C&D Farming..oh what a life!

[Jesusfreak101]

I agree thats just scary i have full size does maybe someone with Nigerians i am not sure what they can handle.

 

[Mini Horses]

A @farmerjan says, purple? Too much pressure. So lower it and/or totally release it more often. I assume no pulsator? ??? what do you have now? Still, pressure too high.

A few other thoughts --

Goats are individuals. The machine/hand choice is not just yours as they often prefer one or the other. PLUS there must be a comfortable connection with the doe and milker person. Yep. It makes a difference -- it's a private matter for some of them. LOL

I find that those who are co-milked with kids and people often hold back. The same doe may then relax and let down more once the kids are weaned and away from her. This -- as well as volume to use -- is another reason why dairies separate and bottle feed.

They do have a natural lactation period and while some will give longer, if well fed -- others just won't. Another reason to carefully choose the lineage of animals if you want the milk, not the kids, as the prime motivation for dairy types.

Buying and breeding animals -- not just for pets -- is purpose driven. Selection of animals is key to achieving that goal, be it milk, meat, fiber, etc., in any good breeding program. There is also conformation, hardiness, size, disease resistance and on and on.....it's a science. Much effort goes into top specimens.

 

[Bruce]

I'm late to the party here but my thoughts:

I think I’m going to make it very clear to him that I’d like to visit my goat, I’d like updates, and I’d like to hear from them first, not just me having not to nag them

I know this is past now and apparently a different situation in the end but ... once you sell an animal, your connection to it is gone. Let them go, they belong to someone else.

We made more cheese tonight, another gallon....I think 5 more flavors....it just all takes so long. It doesn’t seem really worth the money?

That depends on YOU! What would you be doing with your time if not doing that. You aren't paying yourself an hourly wage but there is plenty that needs to be done. If you LIKE doing it then do it and sell the cheese through your friend for whatever reasonable amount of money you can. It is more money than you would have unless you spent the cheesemaking time on something else that produced money. If what you can make on the cheese isn't worth the effort, don't do it.

She’s doing better...but, when she does Kick the bowl

I watch Lumnah Acres on YouTube. They aren't milking right now, have kids on the way but if you go back a few months (which takes time they put out 5 videos a week) Al is milking at the start of every episode. He has some sort of hand pump machine and the milk goes straight into a bottle through a tube, no bowl to kick over. He also has one of the doe's hind legs tied to the stand, I guess she must have been a kicker. Or maybe he just doesn't want the occasional hoof in the face

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I agree with mini and Bruce both.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

If it's just Busty you are trying to milk, why don't you just hand milk ?

 

[Xerocles]

@Duckfarmerpa1 You've referred to yourself before as a hobby farmer. Are you? If it's money you want, from what I understand, farming is NOT the way to do it. Get a job. Sure it's nice to sell a few eggs, maybe a couple pounds of cheese. Recoup expenses. But if not, so what? Ever played golf? Hobby. $$ No hope of "recouping expenses" (unless you do side bets). Hunting? With the money invested in hardware, ammo, licenses, food plots, etc, better off buying USDA Choice beef at Publix. $$$ Any OTHER hobby? Good luck recouping expenses. ITS A HOBBY, not a job.
Do you ENJOY making cheese? Do it for the fun (hobby). Donate it to a church, food bank, retirement center, etc. Somebody tries it, likes it, wants to buy some? Cool. Look for similar products in a local market for a price idea.
But IMHO, you should rethink your goals. Are you wanting to make money? Then you're a FARM. Want to raise animals, maybe eat some wholesome food, AND ENJOY HOW YOU'RE LIVING LIFE? Then you're a HOBBY farm.
I worked too many years at a job where I stressed WAY too much, because I needed to make money (mostly to pay for my hobbies). Now, I need to sell some rabbits to pay their food bill? NOT! If I can't pay their food bill, then I stop keeping rabbits. THIS IS FOR FUN, F@ck the expense. Worried about money? Get a job.
"Money often costs too much." Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

[frustratedearthmother]

If you decide to continue milking and want a quality milker at a decent price - check out this one.

Simple Pulse | Milking Made Simple

Simple PULSE was designed to make your life easier, be a convenient and portable option that is easy to clean. Most of all it was designed with your animals health in mind as our system utilizes a pulsator making it a natural milking solution!

simplepulse.com

 

[farmerjan]

