I made my first cheese today from my goat's milk . Just a panir (queso blanco) - nothing terribly difficult. But it is so good . We had a lovely light lunch of panir and homemade pita bread today. If we'd had any, I would have loved a fresh tomato to go with it - or perhaps cucumber slices. I can't wait till the garden starts producing more!
Cinnamon's attitude has improved greatly. While she still gets testy with me from time to time, she hasn't acted up too badly in the last few days. Today, as a matter of fact, she got up on the milking stand by herself (yes, Carlin finally got one built for us ), and was still standing still eating happily when I finished milking.
Rocky is as rambunctious as ever. Today he and Cinnamon (twice as tall and a good 95 lbs heavier) were having a mock battle - butting heads. He gets so excited and jumps around... it's just the cutest thing to watch .
Rocky did put a scare into me today, though. I went out to the pen to check on them, and Rocky was laying in the spot by the fence where he usually sleeps. I walked up to him talking to him - and even right up to the fence - he didn't move. I panicked. I ran into the pen and literally had to shake him to get him to respond. The little crap was sleeping . He woke up like..."Whaaaaaa?" It scared the bejeezes out of me, but he's fine.
Fresh cheese in the fridge, and about a gallon and a half of fresh milk as well. Home made bread, fresh salads (and other veggies soon!) from the garden, and fresh eggs from my hens. Who needs anything more?
Kathy
Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 5141 Location: Oklahoma
Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 7:21 pm Post subject:
Kathy, I want to add my thanks for all your updates and encourage you to keep at it. I will hopefully be joining you as a new Nubian owner later this year, so it is wonderful to have your first hand accounts as you learn! Great stuff. I'm glad you are enjoying the milk and cheese.
Thanks Shannymara,
I am learning a lot everyday, and actually enjoy recapping the trials and errors as a way of summarizing the day in my head. Today's goat adventure involved building a hay rack so they will, hopefully, eat more and waste less. I didn't have the time nor inclination to build one from scratch, so, as usual I scrounged to see what I could come up with that would work. I found an old wooden sawhorse (non folding - home made) that looked about the right size. I nailed 4x4 wire across the legs on one side, and finished them with boards over the top of the wire along the legs (to help hold it on). I turned it upside down, making a V shape instead of the A shape of a sawhorse. Then I used 3 inch screws to secure it to the barn wall. Voila, instant hay rack . So far it seems to be working well, though tomorrow I'll be nailing some boards across the sides to better secure it.
The goats are getting spoiled to treats - we live in what at one time was a persimmon grove. The field was cleared years ago for farming, but persimmon sprouts still pop up everywhere. If we left the place alone for 10 years, it would be a persimmon grove again. I have left several trees to get larger, but the remaining sprouts always get mowed down. So, I've started picking them as I find them and giving them to the goats. They love persimmon sprouts . The will also kill for what I call "goat candy." Dehydrated beet pulp. I mix some in their food, sprinkle some on top, and from time to time during the day will just give them some as a treat. It's essentially just fiber - like hay, but I guess the natural beet sugar makes it tasty for them. The more they eat of it, the more water they drink, and the more milk Cinnamon makes - at least that's the theory. And they do love it. I'm looking for an automatic dog feeder so I can leave some out for them free choice, but as yet haven't found one in my price range (cheap!).
The one thing I wanted to get done today that didn't get done was to trim Rocky's feet. They need it, but he's too short to put in the stancion, so Carlin will have to help me by holding him. We simply didn't have time today. To many other chores on the farm had to be done today - like building a new maternity ward for the mother and 4 baby ducks we brought home today . More about that in another post.
Tomorrow, though, I hope to trim his feet and to get a lot more done. Normally I have my 18 month old neice, and my 29 month old nephew here for 5 or 6 hours each week day (which means, for that 5 or 6 hours, I get about nothing done), but this week I have the whole day Monday and Tuesday with no children (woohoo!) So, I plan to be outside as much as possible. That ought to be fun, since just from today's work, I look like a lobster .
