Goats coming soon, getting scared

Mountaineer · #1 03/07/07, 12:20 AM

My yearling lactating doe, and doeling and unrelated buckling will be ready for pick up in 2 weeks...
I've never had goats. All new to me. Their house is nearly complete, pretty much everything is ready except me.
This is not the ideal time of the year for me! Everything get's busy in 3-4 weeks, PLUS I'll be milking twice a day and bottle feeding.
Of course it's possible, but I'm worried!! I don't know if I should have ordered these goats.
It isn't easy to find goats around here. And these are very nice animals. I just wish I could have had them all winter, and gotten into a routine before the spring busy season hit.
Should I call it off? Would you call it off if you already put in 10+ hour days at work?
Any estimates in time spent morning and night milking, feeding, bottlefeeding etc on a regular day??
And... If the dairy end of things is too much for me, how difficult is drying her off? Thanks.

Feral Nature · #2 03/07/07, 12:35 AM

Go for it! You will love them! And it will not be too difficult to dry the doe off if need be, just stop milking her and her body will get the signal to stop making milk. I sent you a PM.

Mountaineer · #3 03/07/07, 01:23 AM

I still need to think, this is a huge thing for me. Worried about a lot of things, but time constraints is a biggy.
Isn't there some sort of routine you go through to dry her off? I expected she would basically burst if you quit milking a dairy breed?

Laura Workman · #4 03/07/07, 01:46 AM

If you expect this doe to be a milk goat, do NOT dry her off early in her first freshening. This will set the pattern for her subsequent lactations to end early.

Now then, are you putting in 10+ hours at work, or 10+ hours away from home, including commute? Not really relevant, but I've had dairy goats and a full time job with a two-hours-a-day commute for years. The first week or two will be challenging, but once you get a routine down, you'll be fine. I milk once a day, mostly, and split up the chores. I dam-raise kids, so no bottle feeding. I also milk once a day, in the mornings, and do all the other stuff in the evenings. Milking a single doe won't take more than 15 to 20 minutes, tops, once you get used to it. That includes straining the milk and putting it in ice water to chill. In the meantime, that doeling can help with the milking, presuming she's still nursing. That means you don't have to make sure to get every little bit of milk. The doeling will take care of that part.

There's lots to learn, but you'll be fine. Just keep reading and asking questions.

Jillis · #5 03/07/07, 07:27 AM

Aw, Mountaineer, you're just having first-time jitters! You'll be fine! You will adjust your schedule and you will LOVE all that fresh, healthy goat's milk!

Add about 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes to your routine morning and night. You will LOVE those goats so much that it will be a pleasure to spend time with them. I predict you will want more and more and MORE goats!

Get them. Enjoy them. Don't dry the doe off, it will set the pattern for future lactations as Laura said. Bottle feeding is FUN, and doesn't last for a very long time.

Be blessed! Jill!

Sher · #6 03/07/07, 07:40 AM

I could be wrong here..but I think I am picking up more than just first time buyers jitters. I think you have thought long and hard about the hours involved..enough to come here and ask. I applaud you for that.

Is there a way to get your buckling moved in. And then maybe work something out with the owner to get her when she has dried up? Or maybe the owner has a doe that is dried up and you could start from ground zero?

I think maybe you just need some time with the goats and ease into the whole milking thing. It is a committment. Good luck and enjoy those goats..which ever ones you get.

moosemaniac · #7 03/07/07, 07:50 AM

That's pretty much how I started. You'll be fine. In fact, I give you three months and you'll want ever more goats.

Ruth

Jillis · #8 03/07/07, 08:29 AM

BTW, you will want to keep the buckling separate until you are ready to breed. Maybe he should have a wether for a friend?

BlueHeronFarm · #9 03/07/07, 08:43 AM

If it helps any, we got into full-scale goats a little before we were prepared, too...and it has all gone very well. It is an adjustment and it is scary to milk before you think you are ready, but the bottom line is that they are livestock, and so are remarkably able to get along on their own while you're at work. Especially if you let that baby be dam raised.

We have three bottle babies and one in milk now and bottle feeding takes about 20 minutes for three and the milking takes about twenty minutes including clean up. It is doable - you can do this. Take a deep breath - you are going to love it, even when it's hard.