2x day?

quadcam79 · #1 07/13/08, 08:44 PM

I was reading up on dairy goats, thinking about getting a pair and as I understand it they need to be milked 2x a day, everyday...is that correct?
where do you find the time?

chewie · #2 07/13/08, 08:45 PM

i have no life

actually, i work from home, so i make my own schedule--and if i need to leave, i employ child labor. i really love to be at home tho., so staying here is not exactly tough--i find myself actually using the excuse of milking to get me out of more stuff, and get me home when i want to be!

Alice In TX/MO · #3 07/13/08, 09:07 PM

Milking one goat only takes ten minutes or so, from walking out to the barn to straining the milk when you get back to the house.

Yes, we do it twice a day.

Goat Servant · #4 07/13/08, 09:14 PM

You can vary the schedule within a couple of hours either way. Once you start its really not a long drawn out chore, I find it relaxing most of the time.
Yup, like Rose says, only about 10 minutes total. Not counting doubling back to the barn cause you forgot something.

steff bugielski · #5 07/14/08, 05:21 AM

I do 10 right now by hand 2x a day. It takes me 1 hr in the morning and 1/2 hr at night. But for years i only milked in the morning. Less milk but it was fine for us.

quadcam79 · #6 07/14/08, 09:13 PM

thanks for the replies, I'll have to give the goats more thought. kinda puts a dent in even trying to leave home for a weekend. I can find people to feed and water animals but milking....I dont see that happening LOL

Alice In TX/MO · #7 07/14/08, 09:18 PM

You are absolutely right.

KimM · #8 07/14/08, 09:27 PM

Leave home for a weekend? What does that mean?? I don't understand that concept. You mean people with animals really do that? lol!

Quote:

Originally Posted by quadcam79

thanks for the replies, I'll have to give the goats more thought. kinda puts a dent in even trying to leave home for a weekend. I can find people to feed and water animals but milking....I dont see that happening LOL

Lada · #9 07/14/08, 09:33 PM

We actually have someone who CAN come and milk for us. We haven't used her yet, but she will do it if we need it. Some people also dry their does up early, before breeding, so they can take a vacation.

SherrieC · #10 07/14/08, 10:04 PM

I milk at 5 am in the morning on the mornings I'm either Driving School Bus, or Headed to the farmers Market. Then as close to 5 pm as I can. I find myself sleeping in on Sundays though and have to Hurry and cram milking in before church. I usually takes me around a hour to milk 8-9.

HollyBearFarm · #11 07/14/08, 11:19 PM

I have four that I'm milking now, and TOTAL goat care time is about 90 minutes a day for me. That includes sterilizing all my equipment, milking, straining, hand-feeding two doelings, bringing hay from my garage/barn, and sweeping up.

Also, I'm kind of a neat freak and I sell my milk raw, so I probably spend more time than I really need to on cleaning things.

Niamh · #12 07/15/08, 02:10 AM

I didn't get goats until I found out that milking once a day and using the kids as relief milkers was an option. It allowed me to get into owning milk goats - I wouldn't have been able to get started otherwise, it was too overwhelming.

Last year I milked in the morning and left the babies with the mom all day. I didn't get as much milk, but I didn't get locked into milking twice a day or raising a bottle baby. I could also just leave the babies with the mom when I went on vacation or couldn't milk. With two kids and pregnant with my third, that was the way to go for me.

This year I left the babies with the mom for the first two weeks, milked once a day for the first two months, and then milked the mom twice a day, putting the babies in when I needed a break. That was a godsend when our baby went to the hospital for a week unexpectedly.

The website that gives details about how to accomplish once a day milking is www.fiascofarm.com. It wouldn't work for many situations, but for me, a busy mom, trying to homestead, it has been the way to go.

Gailann Schrader · #13 07/15/08, 10:20 AM

Ok, I'm REAL lazy. I only milk once a day... When I get home from work...

Eventually using that method? They will dry up and it's not great for their udders, but? Works for me.

I have a doe that I purchased that was in somewhat poor shape health-wise, so my option of milking her ONCE a day cuts down on the drag of producing milk...

If I was showing them? I would milk every twelve hours. And, yes, it only takes a good 10-15 minutes to milk one or two goats if you plan ahead...

*waiting for the flaming goat arrows*