was too big I need it shorter, my father cut it for me today after I told him this (Good Dad). If she would have just stayed still a couple of more min I could have finished her fast.

As much as we have bonded the last few weeks we are still determining who is boss. I guess it’s a bit my fault, when she goes out to graze I let her find her spot before I stake her down someplace.

This battle I have won with aches & pains but who knows how tomorrow will go. I plan to have reinforcement with the little projects hubby and dad did for me, hopefully it will go better for both of us. I wished someone would have said something in the designs we got online.

But they are probably active goat milkers and have perfect little angels. The last owner said she didn’t have trouble with her. I think after awhile we will get used to each other more.

In a month I will be milking her twice because the boys will be two months and ready to be sold. One thing I notice is she is like a toddler they love routine.

I had put the milk with lid in the house as soon I got in and put it to strain, it’s still straining and its already 2pm. With her hoof in the milk and hair flying everywhere this is one dirty milk!

It’s in the fridge cooling and draining I plan to freeze it till I get enough for cheese. I need to get a bigger strainer.

For those of you that can afford it I would recommend getting the bigger strainer even for one goat. It just takes too long with that little strainer.

I will take a picture later of my new improved milk stand.

Sam

Another day in paradice - Second and Third Milking