rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

Oh dear. Said doe in heat, Ava, broke into Patrick's stall and was there for an undetermined amount of time. I'm pretty sure Patrick just had a better day.
I think I shall go to bed now before anything else happens and bring on that better day (just kidding, I'm a mom-no evenings or nights off!). So if she takes Mustang Meadows H Avalon is bred to Rosasharn WS Sir Patrick to kid on April 6th because Ava's crazy.

Ava should be fine though. Her doelings are almost weaned. She is rather fat because I haven't been milking her (she's bucky on the stand, just like her breeder said her mom was, and crazy horny, just like her sire was, for she was an "oops" as well). She was making a quart at morning milking as a FF when I was separating and milking, so the cross might be nice and milky.

Darn you Ava.

 

[Bruce]

Are you hand milking or machine? I follow Lumnah Acres YouTube channel and Al has a little electric pump machine, said the doe is a lot more calm on the milking stand with it than she was with hand milking. She looks calm to me.

 

[rachels.haven]

I hand milk. Avalon's teats and udder are amazing-near perfect. I get tired of being bitten while I milk her though. Soft, silky texture udder, teats almost as long as my thumb, she empties really quickly, but long, long goat neck armed with a head of teeth.

 

[farmerjan]

Head catch, stanchion type so she can't turn her head around......

 

[rachels.haven]

Good plan. I need to modify that milk stand anyway.

 

[Bruce]

Al has a stand and he ties the doe's left hind foot. Stand is against a wall with the headgate on the left and a grain bucket to give her a reason to jump up there. Willow is mostly quite calm while she is being milked with the machine, Al does some udder massaging during the process.

 

[rachels.haven]

I wish that would work. Actually, when I quit milking Ava, she had just about stopped kicking while milking. It's the biting that was the problem and her neck is quite long so she has quite a reach. I'll probably just add to the head stanchion so she can't reach and bring a spray bottle next season at first just in case she can. She needs to EAT not bite. That's why we don't milk alligators.

 

[Baymule]

BAD DOGS!! I would have been mad too. I caught my pup Sentry chasing the slaughter lambs one morning. I yelled and threw his stainless steel feed pan at him again and again, there was nowhere he could go to escape. Then, because he is a puppy and would get a stupid attack again, especially at night while I was asleep, I closed them up at night. They are gone now, I only put him in with the ewes and 1 month old lambs when i am around. I can put him with Ringo and his 2 ewes, they are not afraid of Sentry and will butt him. Sigh, it is a process, isn't it?

 

[rachels.haven]

YES! STABILITY IS PROGRESS...

...or at least that's what the hectic think.

He's going to be crated at night and locked out in the front browsing pen with a "freedom stick" on his collar to prevent him from squishing through the cattle panels so I don't have to stall him until the fence is finished (he could get eaten wandering, or hit). Let's see if toothpaste dog can not need the stick. Puppy stupids is a good term. He was quite submissive to the crazy lady that was rough on him this morning.

Fence up by the house to the left is up. I'm watching and might try putting some up myself sometime.

 

[Bruce]

Fence up by the house to the left is up. I'm watching and might try putting some up myself sometime.

You can do it !! And watching it being done is a great way to learn.

That's why we don't milk alligators.

Not even with head gates?

Sigh, it is a process, isn't it?

Yep, but we know this isn't your first puppy rodeo.