Living the goat life

The kidding craziness is settling down now and we’re trying to settle into a routine. Some of the 1^st time milkers insist on rushing the gate at every opportunity and we’ve turned goat wrestling into a daily event. Typically we settle into a routine, which the goats appreciate, as far as milking order, coming when called, etc. But with milkers for sale that have not yet been picked up, we’ve hesitated to enforce it, as the order will be changing again as they move out.

Catalpa, Lola, Matilda, Serafina and Petunia have moved on to new herds, Stella and Willow will be moving to Kentucky very soon. Although we’re happy to re-home some of our excess milkers, ironically, now we have to buy milk! Lots and lots of milk! The girls had been providing us with about 12 gallons of milk per day, which the kids are just demolishing. Buying cow’s milk regularly now to supplement helped us realize what everyone is complaining about- milk prices are definitely high. We are able to sneak a quart or two from the goats every now and then for ourselves. We just decreased the frequency of milk feeding and started the babies on grain and it’s awfully cute to watch them chew on one pellet of grain for hours on end. 

 

Most of the available kids are spoken for, we still have Saanen babies available out of Masquerade, Serafina and twin bucks out of Hilary. Also, one Togg doe kid out of CH Elina (aka ‘Queen Bitch’of the barn). Additional photos available on request.

This year we will have market wethers in Ashland, Huron, Lorain and Crawford counties, best of luck to the 4H’ers!

The does are certainly enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and feasting on the new growth clover in the pasture. Its amazing how milk production skyrockets with a day or two of sunshine. It does look more like May around here than March, hopefully the new growth, budding trees and perennials will be saved when the next big freeze comes…we all know this won’t last! It is northern Ohio after all, where picnics can be followed by blizzards in the blink of an eye!