I like the milker and it says that you can use it for cows. The thing to pay attention to is the "tic toc" sounds which is the alternating of the pulsator. If yours is not doing that then it has continuous vacuum and that will damage the teats of any animal you are milking. If you go to the next you-tube video of Pack goats, by a guy named Mark... he shows the typical milking and the type of clean up that is basically what they do in dairies also. The milker is washed through the same process as milking, which is what is done in big dairies. Yes, commercial dairies use more chemicals, but it is basically a rinse of warm water, then a chlorine/soap wash which is alkaline, then an acid rinse on commercial dairies. The acid rinse is to neutralize the wash cycle . The wash "soap" on dairies is stronger and will eventually breakdown the plastic of the milk lines, so that is the reason the dairies use the acid rinse to neutralize the wash cycle. But he has the basics down. It is very simple to do the "in place" washing as he does.
Thanks @frustratedearthmother for the link as I had never seen this one before.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Ok...all of you made super excellent points!! So, thank you allll for your help. I’m going to hand milk for awhile, because I am afraid that the machine has hurt Busty, and I don’t want to use it. In the mean time I’m go8n* to search for a different one, since, once we kid again, I’ll have 7 goats in milk. @Mini Horses ..you are sooo righ5 about it being a personal bond. Chris doesn’t have the patience, and in a kind way, I asked him to help me with other duties. But, truth be told, he is a better milker. He can hold the test, and get it to stream for a good 30 seconds? Where, I have to keep pumping it. I can get it to stream, bu5 it takes more hand strength, and then I tire easily. The hardest part is the time factor. Otherwise, I do love the bonding with my goats. I’m milking Stormy and Honey too. Stormy makes a good amount, and I think it’s helpin*bto tame her a bit. Honey was never milked before..FF...so she’s a struggle..plus she has teeny nipples. But, I want her to get used to the process. @Mini Horses , since the milk is not my main goal, I’m letting the moms wean naturally. But, honestly, the only one that will still nurse is Honey. The other two kick them off. I do notice, when they really let down the milk...man, it really goes!! @Xerocles ...once again, you’ve given me a chuckle. Yes, we started out as a hobby farm. But now we’re growing. I don’t think we’ll ever actually make money from any of it. We have plenty of money to buy feed, etc, otherwise Chris would never have let me do all this, and continue to le5 it grow. I like making the cheese and the milking. I wish the milking* could be done faster so I had more time to play with my animals. We are buying all this haying equipment and expanding gardens, etc, to just cover some expenses a bit. We realize we will never come out ahead. We don’t need the money, but it’s nice to reap some reward for all the work. It will also be mostly a hobby farm, because this is not how we will support ourselves...and, if we wanted to we could quit at any time...although that’s not happening! This is what I love. I realize the expenses...although, it can’t really be compared to golf when you build a $6,000 barn, etc? But, I get your point entirely. My goals are to raise my goats, not because of milk, but because they are out of my herd....they are loving, and healthy. The milk is a bonus. It wouldn’t change a thing if they stopped making* milk forever. They would not be sold...they are pets. As for money...I always. Not worry, but find ways to save money....I’m just that cheap But, I don’t need a job, because we have more money than we’d ever need. I’m not bragging...I don’t spend it. Lol. I suppose the milking just has me confused. The milker does pulsate. We thought it should come out in a stream, because sometimes it does. Chris thinks her nipples are purple because I would leave it on when noth8ng was comin* out , instead of taking it of and restarting. I guess I jus5 though5 you put it on...and away it went? So, is there something I can put on her nipples now, for them to not be purple and so they heal? Is it just bruising? I took pictures... would bag balm help? I looked at the website with the nice milkers.....I’m sure Chris won’t want to pay that much...yet. I’m think8n* of ordered the one @Jesusfreak101 has, and try it once Busty is healed up to see if it is safer. And, my cheese money can be saved for the nice milker before next year?? @farmerjan...there is definitely no tick tocking out of either milker. The first one only had one setting. This one you turn it up or down, but it only gets louder or softer. Clearly there is much more to it...but, when we read the write ups on amazon, they all basically say the same thing?! Oh well...goin* to use the hands for at least a week. Slower, but safer and I’d never want to hurt my goats...I’d be crushed if I did that!! Thanks guys!!

oh, on another note...I ordered 4 Muscovies ducklings...they strewed hatching today. The lady is giving me first pick....I get pick them up when they are a week old... pictures of Busty’s nipples...the one is worse than the other....the laying down picture is just after I milked her by hand....hmmm

 

[farmerjan]

If the milkier is not making some sort of a "tic-toc" sound then it is not pulsating. It has to make some sort of alternating sound. Pulsating is much different from vacuum......
The pulsating is like you milking.... you squeeze from the top of the teat down to the bottom, then release a second, for the teat to refill with milk to squeeze it out again. The pulsating is the same basic thing, it squeezes the teat, releases the pressure, the teat refills, and it squeezes it out again. The milk comes out in alternating streams ......
The adjustment that you are referring to sounds like it only affects the vacuum..... louder or softer probably is stronger or less vacuum. If you watch that you-tube video that I found after going to the site that @frustratedearthmother mentioned, he mentions the vacuum level on the gauge on the pump being in the "green section" which is between 10 and 15.... that is the pounds of pressure of the vacuum. Most dairies keep theirs at 12.5 to 13 to not damage the teat ends.