Vacation?

[christie]

Sounds crazy, like I should have thought of it before getting the goats!
But How do you go on vacation or even away for the weekend more likely for me. I only have 1 goat to milk. And it has been difficult for me, an ag kind of person, before I just figured I can show a friend how and they could milk for the weekend for me. I assumed it wouldn't go easy for them , but least it would be something!
But now I know different!
So Do I find a goat person to milk my goat for me?
I live close to an Ag school, where some kids usually watch my horses for me. Another option is we usually go camping, maybe I can just take her w/ us-- We usually take the dog! Now i'm really getting Hick!!!

[Minelson]

good luck. That is an ongoing problem here and we don't even have any critters that need to be milked. But I am a homebody so it also makes for a good excuse. "can't go, nobody to take care of the critters" and "gotta get home and feed" works good when you want to leave a social function or a long winded neighbor. Even gets me off the phone

[birdiegirl]

What is this thing you speak of.......vacation? LOL!

[crazygoatgal]

Do you know anyone with a pump(manual) that you could borrow? You would have to get her used to it though. When I was in the hospital in the fall, I asked friends of mine to milk out my does the best they could-just as long as they could keep the milk flowing I knew I could build them back up (to some extent) when I got out.

[crazygoatgal]

Originally Posted by Minelson

good luck. That is an ongoing problem here and we don't even have any critters that need to be milked. But I am a homebody so it also makes for a good excuse. "can't go, nobody to take care of the critters" and "gotta get home and feed" works good when you want to leave a social function or a long winded neighbor. Even gets me off the phone

So, if I ever get the opprotunity to talk to you on the phone, I'll know you just want to get rid of me when you say you have to tend to the animals. Good going, revealing your secret

[4Hmomwyo]

Local 4-H members? Even if they aren't familiar, they are usually willing to learn!

[Minelson]

Originally Posted by crazygoatgal

So, if I ever get the opprotunity to talk to you on the phone, I'll know you just want to get rid of me when you say you have to tend to the animals. Good going, revealing your secret

Hey! well, I guess that was kinda dumb. I hope my Mom doesn't visit the forum

[manygoatsnmore]

Well, I'm going out of town this weekend - moving my dsis and bil east of the mountains . Since I'm hauling the horse trailer loaded with their boxes and worldly goods, I'm reserving the tack room area in the front for my milk goat and she is going with us! The other milkers all have kids that will take their milk while we're gone, so unless I just decide that Kasie needs a traveling buddy (probaby not a bad idea), she's the only one I need to take along. I have friends that used to take their milk goat with them on camping trips. If you teach her to carry a small pack, she could even be your hiking buddy. One thing for sure - if you're in a campground, she'll be a great icebreaker to meet your temporary neighbors, lol!

[cjb]

This is a big issue for us. Last year, out of 3 weeks of family camping time, I spent one night. Part of the problem was my job but ALOT of it was due to not having someone to milk.

One of our milk customers finally agreed and I spent 1/2 my time on the phone with her while we were gone because she simply could NOT catch Daisy.

Now we have a cow too and my wife really wants to take fam vacation in September. I have fall kidding scheduled so should have babies on my does to keep them milked out but still have the cow to worry about. I am thinking of getting someone's calf to put on her sometime in August and keep the creature around through September to help out.

Im open to ideas, as well.

[jBlaze]

4-H families and vet's offices usually kow who may be able to help. I need to put in a call myself for the same reason.
Last year we had a doe that would nurse her kids or let us milk and kids took bottle and nursed, it was SO much easier! We could milk when we wanted or leave kids with mom when we wanted. (now I am milking CAE goats till I can get them to dry - prooving to be a challenge, so NOT an option to put kids on!)

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

You raise up farm children, then when you are older and want to vacation you pay your 30 year old daughter to stay at the house and do all your chores Because it's never just milking, collecting eggs before the chicken snake gets them, watering the garden etc. But vacation? Goat shows are my vacations, you take the girls with you.

