What can I do to make seperating mom and babies easier?

Cheryl aka JM · #1 03/27/10, 09:13 AM

My dairy doe had to little bucklings yesterday. Cute as you can get......but bucklings. So I advertised them on Craigslist thinking I'd be lucky if I sold one as a bottle baby and I'd just have to share her milk with the other. Well......the MINUTE the ad posted I was called. Sold them both in less than 5 minutes. I let them have colostrum yesterday with Momma, and I milked out a pint of Colustrum to send with them.............

But I'm worried about my doe. I know she will be looking for those babies when I send them away. Anyway to make the separation easier?

Alice In TX/MO · #2 03/27/10, 09:19 AM

Make sure she transfers the bond to you. I'd milk three times a day or so, visit her often, bring her treats, rub her back, scratch her ears.

Don't we love our goats!?

Cheryl aka JM · #3 03/27/10, 09:46 AM

I can do that~ she's a very sweet girl. Thanks

Heritagefarm · #4 03/27/10, 09:58 AM

Don't have too many problems with that. We just pull them off, and they walk around for a little while and forget. Usually, we pull them off as soon as they are born, although we let her clean them up. Saves a towel!

Cheryl aka JM · #5 03/27/10, 10:16 AM

Oh~ another question I thought of. The colostrum I milked off her yesterday was thicker than the colostrum I milked off her today. I sent all the colostrum I milked off yesterday and today with the babies today. I'd now like to freeze the rest of her colostrum for use through the year if needed. How many days after birth can I be reasonably sure it's got the good stuff (more colostrum than milk). I did not taste what I milked off this morning~ but it looked like regular milk even though the babies were only 24 hours old.

LomahAcres · #6 03/27/10, 02:17 PM

True colostrum is the first 24 hours of milk. After that it's just thick yellow milk.

Cheryl aka JM · #7 03/27/10, 02:49 PM

okay~ so now that it is over 24 hours it's not the good stuff anymore.

woadleaf · #8 03/27/10, 03:39 PM

It's transition milk, part colostrum, part mature milk. It's still good for the kids.

Cheryl aka JM · #9 03/27/10, 04:38 PM

thanks. I'll go ahead and freeze it but be sure to label it as transition colostrum/milk so I won't be thinking it's the really good stuff 6 months down the road when I might need it!