I have lots of cow experience and think this idea will transfer over,get a small radio and at milking time when you open the door turn on the radio. Willow will associate the music with milking time and relax letting her milk come in and flow more freely ensuring more in the bucket and less chance of a mastitis infection from not clearing out those mammary glands.
So good to see you giving the goat the cuttings, so many people just feed then hay and grain and they get so bloated. Try giving them some at night to make it less stressful to be put away at night. To get the most milk you will need to separate mommy and baby over night, this is what most farmers do BUT it is not needed as her body will increase to the demand as long as she has plenty of food to meet the demand. You need to milk her till there is nothing left and then still milk more, this is what will tell her body she needs to produce more milk. If you do not drain her then her body will make less thinking that the demand is less. It takes time to build up a milk supply but doing it naturally will be less stressful on her and healthier for your family because her body will not be making stress hormones that can be included in the milk. You also need to start training her to stand correctly with her legs far back and spread, this will help with the milking to give you room and over time if you keep correcting her she will learn to stand that way
When I first started milking with my first Nigerian, I really struggled. She's on the shortest end of what's "accepted" for the breed, so her udder was IN the bucket, and she wanted to kick and put her foot in the bucket besides. What worked well for me was to use a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. I'd hold it by the handle and milk one-handed till she stopped kicking (that way I could get the cup out from under her and keep her from kicking it over or putting her foot into it). Then I'd just pour the milk into a bucket that I kept off to the side. Worked great and didn't have to go out and buy a second bucket!! She is on her 3rd freshening now and she is great on the milk stand. I always say she and I learned together, and because of that, I'm closer with her than any of my other goats, even though she's the most ornery of the bunch. 😂 Good luck & enjoy your goaties!!
Yes. Try what Wildflower Valley Farm suggested. You can even band a cheese cloth over the mouth of your jar to keep out yukness. Didn't you have a pile of boulders after the clearing? The goats would love the boulders to climb on in the middle of their paddock.
Hi you kids. I’ve watched most of the vids you’ve done and subbed It gust gets better and better Thanks so much Bill and Sarah in cottingham yorkshire england
Weed em and reap use a camping kettle as a milking pale as shorter but wider and they mainly have Nigerian dwarfs if u look at her website she links it from amazon
I do too! Works great. Also, please squirt 3-4 into a strip cup (anything dark) to look at the milk and also clean out the milk that’s been sitting in the teat.
I use a plastic ice cream bucket to milk, then transfer over to a glass jar.(Just in case they start dancing)I pet them first and put my hand all over them, down to the udder, so they know where I'm going.I put my thumb and pointer finger at the top of the teat and put presser at that point, then the other three fingers play the "flute", working the milk out.Takes time to learn.A couple of my first timers, I've had to tie back one foot.But they get used to it.They just need some extra tlc.They love to be brushed after the milking.Gives you time to look them over and observe their health too.My older goats dance with they run out of grain.LOL.Its like "no, no, grain, grain", makes me laugh.Its like candy to them, just have to watch how much you give them.
So glad you and Willow have a relationship started. It was so much fun watching you and Olivia with the goats. The pigs are getting braver about leaving their pen. Oh my, first time I've seen a complete cud chew!
I know you got a teet cleaner, Weed Em and Reap has a natural solution to use before milking instead of Iodine to help prevent mastitis. She really stresses importance of making sure your hands are clean too because that can contribute to mastitis. They are so cute and sociable. Nice to see your wife more too.
They are nice looking goats. The kids must be weaned. They will probably give you enough milk without giving you far more than you can yes. If you get a quart or so a day, you will have enough milk for your coffee, ( he he he). The kids seem to have nice personalities. Your daughter seems to really like the kids. I am sure they loved the trees and the fresh leaves. Wow, another great cider. Thank you for taking on goats. God bless the three of you and God bless America.
Go crazy milking your goat ! You CAN"T milk to much but you CAN milk to little !! Use a flat cake pan and sit down so your beside her at shoulder height(your shoulder = her back) then go until she stops then massage her udders and go again... this will make her "Milk run" (she will produce more for you and her baby,) Don't worry about the baby as she is eating solids and will just eat more ..... greens.when it come to weening the little one... crate her overnight and milk Mom first thing in the morning .... then let baby out. At night crate babies next to mothers but make sure they can't feed thought walls/fencing . Bucket kicking ...OH yes this will happen... get a cat/dog leash .... hold the loop/handle open reach though and grab the leash body( creating a slip noose) slip this on one leg and use the Collar snap clip to secure around the bench leg or an eye bolt to suit length of leash. This will hold the leg back away from the pail an stop kicking. best to start with both legs until they know how you want them to stand.
