A Jesusfreaks tales of farm life with soon to be Six kids

[Latestarter]

IMHO, Tie those legs down until she learns that she's going to get milked no matter what. Eventually she'll learn that it's a whole lot better to just stand quiet and let you get it done with. It will be an exercise in frustration and aggravation until she settles down. You should also handle your doe kids from birth, all over, especially their udder area, mouth, nose, ears, etc. so they come to expect/accept it as normal and not something to freak out about. Helps down the line.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I been touching her while I was training her on the milk stand. I thought it would help. It's just frustrating that she keeps stomping.

 

[promiseacres]

I suppose if I seperate him I probably need to get another male for companionship?

I wouldn't, rabbits generally are very territorial.... they do just fine by theirselves. Does more so but bucks will fight also. Any that grow up together with plenty of room do ok long term.
Good luck with your nanny sounds annoying.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Well we decided to start milking once a day instead of twice. I been extremely exhausted lately from late night milkings, the baby and kids. Plus the milk we getting is way to much. And before I switched her over her production had started going down from 2 quart jars each milking to one. So yeah I guess we see how this goes. Since its her first time I am trying to get to worried about it. I am also thinking come July we have another doe in milk so yeah trying to just enjoy the ride its been busy. My two year old had a mild temp this morning along with a stuffy nose, the four year old has just a stuffy nose mo fever, the baby seems just fine. I just hoping I can get the house clean before I go nutty. That and I hope my husband can keep the dang field mouse in the field and not in our house he found his way in last night,(shudders) I have issues with rodents.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

OK I am not sure what to do... My husband wants to sale the goats because we can't keep the milk from souring before we can use it. I pasteurized milk on the sixth and yesterday went to use it and it was already soured.... I have a about a gallon left a raw that isn't soured yet. I trying to figure out if I am doing something that's causing it or not. I pasteurize to 161f the pour the milk into a ice cream maker and it cools down with in 20-30 minutes. I then jar it and put it in the fridge... I know its fresh milk and such but I figured it would last a bit longer then three days... At this rate I would have to pasteurized every day which my husband whether I didn't. He kinda feeling neglected with all the changes recently. I spendbalot of time tending to the kids and then more time with the animals, then the house work I am pretty much non stop busy. I am between on what to do I am really tired to be honest so part of me the lazy tired part is OK with saling them. But I really don't want to sale them either I enjoy them. I am frustrated about having to put up new fencing because they won't stay in the field with the current fencing but I am OK with it I don't think my husband is through. If I can't use the milk it makes it hard for them to tell him we should keep them when the feed cost is a large portion of our budget.

 

[promiseacres]

sounds very frustrating. sometimes you just need to cut back? I know some people freeze the milk.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't pasteurize my milk at all and it routinely is good for over 10 days... Freezing works well too.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I would love not to pasteurized but I been told to not give it to my two year old unless I pasteurized it. And he the whole reason we got the goats to began with. He allegic to cows milk and extremely picky eater so milk the highest protien item I normally get in him. I really don't want to give up when I Finally got to this point it will just make me irritable. I think I just going to have to freeze it and pasteurized it in as soon as I get it before everyone wakes up hello four am.

 

[Latestarter]

I'm not really sure why your milk is going sour so quick... It seems to me that there must be something else going on... All that aside, maybe it's better to let the goats go for now? Maybe come back to them a few years down the line?

 

[Jesusfreak101]

There has to be some reason I don't know I pasteurized what I got yesterday and it taste great. So no clue maybe she was eating something I don't know. I am going to give it a while to see if I can find a balance. I trying to get the older two on a new schedule so hoping that helps.