Milking a goat - not

[FoodKillah]

I never had any goats or sheeps or cows. Sometimes it crosses my mind the idea of getting a goat or sheep to milk and make cheese or all kinds of stuff.

I live next to 3 ranches with sheep and goats so i believe if i want a sheep/goat to get pregnant i can just walk my animal to the ranch and live it there if the owner doesnt mind.

But lets say i have a goat/sheep and makes milk everyday and i milk it getting all the goodies for sometime and then one day i dont feel well or i have to go to a trip or for some reason i dont milk the goat/sheep.

What happens then?

Excuse my "i-have-no-clue-ness"

 

[thebritt]

Hi
What happens if the goat/sheep doesn't get milked, even once, is that the udder swells with milk, causing extreme pain, followed by mastitis (an infection in the milk glands) and more extreme pain. Ask any woman who has ever nursed her baby how she felt if the baby was "late" waking up or whatever for a feeding. You could even ask me, as I was one of those moms who nursed my baby. Humans can express their own milk for relief, if needed, an animal can't - they are totally at our mercy. That's why I've never gotten into milking my goats. Things happen, we go out of town, I don't have a sterile area to deal with milk/cheese, and I'm just not ready to commit. Something to think about! Maybe you could talk to your neighbor and work out some kind of trade for fresh milk?
Good for you for researching first!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
And often permanent damage to the udder.

Pat

 

[cafarmgirl]

Yep. When you have a milking critter you really have to decide to be commited to that animal for the duration of the lactation. So if you have the flu and your vomiting and have diarrhea, well, you drag yourself out there and milk the animal morning and night anyway. If you go out of town or on vacation you will need somebody trustworthy and knowledgeable to fill in, not just the person who will water the houseplants and feed the cats. It really does require plenty of time, energy and committment.

 

[FoodKillah]

Thanks alot for the information. No, its a really big responsibility. Its not like you didnt gather the eggs of the coop for one day (never forget them anyway but wouldnt really hurt)

I promise not to let the milking idea cross my mind again.. hehe.

Also i never thought there are goats that people dont want to milk, i thought thats what you have them for, thats how much i know about them

 

[pride&joy]

it's certainly true that milking is a responsibility, but the milk specially my little Nigerians is so yummy that it makes it worth the extra work. Then there is soap, cheese to make. It does require a commitment and it is good to have several folks who are willing to learn how to do it. Milking three does now, once a day.

 

[Liamm_1]

Important info folks, thanks!
I too have consiered goats, and had no idea of the commitment.

 

[mom2jedi]

Considering goats myself and this is good info! Follow up question to those that already have them. If it proves to be more time consuming than I am willing to continue once they are done lactating, wouldn't I just not breed the goat again and use her for a pet/brush control instead of milk? I don't anticipate it being an issue but if I am the only one milking, there's a possibility I might need a break. There's no reason a dairy goat can't not be bred right (did that make sense, I know double negative)? She wouldn't have health issues or anything as long as she was milked until she was done right?

How long is that anyway? I know kids are weaned fairly early but the doe is still milked for a while after that right?

 

[ShadowRooster]

You dont need to milk them if you keep the babies in with them...

Just saying

 

[mom2jedi]

Quote:
How long can/do they stay with the moms? Someone mentioned taking the babies out at some point on another thread so they were only milking once a day instead of two. How does that work?