You need to keep the babies away from the mother at night so milking will be better in the morning, free the babies during the day. Feed her milk producing food like barley grain (300g/d) and alfa alfa hay (1kg/d). Always have fresh water available (milk is mostly water and fat). The more you milk the more she will produce and always do it everyday. You can milk her twice or once (-20%) a day preferably always at same hour. Make it a ritual so that she will take the habit and react by giving her milk. The milking should last 8-10 months. Babies should not drink milk after their 2-3 month anniversary so that you should gain 20-30% more milk.
You have some very nice looking goats I must say. They are beautiful. When you was laying down in the goat barn it reminded me of myself. I'm glad that Olivia seems to enjoy them as well.
I milk into a mason jar. It keeps them from putting their foot in. I bet a widemouth pint jar would apron perfect for them. You might just have to use more than one in one milking if she fills the first one.
Nigerian Dwarf and Oberhasli cross? All the markings on the front half of the Doe’s body look Oberhasli. Oberhasli is a desirable breed that has become a popular cross, since it has a very good disposition, good milk production, and a medium size. I think they have very pretty markings too.
I think you did great! It’s not easy milking little Nigerian teats, especially for a man with large hands, and for the first time! When we got our Nigerians 4yrs ago one was in milk and she was so stressed out by the new place that it was over 24 hours of trying to milk her before she finally let her milk down 😩 (lots of massaging and reassuring her). And she didn’t have a nursing kid with her like yours does! That is a huge bonus! Having that nursing kid gives you more time to figure things out. But eventually (as mentioned) you will want to separate them at night and milk her out completely in the morning to keep her supply up. Our bucket wasn’t working either so I went to the kitchen and got a Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup. It is wide and heavy. We ended up using it permanently. Yes glass can break but those things are heavy and it is never a problem. The weight of the glass is also great to prevent spilling or being tipped over. I do 2 hand milking with it. Everyone has their preferences though. Some of the kids prefer one teat at a time into a cup they are holding with their other hand. You will figure out what works for you. With goats the main things to watch for are parasites, and sudden feed changes (bloat, enterotoxemia etc) we use natural rearing and the Facebook group “Totally natural goats and more” has been a great source of info. They are not necessarily easy keepers (I check eyes weekly) but have loads of personality, great milk, and are lots of fun.
A wider pail is not a good idea! She'll step in it for sure! Just use a smaller container & when it's full, transfer it to your pail then repeat. I'm telling ya Al, meet Rose Duncan, Wholesome Roots or Weed Em and Reap. They are both experts in the goats department! Rose is especially knowledgeable & loves to teach! ✌🇨🇱
On your milk bucket problem Al, cut a hole out House style with a bottom that would hold your pail at the right height so you could milk with both hands, those goats would adapt to the design in no time. If you come up with a revolutionary design for goatmilking homesteaders I'll split with you.
I’ve been getting goat milking lessons in order to take care of a friend’s Nigerian Dwarfs while she camps next week. It’s been much harder to find my technique than I thought!
Idyllic, the goats really fit! Sounds like you are getting our heat, we had sauna day yesterday 😃 Once in a while I don't mind high 90s, if it doesn't linger for a week..... this time my wish was granted, rain clouds in the sky!
You need a baby pen inside of the barn. That way you can separate the babies from mom when you put them in at night and she will be full of milk for you in the morning.
Thunder Ridge Homestead, the who setup should have been larger, but they didn't do enough research. With all those rocks, stumps, brush & trees so near-by, those goats would have thought they were in goat heaven!
Hi good morning Al Gina and Olivia love the songs of the 🐐 goats. It will get better each day, Olivia I see you and the 🐐 goats have already bonded ha ha ha. Al what other animal will you be getting next?. Till tomorrow same time same place have a wonderful day today all day long everyone. 👋 bye. I hear yeah Mr. Biggs. 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐖🐖🐓🐔🐔🐔🐕🐈🚺💕💕💕.
