Great news!

[CJBegins]

So, after a long and painful 3 years of illness and recovery I am now officially a working woman again. If you asked me 2 years ago if I would ever be able to work again I would have said a resounding NO. Over time the high pressures in my brain have lessened to almost normal most of the time. So, I am now the weekend RN supervisor at an assisted living facility that reminds me of a nice hotel rather than nursing home.

I feel pretty good most of the time. Our home and our farm has suffered greatly due to lack of finances for the last 3 years. But, we sure have learned how to live on a shoe string budget, or less.

While I have been off work is when I invested in my first dairy goat, Dora. Now I have 2 of Dora's doelings, a Nigerian doe and a mini-togg doe, my sable buck and a mini-tog wether. So now I sit here and say, Oh Crap, how am I going to milk my does when I work 3 12 hour shifts with a hour and ten minute drive each way. Of coarse, all 5 does are bred. The first is due mid December and then not until late February and into March. 2 does will be first fresheners and 2 does are 1 gallon + a day producers. I always leave the babies on the Nigerian and she only produces a little over a quart extra per day. Oh and to top that off I have a Jersey in milk. She has her heifer on her that could handle all of her mother's milk supply so that isn't too much of a worry. I guess the only thing I can do is pray for a minimum of twins on all does and maybe triplets for the heavier milkers. Or.....I am going to have to find homes for a couple of them.

But, the good news is that I have a job and I guess I will have to figure things out as they come. Anyone that works long shifts want to share how they manage their milking stock?

I am open to ideas!

[Minelson]

Congratulations!! That is wonderful news! I don't know about the milking situation but I'm sure it will be all figured out

[Ford Zoo]

I hope you can find a plan that works for you. Working 12 hour shifts and trying to milk again over a year after my head injury did not work for me, so I had to stop milking and my best doe got the first case of mastitis we have ever had on the farm when I tried to dry her off too fast.

Going back to 12 hour shifts is hard, and I would hate your drive. Do make sure you get plenty of rest, that adjustment period may take a while. Hopefully the supervisory portion of your position will mean you get moments to rest, at least mentally. When I went back to work, it was right into the ER, and somedays after 6-8 hours of a busy shift my headaches would return and then I would have challenges keeping organized (but I have to stress no patient safety was ever hampered).

Congratulations! I bet it feels good to be back!

Yes goat friends, I had a head injury so if you ever read something from me that is 'off', that is probably why!

[CraterCove]

It's great news to hear you are doing better! Good luck with the new position.

[CJBegins]

Ford Zoo, I've had 2 closed head injuries. Both took an extremely long time to settle down but they don't ever go away. I despise having poor grammer skills and not noticing it until after I make a post!!!! Drives me nutty!

Before the week was over I actually had 3 jobs to choose from, which was pretty cool. I found myself making my choice by evaluating which job I was most physically capable of doing, not by wages. I would have loved to have taken the job that would have paid 10-15$ more per hour but I felt it to be too risky.

The drive is the same drive I used to do, before goats. My son and daughter in law live about 3 miles from where I am working so if need be I can stay with them. I am really hoping that my goats will all have twins or better. Hubby says he doesn't want to milk but he has done it before(in a dairy) when he was in high school so it isn't like he doesn't know how.

[Pony]

We went to once-a-day milking (we are both off-farm for four days a week, 12 hours at a stretch). Pen the kids up at night, milk in the morning, leave the kids on the does all day.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Congratulations on being a working stiff again, and on the sweet gig at the LTCF! God bless your endeavors!

[Cannon_Farms]

I found occasional help by a home school mom that wanted milk for her kids, a life lesson for her kids so in exchange for a weeks worth of goat milk for her, I had some one who could milk in a bind or just to give me an evening/morning relief.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I'd do like Pony & just milk once a day. I prefer once a day milkings anyways even though I'm home most of the time because we just can't keep up with the milk.
I'm so glad your feeling so good & found a job that you Like already. So glad everythings finally working out for you.

[nehimama]

I sincerely hope all will work out well for you, CJ.

[Suzyq2u]

Congratulations on the new job! We only milk once a day here too if we can help
it. Same way as mentioned above, pull the kids at night.
It just makes life a bit easier.