Java. the end.

[Denim Deb]

You get the same w/horses! I had to tie up Misty once when I was trying to take a pic of her.

 

[sekinkead]

Thanks so much for the picture! I am going to price everything to see how much its going to be and we will then make a decision for sure.

I have seen some of those close up photos and they are so funny!

 

[Javamama]

We've got lopsided udders so we practiced milking on the poor girls last night. Poor things Hubby did better than I - but he drew up with dairy cows so other than the teat being very small he already knew how to do it. Being the boss goat is easy with these girls. I dipped my finger in the milk for a taste to see if it was clear of colostrum yet and - it tasted like...milk
...now where did I put all my supplies? I need to to out in a minute and practice.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

yay! it tasted just like milk! yay!!!!

you'll get the hang of it. once you finagle your way it will make sense and be really intuitive.

remember to squeeze (finger and thumb) and then play a piano scale (middle, ring, pinky)

yay you!!!

 

[Javamama]

That's what I was thinking the whole time - bump, squeeze, play the piano But I only have room for about 1.5 piano keys so it was a challenge I'm getting it though. Darn DH has a one-up on me with his cow experience.
So we spilled alot of milk today. But the good news is that we got alot of milk to spill. Rory is a kicker, so we are going to have to have a talk with her.
And that durn cat stole another egg this morning! There was one sitting on the hay when I went out to feed the goats. I somehow forgot to lock the ducks in last night. Anyway, when I brought Rory back from milking practice, that egg was gone! I thought I imagined it until hubby called and told me there was an egg in the hay pile.

 

[savingdogs]

Do you bump the udder each time? I've been doing that but not each squeeze. I should take some video Java so you can laugh at me getting milk everywhere but in the container when I milk Ginger.

We were so proud of Ginger last night. We were trying to get Molly on the stand and Ginger jumped right up all by herself and showed her how. After Ginger, Molly also got up and let us milk her easier than the last time. I think they are getting it. I keep telling them in a firm boss-goat voice, "This is your PURPOSE in life!".............

 

[Javamama]

Good for Ginger Yay! And Molly too! Woot!

I found that I had to bump her a few good times starting out to get the milk to let down - I figured if it works for the kids, it should work for me Rory was really full and tight too. I don't think she had nursed all night and then it got too hard for the kids to get a grip - she went right out and let them latch on after I emptied her a little.

 

[savingdogs]

I've had to bring the kids in when I milk, partly to encourage them on the stanchion. They climb up there better to see their kid who is squalling than to eat. I have a card table in front of the stanchion. I'll have to take a picture to show you all what we devised but I like it, esp when it was free.

I took away ALL sweet feed except on the stanchion per OFG and that works awesome. Same principle as me, only I work for chocolate. I'll do whatever it takes.

After my hands get too tired to milk and Trouble takes a turn (he loves to show me how he can do better and I just smile), then we have put the kid on the stanchion under her and let it finish draining the too-full side out. So far we are really just trying to keep them from being too full, they seem to both fill up on one side every now and then and won't let their kid nurse that side and it gets even fuller.

I hope this isn't an inappropriate thing to do. But we noticed when we let the kid finish nursing on one side, the other side will suddenly be really easy to milk and it seems to magicaly get more milk.

Isn't mother nature grand, the way the animals are perfectly designed to be mothers?

 

[glenolam]

Oh how I'm envious of you two. Fudgie's udder is big, but not big enough to warrant me trying to get milk - her girls are doing a great job at keeping her flowing.

 

[savingdogs]

Well if it makes you feel better glenolam, I'm not getting a ton each time. Last night it amounted to about a cup and a half in the container.

But she seemed so full beforehand and so much more comfortable afterwards, I felt it needed to be done. I'm slowly building my cheese-milk supply....very slowly. And my hands get sore milking, I have to build up milking muscles.

I'm also trying to use this opportunity to train my does so to me that is more important than getting milk. After all these are first fresheners. I forget if yours are?

Java, yours have had a couple kids before, right?