Love the growth on the farm! Idea for milking, could you cut a circle out of the platform for the pail to drop into? It won't spill and will give you the clearance you need.
You should milk her empty at each milking, it will keep her producing milk. You do handle them wonderfully. I loved the way your taking time to be with them🤗
The goats are going to love their new home. Cute little things! Figerooooo is still my favorite tho! Mama goat looks like she's gonna burst, are the kids still nursing? So much fun for your family. Figerooooo is so cute! My word for the day ; CUTE!!!🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🦄🦄🐩🐩🐩🐩
Thanks for highlighting my comment. Do you have any flat pans like a casserole dish? You could milk into the dish then pour it into the bucket. Just a thought! 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐞🐞🐞🐞🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
if u get chance watch rosie at wholesome roots ur goats look like hers in coloring good luck with urs i have watched at least 10 goats on roses channel being born and still learning
I would just milk in a mason jar and cover with solid plastic cap so its spill proof.........or.........get a big hole saw and make a cup/pail holder in the milking stand so your pail is inset 3-5inches in the floor
I use a mason jar wide mouth pint size with a coffee filter to help with the fancy feet issue. Faster to move and less worry about getting debris in the milk that way when they do kick. Also I’m finding that if I pit my hand on my ff udder and talk to her. She relaxes and I can milk her with out issues. Just what works for me.
You're doing such a great job!! Could you answer a quick question for me please? I remember a video where you had to return a chicken plucker and I was wondering which one you recommend buying. I Just ordered meat birds and I want to buy the plucker and have things ready. Thank you so much for all you do and posting it all so we can learn!!!
Just subbed to you guys today on my 2 channels cuz why not. I have a few questions for you. We have just gotten 10 acres of hardwood forested land in New Brunswick Canada. At the moment we have a five-six year plan to move out and homestead with a tiny house. The plan is full solar, rainwater collection etc. The full off-grid experience. where we are is a 5a growing zone so we plan on planting and growing lots of the same things you do. Question 1 - With what you have planted, how much do you pressure can and how much do you sell / give away? My thoughts are with two growing kids and the two of us we might need even double the garden area you have. If you do keep and can most of your food, how long does it last you in regards to the garden area you have now? Question 2 - Is breeding your ducks and chickens profitable or is it to just to grow your own flocks? I am quite new to the idea but I wanted to know why you decide to breed and sell. Btw, I LOVE the idea of the tractor for the chickens and will be using that down the road. Question 3 - Why exactly do you have so much space between the things you grow? Not in the garden itself but in one area you have the kitchen garden and quite far away you are growing taters etc. Was this a choice for a reason? Question 4 - I see you are doing rainwater collecting on NYC (lol btw) and I was wondering if you had planned on fully incorporating it on the homestead? On our land running pipes for all areas would be a huge deal because of the winters we get. The plan is to collect of a catchment surface built just for collection and store it in a heated shed directly up against the tiny house. This would make it easy to have plumbing inside and not worry about freezing. How much water storage do you think you would need if you decided to go fully off grid and how much annual precipitation does your area receive? Finally, I just wanted to thank you for the videos. At this point, I have dedicated my next five years to learning all I can so I can attempt to hit the ground running in the future. I am aware planning and doing can go totally different when the time comes so I would like to preemptively thank you for any reply on video or off as well as the advice you can give if you have the time. :)
Al I hate to sound like a know it all, but in my experience the less milk you get and the less you milk, the less she will give. She is producing to feed her "calf" when it's demands lessen so will her production.
If you want the most milk you can separate babies from mom at night milk momma in the morning before she goes out with babies. I do this with all my lamancha girls and babies still get enough to eat plus I get plenty of milk for my families use.
Good mornin AL ..... I'd throw some food scraps in the pasture to lure the "hamsters" out of the pen area? And so begins life on the farm with goats ...... good luck and take care.
Oh good job with looking after you’re goats get on to Weedem and Reap u will get loads of tips also Art and Bri as Bri has gone through all this last summer 👍👍lots to learn practice makes perfect 🇦🇺❤️🇦🇺❤️🇦🇺🐐🐐🐐
The goats have settled in nicely and look very happy...What type of tree is it that you're giving the goats branches from to eat...I guess the pigs are being cautious about venturing out to explore...People who rear goats say the milk is very nutritious...But i've never tried it😊...Have a great day👋👍
Try milking her from behind and use a bowl. Go spend time at the farm where you got the goats during milking time and see how it's done. She has to be milked out or she will make less milk.
