Does anyone milk ONCE a day?

chamoisee · #21 06/12/12, 12:33 AM

My method was similar to Alice's except that I had a short lead near the dam's milking stand that the kid got clipped to, and the kid didn't get grain until she was clipped up. The feed bowl was near the other end of the lead so that if the doeling pulled back against her collar like they always do at first, no grain! They quickly learned not to rebel against being tied or against pressure from a collar. After I was done milking and waiting for the dams to finish their grain, I would handle the kids, feed them a little grain in my hand, etc. Tying them that way did most of the hard work involved in teaching a kid to lead, for me, since I then only had to switch from the stand and bowl to me holding the lead and having the grain my my hand as I walked....

**mygoat** · #22 06/12/12, 08:05 AM

You can easily tame dam raised kids if you have time. I have over 20 goats, and between my father and I doing chores, school, work, and some semblance of a social life we don't have time to tame dam raised kids. I bottle raise anything I want to keep, here. Currently that is a (loud) boer doeling and an alpine doeling.

I've tamed older goats that I purchased, too. It all takes time. And shoulder scritches.

However, I have dam raised kids from a calm sweet doe and they are wild as heck. I have older goats who think I'm ALWAYS out to 'get' them, and are dangerous to trap in a corner - they'll jump into you to get you out of the way!

motdaugrnds · #23 06/12/12, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GBov

Oh no you dont! You cant say something like that and not explain!

GBov, All I do is bring the milk in as usual, straining it into a large pot. Then I place the pot over low-med heat and slow cook it until it is reduced by at least half (stirring almost constantly). It really doesn't take long and the result is a very nice cream-colored milk rather thick that I let cool and then pour into quart-size freezer bags. (Sometimes I cook it a little faster, stirring it all the time so as to get a more "lumpy" texture, which makes great gravy and/or soup mix.) The trick is to make sure it does not burn.

Creamers · #24 06/12/12, 12:28 PM

Most of my dam raised kids, which I do not prefer to do at all, are not tame - even from bottle raised, very loving and tame dams.

Quote:

nd I want our doe to finally, after 6 years of life, raise her own babies.

I find my does, as long as I pull quickly after birth, have zero stress from pulling the kids and do much better without the kids on them - the udder stays nicer, teats to not torn and sore, don't have to pull buck kids early for fear they will breed the dam, can sell kids much sooner since I don't like to wean before 16 weeks, huge kids don't mob the doe all through summer, does keep better condition. . .lol!

But all that said, sometimes we just can't milk all of the girls twice a day and have left kids on for convenience for us - you can do it, and starting about week 3-4 milk for yourself once a day

chewie · #25 06/12/12, 05:31 PM

do it like most already said, have every year. babies go into the 'baby corral' at 2-3 weeks, overnight, I get the morning milk. babies get moms all day long. I do check and often get some at night anyhow, but its not much. its the time of year that its easy to go away for a couple days if you want.

a bonus is babies are suppostedly developing their rumen faster this way as well, since they get the meat grower pellets and hay in their pen. my babies are all big and robust.

and all sold yesterday so now I'm back to twice a day milking.

CarolT · #26 06/13/12, 12:47 AM

One of my kids is skittish. She'll come check us out, but if we seem to reach for her, she's gone. The other 3 are in your business all the time. The 2 oldest are 11 weeks, then one 9 weeks and one 8 weeks. The middle one is the skittish one. All are dam raised. The skittish one has a skittish mom, the friendliest ones have a mom that is herd queen and she can take or leave being petted. So yes, you can have friendly dam raised kids

mrs.H · #27 06/13/12, 05:23 AM

The pro for leaving kid on and milking once a day: I'm going to FL Fourth of July week for 3 days to celebrate my first Grandbaby's first birthday. The goat kids will take care of the milking for me. I could not have done this if I were milking 2x a day! I know lots of folks who will come and care for feed and water for my critters. I have 0 folks who can or will milk a goat, let alone 2 goats, 2x a day.

Rockytopsis · #28 06/13/12, 05:56 AM

When Sarah's kids were 3 weeks old I locke her in one stall and the kids next to her in another. I milked her in the am and the kids got her all day.
Now I find it is easier to just put her in a seperate pen at night and leave the kids with the rest of the goaties as they were born on Feb. 17th and the little devils can out run me. I milk her in the morning and they still take care of the rest that day. I get 5/8 cups depending on what time I lock her up. Still way more milk than DH and I can use.
Nancy

rileyjo · #29 06/13/12, 05:42 PM

We do it backwards. Babies stay with Mommas all night. During the day, the mommas go out to pasture and the youngsters stay in their barnyard.

We milk at 6pm and then reunite the families so the whole herd can go out and browse until bedtime.

We both have early morning jobs so this system works best for us.