My dry period is from Christmas eve day until March 1st, that vacation time with the family. vicki

[Ernie]

Some farm tasks more or less preclude you from vacation.

However, I've found that whenever I have any time to myself I simply want to stay home anyway.

[susanne]

yes, having grown up children definitely helps. my DH and me just returned from a five day trip. the problem is that it is hard to let the thoughts home
every couple of hours on the phone and checking if all animals are okay, what a vacation

[BethW]

I'm lucky to have a dear friend who's somewhat ag savvy to take over when we're not here. We're rarely gone for more than an overnight, though.

We do have a week-long trip overseas this fall. I know I'll be fretting the entire time we're away

[Oldntimes]

No vacations here LOL!!!!! I had the choice and chose to have animals over vacations. My DH and DD take vacations together but I stay home and mend the Fort. Just a decition you have to make or have a plan befor you get animals LOL!!!!!!!!!

[whinnyninny]

I kept telling DH before we got animals, that the minute we got some (especially milk goats) it'd be very difficult to go on vacation... it may not be possible at all! Now that we have animals, he's realizing just how difficult it is!

Originally Posted by crazygoatgal

Do you know anyone with a pump(manual) that you could borrow? You would have to get her used to it though. When I was in the hospital in the fall, I asked friends of mine to milk out my does the best they could-just as long as they could keep the milk flowing I knew I could build them back up (to some extent) when I got out.

I bought this injector from TSC- it's in the cattle health section, plus a couple syringes to use as teat cups (60cc for my very large-teated goat and 35cc for my small-teated goat). Then I got a plastic T-joint and connected the two syringes to the injector, and use that for milking (got the idea from the Maggidan's Milker). One of my goats was machine-milked previously, so she doesn't mind it at all. (Doesn't get all the milk out though... I can get at least another cup of milk when I finish out by hand at the end). Just like Maggidan's, but half the price.

I'm going to the hospital in 6 weeks for a cesarean, I'm still not sure who's going to milk the goats in the meantime and while I recover! (DH will be working as late as 10:30 pm some nights, and we milk the goats at 6:30 am & 6:30 pm currently...) Trying to get my sister to come out and help, but she is a very non-ag type. My 9-year-old son insists he can do it himself, but he's one of those kids that insists on doing everything his own way, even if it's the wrong way, just to prove how clever he thinks he is. So I don't think that's a good idea... not with an animal's health potentially in jeopardy.

We can do without vacations, but both of my DH's grandmothers have been in very bad health lately... one lives 7 hours away and the other lives 20 hours away. If they were to pass on, how would we find someone to tend the animals so we can go to the funerals?

[AnnaS]

If you have some dairy cattle in your area, you'll have relief milkers- guys and gals that specialize in taking care of the herd for vacationing dairy farmers.

These folks are not cheap, but they are knowledgable & reliable. They will recognize sick animals and they will show up on time every day.

I have a relief milker come in for my only vacation, my 4 day trip to the MN State Fair with the good-looking goats. He likes milking my goats, since he can bring his kids to help. He doesn't trust them around cattle, but goats are easier on eight-year olds.

[Lisa A]

We have usually one or two goats in milk and take 10 days vacation in October, my
Dad farmsits but doesn't milk. To try to cover this we try to set up regular milkers who
come once or twice a week all year to milk and keep the milk... even with this deal
it's hard. We mention it to lots of people, get lots of interest, training milkers is
frustrating and painful... many can't get it, or the wrong energy and the goats are
too antsy around them... or they are unreliable and get "too busy". It's a huge hassle.
We had a one great milker who then opened a restaurant and didn't have time to milk...
now finally we're getting trained up that seems excellent, it's very exciting. Might get
some weekends away this summer too!

[DixyDoodle]

(Doesn't get all the milk out though... I can get at least another cup of milk when I finish out by hand at the end).

Just curious if perhaps you might get more milk out if you just do one teat (one syringe) at a time? Perhaps that would create a little more suction on the syringe.

[Alice In TX/MO]

my adaptation of Maggidan's Milker

That link shows the milker I put together. It could be used easily by a substitute milking person.