Doing good Al. If you use some hobbles on her she’ll learn not to kick and it’ll make it much much easier for you to develop your own technique for milking. I did it with my two alpines and now just a few months later they don’t kick and I’ve got it down to where I can milk a half gallon in just a few mins.
Looks good. Make sure you strip first a couple of times make sure her milk is okay and you get out the bacteria out of her teeth. Unless you did that and I just didn't see it in the video. Have fun!
The milking will come as you both get use to eachother. You have to train her not to be dancing or hicking on the stand. Looks like everything is going well.😀👍
I was wondering if you have a salt lick and minerals for them. They love them and also need them to stay healthy. Leaves are their favorite treats. You can also give them kitchen scraps like veggies and fruit. They love banana peels. You will also find over time you may not like having the kids climbing into the feeder. They will pee and poop on the hay and then not eat it. I would put cross sections on it so only their heads can get in but not their bodies. She already knows how to get in the stand so that's great. It just takes a little time.
The goats are adorable! Do you find it hard to keep them in the pen? We want to get goats for our farm, but we are worried about keeping them in their pens as we have been told that they can be difficult. I also heard that they are great at eating weeds.
Hi walls .... make your pen walls extra high..... goats love to get up and look about ... SO in the middle of your pen .... well away from fences ... pile some rocks, pallets or cable drums,even old round bails, up to make a goat mountain an then they will play on this an not go for the fences/walls. if they learn to jump you fence then make a wire rope tether for them... just make sure you have completely clear ground, so they can't get twist up or have anywhere they can climb on (as they sometimes hang themselves)
Our Happy Tribe - Australian Family Vlogs goats are browsers, sheep are grazers. Goats forage food from the shoulder up. The love to eat down brambles, and small trees...
You should watch Weed em and Reap. they have goats and are really good at milking and showing what and how they are doing it. keep trying you will get milk yet.
Someone probably said this already. If you want more milk, don't let the kid stay with the momma overnight. Separating the kids from the momma, will help her to be able to build up more milk, by morning. Make sure you milk each teat dry. Massage the utter to get all the milk out. Also, it might seem cute, but allowing that little kid into the middle of the feed trough is a bad idea. If that little goat gets the hay dirty from urine, or poop. The goats will not eat it. It's the main reason for having a feed trough. To keep the hay clean, so they will eat it all. Those slats are probably too wide for Nigerians. My wife tells me these things. she has raised goats. As far as I go, I've never done it before either. With each experience there was a start. Starting is sometimes funny to watch. When you see someone "muddle through" for the first time. That's one thing I talk about on my channel. Be encouraged, your homestead seems to be coming along VERY GOOD!
I have been told by a vet that some leaves that is wilted is bad for goats. He said that oak and wild cherry are two mite want to check with your vet and. Ask him if it is the case in your area.
Well done Al ! Thank you for sharing the breed of goat. I thought they were either Alpine or Nigerian. I wonder what the difference is regarding the height they can jump, compared to the Nubian? My concern here would be goats escaping :-O. Our neighbor has 1000 acres behind us and our acreage runs up to a busy Route 11 that splits the open pastures. Plus our Hereford moms can be aggressive if they have calves. If the goat milker ate poison ivy, do you know if that can be transferred into the milk?? I'm severely allergic to poison ivy , poison oak and sumac....Have a great day!
The urushiol (the oily substance that causes dermatitis in poison ivy, oak and sumac) does not pass on to the milk. Even goat droppings only contain roughly 9% of the concentration of the living plant. There is more concern of the oils on the goat's coat from coming in contact, than there is from anything that passes through the digestive tract.
Reginald Smith . I dont think they have time or facilities to safely have horses. After breeding Appaloosa's for years I see too many horses on overgrazed paddocks. The cost to feed hay year round is crazy. The goats are perfect for this wonderful homestead.
I have lots of cow experience and think this idea will transfer over,get a small radio and at milking time when you open the door turn on the radio. Willow will associate the music with milking time and relax letting her milk come in and flow more freely ensuring more in the bucket and less chance of a mastitis infection from not clearing out those mammary glands.