Been a few days, but here's the latest goat saga update ...
Well for some reason, the goats do not like eating hay out of a hay rack . Imagine that. Nice fresh hay in there, and they avoid it like the plague. I even tried taking the hay out and putting "new" hay in, but they still only use the hay rack for one thing - pushing and rubbing on it . It makes a good back scratcher, I guess lol I'll have to get in touch with the lady who used to own them and find out what system she used to feed them. I bet she had the hay in a trough outside a 4x4 panel - so they could reach through, but not step in it. They seem to like eating it off the ground more than anything else. But, once they step around in it, they dont want it anymore. Why must I have difficult animals? lol.... parrots that make a mess and are loud, dogs that are spoiled beyond belief to dog biscuits, and now goats who are picky abou their hay....
Anyway, I did finally trim Rocky's feet . I felt like it was such an accomplishment . And, he was pretty good through the whole ordeal - I guess since neither one of us had any experience, he didn't know how long it was suppposed to take . I'm sure I didn't trim near enough off, (I was being overly cautious so as not to cut too deep), but at least now I know how it "feels". I've got the calendar marked to remind me to check his feet again in two weeks and see how fast his feet are growing. Since he's growing in spurts, I suspect his feet will too .
Cinnamon's being such a good girl lately. She's let me milk her with few problems, and is patient once again. She's also gaining some weight - she was a bit skinny when I got her. But we wormed her, and I think that's helping.
I've successfully gotten 4 naysayers to try goat milk (and they all said it was good - though a couple said it was rich - they drink skim or 2% milk), and have now 4 (other) regular customers, and one who has said she will be buying milk from us in the coming week or so. Two customers, in particular, are buying it because their children cannot tolerate cow's milk, or because of other health problems - goats milk is very healthy! I expect these to be long term customers.
So, although we get about 6lbs a day from her (3 quarts), thankfully we're not drowning in milk lol. In addition to the sales, we've made cheese twice, and of course we drink it and use in cooking. I haven't bought milk from the store since the day we got Cinnamon - May 14 - and see no reason to from here on out. I can freeze enough to get us through the 4 months or so she would not be milking, so I expect to have goat milk year round. She's definitely a good addition to our home.
Carlin's finally beginning to see that we can, and will, make a bit of money off the animals - the initial cost is high, but once we have them, they are pretty much paying for their own keep - at least in the case of the chickens and the goats. The ducks have to get a little older first .
Got a question for folks with livestock of anykind - but it applies directly to my goats as well. Since I milk every morning and evening out at the barn, I have to battle flies out there while I'm milking. The little buggers crawling on me drives me batty, and Cinnamon does more than a little flinching and kicking to try to get them off her, too. We have put up fly traps which have captured many, but is there anything else you can suggest to help decimate the population ? I'd love a fly-free zone, but that's not going to happen. Just keeping the numbers down this time of year would be a help.
TIA
Kathy
I heard someone talking about how they used to castrate young bucks by wrapping a large rubber band tightly around the goat's testicles near the root. Does anyone castrate their bucks this way, or just keep with the slice and pull method?
heyhoser,
Since I just got started, I can't tell you what I have done. However, when we purchased Cinnamon and Rocky, Rocky had been banded that way. It took just a bit over 3 weeks for his poor little testicles to fall off (sorry guys, I know that brings up a bad mental image ). My grandpa always cut bulls he wanted to make into steers. Either way there is some risk of infection. There is no painless way to do it, either. However there is another option that I may consider as well.
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 5:51 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Dairy goats
Im preparing to keep goats; but its at its planning phase. Im not even on our the land we purchased yet - but im busy drawing blueprints of the house and barn and figured I would come up with ideas for goat/chicken/rabbit/duck housing. I figured it would easier to make it a single buidling and separate the areas (I cant build with wood, I am using concrete slab/block walls and tin roofing for the construction) - and have seperate fencing outside as well to keep the animals away from eachother.. even though I dont think chickens/rabbits/goats would be to horrible to keep together (am I wrong??).
