Since, we still live within city limits, I agree to do chores for a friend of mine when she is called away or on vacation. I don't get to milk her goats often but I just LOVE doing it. I consider this a learning experience for when I have my own.
I get to milk them tomorrow morning but here are a couple of shots, just for fun, of me milking one them back in Nov. of last year!

DH says this gives me a "Farm fix" while we look for our place.
It is all so very new (animal husbandry) as, until recently, we were nearly vegan!! No eggs, no animal milk..... life is such a great journey.

I had to attach these as thumbnails cause they were HUGE when posted from photobucket. I tried to resize but couldn't get it to work!! Let me know if you can't see these...

thanks for letting me share and pretend I am a homesteader already!

That is so cool. And you must be SUCH an asset for your friend.

Just this morning, Brian looked at me, then looked at the chickens and said "no cabin this summer huh?" *sniff*

I said "go ahead, take the kids, you'll all have a blast."

Wow, what a sacrifice you are making too. I love helping my friend because I learn AND I keep the milk!!

Find somebody to feed them chickens and go to the cabin!!

I enjoy the freedoms I have right now because I know that when we are employed on our own farm..... it will not be the same. A sacrifice I know we all understand and don't mind making!

When we picked up our little goats it was milking time. I was amazed how all the does knew their names and ran right to the stand and stood there munching while they were milked. We don't drink milk and I doubt we'll be getting milk animals but I am still in love with the goats!

Our friends for church get a pretty penny for their excess goats milk. They sell to a semi-local deer farm as well as an animal rebailitation place.

Heather, We didn't drink any animal milk for YEARS!! In fact, up until this past year, my children had never had any animal milk except for some cheeses and special occasions (ice cream)....
funny how people come into your life and tiny seeds are planted. I read about goat milk and realized how nutritious the raw goodness is and decided to use it instead of the heavily processed nut/seed/rice milks (with added sugar) we were using.
We are even eating eggs (umm, slowly cause it has been 15 years for me!!!)

Michelle, People around here sell their's for a pretty penny too (as animal feed only, of course ;)).....

I got 2 quarts this morning because they are drying some up and others just kidded and the babies still get the milk!
Tomorrow I go again!

If you put a layer of cheesecloth over the top of the bucket while you milk (secured with a large rubber band), it'll catch any stray hairs that might end up in the milk. Our two milkers didn't have much of a problem with shedding, but it was still nice not to have to worry about stray floaties in the milk.

And I agree...milking is such a tactile experience...Very fulfilling!

Thanks Renee!!
My mentor (LOL) doesn't worry about using cheesecloth but I had read about it.... I rarely get any strays and we do filter right away. Buuuuut, if there is a stray floatie, does that raise the risk of something being on the hair that will contaminate? I don't pasteurize and have been drinking it for over a year and haven't gotten sick. There is always that first time.... I found some cheesecloth while cleaning out my laundry room today and now I think I will find a big rubberband!!!

thanks for the reminder to be careful!

that looks like so much fun! I dream about getting dairy goats some day but our 2 pygmies are more than enough goat for us at this point!

that looks like so much fun! I dream about getting dairy goats some day but our 2 pygmies are more than enough goat for us at this point!

Yeah, i am dreaming too. The friend that owns these goats has a new kid (a female) that is bottle fed so that she will be very tame. She comes a running when people come near her. She is so friendly and a good girl!!! The others that were dam raised are a bit freaky... some just plain weirdos. I can't wait to have some milkers that are my buddies!

I rarely get any strays and we do filter right away. Buuuuut, if there is a stray floatie, does that raise the risk of something being on the hair that will contaminate?
Not really. I never worried about it...our process was to wash/rinse/dry the bag before milking (gently!!! A full bag on our gals meant that they were rather sensitive). Any stray hairs were considered clean, but still not something I wanted to find in my morning coffee, y'know? :lol:

Not really. I never worried about it...our process was to wash/rinse/dry the bag before milking (gently!!! A full bag on our gals meant that they were rather sensitive). Any stray hairs were considered clean, but still not something I wanted to find in my morning coffee, y'know? :lol:

ok, then I feel better. My friend uses a solution to wash the udders and bag and check around for feces on legs, etc first.... Yeah, very gently. I don't like my "bags" being messed with when I am full either :lol: . All strays are filtered out and I am checking my coffee now, ewwww. the thought is yucky!!:)

Oh, how fun! I can't wait til my does are old enough to be bred and then milked. Only a little more than a year before we can breed them!

