How do you cool your milk?

[AK_Button_Mama]

I personally like LaManchas and Nubians! (but toggs are cool too I have a favorite one at this particular farm her name is SHalimar)!! I also have a friend who has had to "hobble" a goat but she jsut used a piece of bailing twine... stuck a nail in the wall and when ever this goat started dancing she would grab a leg and tie it up in the air. about a inch or four off the ground.... she couldnt stand so no more dancing. basically caused her to become three legged so she couldnt dance!!! funny sight to see a goat with a leg tied up in the air but she got the picture REALLY quick....no dancing or your gonna be uncomfy!!!!

cut a naglene bottle with a dremel will a wheel attached, its really easy!!!

 

[hcammack]

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Thanks I will have to do that when I finally have some dairy goats

 

[Farmer Kitty]

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Have you ever milked a cow that didn't want to be milked? It's not always due to lack of food in front of them-Coming from someone who has been on the receiving end of those kicks!

 

[sunnychooks]

I milk into a stainless steel bucket, strain into large mouth quart mason jars and put them in a coleman cooler filled with ice water. I close the lid and when I take the milk out to put in the fridge (about an hour later) there is ice left over. I put that ice into a ziplock bag and put it back into the freezer to add to the new ice next time. I use plastic containers to freeze the water. I fill them with the water from the cooler so that I constantly reuse the same water.

 

[Skyesrocket]

I like the idea of putting a frozen pop bottle in the bucket!
Personally I wouldn't put up with the kicking. One of my gals tries that with me every once in a while. She is letting me know that her food is gone, I realize that, but goats are smart and can be trained. Don't let her train you.
When Ethel starts acting up I give her a verbal warning and that is usually enough. If she chooses to ignore the warning I crack her on her thigh with my hand and tell her NO! Yes, I said it...I give her a swat. After that she is fine.
Hobbling one of the back legs works too. Just use something wide and soft enough not to hurt the skin. When I first got Ethel she was a big bossy pain in the neck and I did hobble her a couple of times. She didn't like it and that straightened her around pretty quick.
The other thing I do is make them stand when I am done for a few minutes and give them a treat of raisins after they have waited.
I really enjoy milking and most times it is uneventful. I talk to the girls and they are relaxed. But Ethel is Ethel and she needs to be reminded of her manners once in a while.
Just wanted to let you know that you don't have to put up with them knocking over buckets. More times than not it is intentional. They know what they are doing and it isn't something you have to put up with.

 

[kstaven]

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Have you ever milked a cow that didn't want to be milked? It's not always due to lack of food in front of them-Coming from someone who has been on the receiving end of those kicks!

Cows and goats do have their days. Even the best cows can have an off day and kick.

I can't totally agree with goats or cows don't come in to be milked. Around here I open the door and the cows come in. They will stand to milk whether feed is there or not. Routine and conditioning is really all it is.

 

[PotterWatch]

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Oh, I know it's intentional. I am just not fast enough yet at milking to finish before she is done eating, and if I gave her enough to last the whole time, she would be getting way too much grain. I am going to have to either tie her to the milk stand or hobble her. Yesterday evening she managed to kick over the bucket twice

. That was even with me holding up a foot. Any recommendations on what to use to tie a leg or two to the stand?

 

[Skyesrocket]

Ahaaaa....now I understand. She's getting frustrated during your learning period.
Take a smaller glass jar with a wide mouth...like a pickle jar and hold it it your hand just below the teat and milk into that and pour it off into a bucket with a frozen pop bottle inside. Keep the bucket a few steps out of her reach. Keep a cup of grain by the bucket and give her a little grain each time you empty the jar.
This sounds like a lot of extra trouble, but will teach her patience and will waste less milk until you get up to speed. This is what I did when I was learning how to milk.
We all learned how to milk at some point. You will get it too. By holding the jar in your hand she won't be able to knock it over. Just work on one teat at a time. Good Luck!

 

[Chirpy]

Skyesrocket suggestion for using a wide mouth jar is great. I have actually used a strip cup when training my doe to milk. I hold it in one hand and milk with the other. I like the strip cup because it has the lid on it while I'm milking; so, if I have to pull it out of the way real quickly... it doesn't splash out.

I have used a soft, horse lead rope to tie my does legs. It's cotton and one of the wider ones. You want something wide enough that it won't rub their skin and break through. Don't use something like binder twine, it can cut into them.

The biggest key to tying them down is to make sure their foot or feet are tied tightly against the bottom of the milk stand or wherever you have them. Put the rope just above their feet - not higher up on the legs. (If you are using a hobble - that goes above their knees.) If they can't move their leg at all (not even 1/2 inch), they seldom try more than once or twice. If they can move their foot (even 1/2 inch) they may freak and keep trying. In other words, if they realize immediately that they can't move... most are smart enough to stop trying quickly.

 

[PotterWatch]

Great ideas! Thanks for the help!