Trying to Squeeze Milk Out of A Stone

I’m trying to squeeze milk out of a stone! My goats are not exactly producing the amount of milk I was hoping for . Admittedly these girls were in the process of weaning their kids when I inherited them. Milking is exactly like breastfeeding I tell myself. It is all about supply and demand. I am desperately hoping that with a couple of twice milking days, their milk will start to really increase.

Frankie is so easy to milk. She now runs to the milking stand, jumps on up and starts to gobble up the grain waiting for her. This grain is like a treat and a thank you for giving her milk to us. She is very patient but I am pleased to report my milking technique is getting faster and faster. She is giving around 250mls in the morning and around 100 mls in the evening. Not exactly enough to make a milkshake let alone cheese.

Lolly on the other hand just doesn’t seem to like having her teats or udder touched! Can you blame her. She jiggles, jumps and tip toes around the milking stand doing anything to avoid not being milked. I ordered some goat milking hobbles from a local supplier. These hobbles are placed firmly on her back legs above her hocks. The idea is they put pressure on the tendons and stop the goat raising her legs or bucking. They certainly help encourage her to stand still. In fact she appears a little more relaxed during milking time which allows her to let her milk down and make it flow into my milking jug.  If you have a bucky goat try some of these they could help.

Lolly’s milk output is really poor. She is only giving around 100mls each time. Seems hardly worth the effort. I feel like I am robbing milk from her as she is so skinny with such a dull coat. I have decided to drench them both and stop milking Lolly so she can put on some condition. Lynda, who I got the goats from, had wormed them around a six weeks ago but perhaps with feeding twins and being infested with ticks they have just lost all their condition.

Spot the hip bones on poor Lolly.This girl needs beefing up!

Deciding that the girls need to be really well drenched for worms I go along to the local farm vet to buy some worm drench. When the vet nurse asks me how much they weigh I pluck a figure out of the sky. How do I know, it is not like I have been carrying them around like a pet poodle! Remembering the recent time when Frankie accidentally stood on my foot I randomly guess around 45-50kgs, thinking they can’t be much more heavier that out 12 year old overweight chocolate Labrador, Mocha.

The wormer drench comes in a syringe, bright blue and thick. Luckily the syringe can be easily slipped into the corner of their mouths and the blue syrup squirted down a struggling throat. Can now add drenching goats to my list of farm skills! Lolly walks around for the next day sporting a blue moustache.

For the next 5 days after drenching the goats we can’t consume the milk. I can’t bring myself to throw it out so decide to freeze it in the hope of making goat’s milk soap on day.

Ive Got Wwoofers (not dogs)

I recently had some Wwoofers stay. Wwoofer stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms (or in my case organic urban gardens). It is an international movement and is very popular for backpackers travelling around New Zealand.  I am a first time woofer host so didn’t quite know what to expect. Basically a woofer comes and stays and for free board and food they work for a determined time on your property for you. Sounds like a win-win situation. My wwoofers, Catherine and Api, contacted me as Catherine was very interested in learning about Top Bar Beekeeping. They came complete with their own caravan, baby Tao and Chico the dog.

I think I hit the wwoofer jackpot. You couldn’t wish for a nicer couple to have to stay. I learnt so much from them regarding growing, seed saving and preparation of food. Api is Turkish and Catherine is Norwegian. Their plans are to return to Turkey and set up their own organic self-sufficient farm. Catherine was a natural with the bees too and loves the Top Bar Hive system.

My Top Bar Hive in my garden



Checking Frankie for size

Luckily they are both very practical (unlike Chris) so were very happy to help with preparations for the goats. I found a plan for a milking stand and they got to work building it for me out of recycled timber I had lying around the place. I do love those sorts of projects! A few days later I was presented with a work of art and craftsmanship. All made with hand tools, apart from a cordless drill! the goats love it too. Thank you Catherine and Api.

 Api also made me a pen to house the goats in at night. To keep them save from any dogs and warm in winter. Goat fences need to be tall and strong as goats are known as the ultimate escape artists.  I picked up some recycled pallets from the hardware store and furnished the pen with a weather proof shelter made from pallets and some corrugated iron .

Lolly lazing in her new shelter- I hope she likes it?

Getting the Goats Home

I now have first-hand experience with transporting goats. For furture refference they travel very well in a trailer! In fact I think they enjoy the sensational of the wind blowing through their beards!

We picked the goats up in a hired trailer. For some padding on the journey home I placed some straw bales in the trailer. The goats happily jump up into the trailer. We tied their lead ropes onto the side and away we went.

Getting into urban Havelock I did notice we did get some stares and strange looks. Back at home the kids were very excited with their new charges. They were walked them around the neighbourhood and were introduced to everybody, nibbling any passing shrub on the way.

We haven’t sorted out an enclosure yet so we are just tethering the goats on the lawn near some overgrown shrubs that require some pruning. If it rains they happily stand in the garden shed for protection. Goats don’t like rain as apparently their coats contain no oil to help water proof them.

These girls look so skinny. Their hip bones and ribs can be seen through their coats. I know that dairy cows have prominent hip bones but this is a bit extreme. Hopefully now without twin kids feeding off them and lots of rough grass (which they prefer) they will start putting on weight. I have also bought some Brood Mare Mix. This is a mixture of grain such as maize, wheat, barley, oats, sunflower seeds and Lucerne all mixed up with molasses which I am told many dairy goat owners feed to their milking goats. Have to admit the stuff smells good enough to eat.