I plan to keep around 5-6 goats for milk, and have some others in rotation for meat. I know I will have a lot of milk, but I do use it quite a bit and could always sell/trade/give it away. We have 3 acres, that we are immediately fencing - that is all pasture. Cows have been feeding off it since we bought it, and im sure the goats would enjoy maintaining the area so I can get the garden going..
Our property is in Costa Rica, and im not currently there, but i've seen many people with goats and chickens, im sure they would not be hard to find. Just wanted to say thanks for a great thread there is a lot of helpful information in here. After the milking process, what do you do with the milk in order to clean it? I cant wait to start working with the animals.. I loved to hear about your experiances and I hope to post mine when the time comes
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 5:53 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Dairy goats
Im preparing to keep goats; but its at its planning phase. Im not even on our the land we purchased yet - but im busy drawing blueprints of the house and barn and figured I would come up with ideas for goat/chicken/rabbit/duck housing. I figured it would easier to make it a single buidling and separate the areas (I cant build with wood, I am using concrete slab/block walls and tin roofing for the construction) - and have seperate fencing outside as well to keep the animals away from eachother.. even though I dont think chickens/rabbits/goats would be to horrible to keep together (am I wrong??).
I plan to keep around 5-6 goats for milk, and have some others in rotation for meat. I know I will have a lot of milk, but I do use it quite a bit and could always sell/trade/give it away. We have 3 acres, that we are immediately fencing - that is all pasture. Cows have been feeding off it since we bought it, and im sure the goats would enjoy maintaining the area so I can get the garden going..
Our property is in Costa Rica, and im not currently there, but i've seen many people with goats and chickens, im sure they would not be hard to find. Just wanted to say thanks for a great thread there is a lot of helpful information in here. After the milking process, what do you do with the milk in order to clean it? I cant wait to start working with the animals.. I loved to hear about your experiances and I hope to post mine when the time comes
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 12028 Location: zombie horde wonderland
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 8:04 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Dairy goats
You can keep chickens in the same structure with goats.
You can keep rabbits in the same barn with ther animals but they probably need to be in their own cages.
Look at Bill Mollison's "Permaculture: A Designer's Manual" and Joel Salatin's "You Can Farm" for animal housing and cohousing ideas. (You should have both these books anyway ) _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy
Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:17 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Dairy goats
My rabbits also run in the chicken yard and live with the chickens. They seem to be doing fine. They get along fine. I don't think it would be a problem to house them all together.
Skateari, you're going to have a LOT of milk! You better learn to make cheese fast - or get an extra fridge!
As for the milk, I just run it through a milk filter and then rapid cool it in the freezer for about 45 minutes before I put it in the refrigerator. I don't pasteurize it - we drink it raw. It's perfect the way it is.
I know you'll love working with the animals... I do.
K
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:47 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Dairy goats
Just a few quick questions on goats: have any of you grown your own goat food? If a pasture is grassed and has been used for cattle grazing would it be safe to say it would be suitable for goat grazing? Can you include grass from the pasture in a milking-goats diet?
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. Just a panir (queso blanco) - nothing terribly difficult. But it is so good 
. He woke up like..."Whaaaaaa?" It scared the bejeezes out of me, but he's fine.
.
. Imagine that. Nice fresh hay in there, and they avoid it like the plague. I even tried taking the hay out and putting "new" hay in, but they still only use the hay rack for one thing - pushing and rubbing on it 
I'll have to get in touch with the lady who used to own them and find out what system she used to feed them. I bet she had the hay in a trough outside a 4x4 panel - so they could reach through, but not step in it. They seem to like eating it off the ground more than anything else. But, once they step around in it, they dont want it anymore. Why must I have difficult animals? lol.... parrots that make a mess and are loud, dogs that are spoiled beyond belief to dog biscuits, and now goats who are picky abou their hay.... 
). My grandpa always cut bulls he wanted to make into steers. Either way there is some risk of infection. There is no painless way to do it, either. However there is another option that I may consider as well.