Oh, how fun! I can't wait til my does are old enough to be bred and then milked. Only a little more than a year before we can breed them!

I saw this then got side-tracked... how many does do you have and what breeds? I am always interested in what breeds folks have and which ones are their faves!

mmmmmmmmm

goat cheese

mmmmmmmmm

goat cheese

oh yeah, chevre and mozzarella!!!! One day I hope to have enough milk to make the hard cheeses. No milk and no patience when I do have extra ;). I want it all and I want it now!!!

I saw this then got side-tracked... how many does do you have and what breeds? I am always interested in what breeds folks have and which ones are their faves!

Well, to put it bluntly, lol, we have "mutts" ;) Ruthie is a Saanen/Arapawa cross, and Gladys is an Arapawa/Alpine/Nubian mix. So, we have two does, and both are almost 6 months old. Here is a pic of them when I first brought them home. Gladys is black, Ruthie is white :)
http://media4.dropshots.com/photos/10053/20080317/082237.jpg

I'll try to get a recent pic tomorrow :)

AWWWW, they are PRECIOUS!! I have never heard of an Arapawa. will have to google. Is it bred mainly for meat production?

Looks like you have a nice stall for them!! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to see more!

AWWWW, they are PRECIOUS!! I have never heard of an Arapawa. will have to google. Is it bred mainly for meat production?

Looks like you have a nice stall for them!! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to see more!

Arapawas are a very endangered breed, so right now they're being bred for the sole purpose of bringing the breed back, kwim? The goat farm I got them from sells soap, and they have their Arapawas for milk if that answers your question at all :)
I'm going outside right now to snap another pic of my girlies to share :)

Arapawas are a very endangered breed, so right now they're being bred for the sole purpose of bringing the breed back, kwim? The goat farm I got them from sells soap, and they have their Arapawas for milk if that answers your question at all :)
I'm going outside right now to snap another pic of my girlies to share :)

Oh cool, off to google nad learn more. Kind of like the Irish cattle that once was endangered nad folks are trying to bring them back.

You *can* technically milk any goat that has kidded but the teats and milk production are different from a meat breed.

I saw your pics. I LOVE the barn your dh built!!!

Oh cool, off to google nad learn more. Kind of like the Irish cattle that once was endangered nad folks are trying to bring them back.

You *can* technically milk any goat that has kidded but the teats and milk production are different from a meat breed.

I saw your pics. I LOVE the barn your dh built!!!

Here is a bit about Arapawa goats from the farm I got my does from:

Why Goat Milk? (http://jennessfarm.com/ArapawaGoats.cfm?custID=121684)

Did anyone else read the latest Mother Earth News? They had a couple of articles this time around about cheese making. I've never made cheese before, the articles didn't make it look difficult though...is it really easy?

Here is a bit about Arapawa goats from the farm I got my does from:

Why Goat Milk? (http://jennessfarm.com/ArapawaGoats.cfm?custID=121684)

I SAW THIS!!! I wondered if this is where you got them because of all the bath products made from the milk. They are an old breed indeed!! I wants me one!~!~

Did anyone else read the latest Mother Earth News? They had a couple of articles this time around about cheese making. I've never made cheese before, the articles didn't make it look difficult though...is it really easy?

Yes, that was Barbara Kingsolver's article including Ricki Carroll's cheesemaking!! It IS as easy as she makes it sound! Chevre has to be THE EASIEST cheese ever. Warm milk, add cultures, sit and wait for curds, strain and hang to drain.. salt or not and enjoy! You cannot mess this cheese up. Even if the consistency is not what you were looking for ( a bit too runny? add it to lasagna, etc)!!!
GO FOR IT! You will be so glad you did!!