Thanks
Or Al is going to have to start singing to Willow during milking in the videos....that would be entertaining for us! Lol.
I like to milk directly into a quart jar. You can hold it in one hand and milk with the other, and much less likely to get a foot in it!
Wildflower Valley Farm z
So good to see you giving the goat the cuttings, so many people just feed then hay and grain and they get so bloated. Try giving them some at night to make it less stressful to be put away at night. To get the most milk you will need to separate mommy and baby over night, this is what most farmers do BUT it is not needed as her body will increase to the demand as long as she has plenty of food to meet the demand. You need to milk her till there is nothing left and then still milk more, this is what will tell her body she needs to produce more milk. If you do not drain her then her body will make less thinking that the demand is less. It takes time to build up a milk supply but doing it naturally will be less stressful on her and healthier for your family because her body will not be making stress hormones that can be included in the milk. You also need to start training her to stand correctly with her legs far back and spread, this will help with the milking to give you room and over time if you keep correcting her she will learn to stand that way
I’ve never seen a cud return! I enjoyed that😁
Tks Al.
Lol, That was my first time too! Lol
Hi.... Thank you AL for sharing your video homestead chicken farmer garden bye 👋 bye 👋 👨👩👧👸👕👓🐩🐈🐔🐓🐥🐕🐖🐐🌱🏡🎥👍👍👍
I am having the best time going back to some old videos that I haven't seen! You guys are so much fun! 🌼
When I first started milking with my first Nigerian, I really struggled. She's on the shortest end of what's "accepted" for the breed, so her udder was IN the bucket, and she wanted to kick and put her foot in the bucket besides. What worked well for me was to use a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. I'd hold it by the handle and milk one-handed till she stopped kicking (that way I could get the cup out from under her and keep her from kicking it over or putting her foot into it). Then I'd just pour the milk into a bucket that I kept off to the side. Worked great and didn't have to go out and buy a second bucket!! She is on her 3rd freshening now and she is great on the milk stand. I always say she and I learned together, and because of that, I'm closer with her than any of my other goats, even though she's the most ornery of the bunch. 😂 Good luck & enjoy your goaties!!
thanks!
Yes. Try what Wildflower Valley Farm suggested. You can even band a cheese cloth over the mouth of your jar to keep out yukness. Didn't you have a pile of boulders after the clearing? The goats would love the boulders to climb on in the middle of their paddock.
I have to say those baby goats are so darn cute. Love watching them! Goid job on their new home.
Lol Link and Sausage better step up their cuteness game. The goats are stealing the show x-D
Hi you kids. I’ve watched most of the vids you’ve done and subbed It gust gets better and better Thanks so much Bill and Sarah in cottingham yorkshire england
Thanks
Weed em and reap use a camping kettle as a milking pale as shorter but wider and they mainly have Nigerian dwarfs if u look at her website she links it from amazon
Thanks, one will be coming!
I do too! Works great. Also, please squirt 3-4 into a strip cup (anything dark) to look at the milk and also clean out the milk that’s been sitting in the teat.
Weed 'em and Reap knows a lot about raising goats for sure.
Gee.......thanks Arnold for pointing that out. Duh !!!
I use a plastic ice cream bucket to milk, then transfer over to a glass jar.(Just in case they start dancing)I pet them first and put my hand all over them, down to the udder, so they know where I'm going.I put my thumb and pointer finger at the top of the teat and put presser at that point, then the other three fingers play the "flute", working the milk out.Takes time to learn.A couple of my first timers, I've had to tie back one foot.But they get used to it.They just need some extra tlc.They love to be brushed after the milking.Gives you time to look them over and observe their health too.My older goats dance with they run out of grain.LOL.Its like "no, no, grain, grain", makes me laugh.Its like candy to them, just have to watch how much you give them.
Rose at Wholesome Roots will give you lots of goat care advice.
So glad you and Willow have a relationship started. It was so much fun watching you and Olivia with the goats. The pigs are getting braver about leaving their pen. Oh my, first time I've seen a complete cud chew!
I know you got a teet cleaner, Weed Em and Reap has a natural solution to use before milking instead of Iodine to help prevent mastitis. She really stresses importance of making sure your hands are clean too because that can contribute to mastitis. They are so cute and sociable. Nice to see your wife more too.
They are nice looking goats. The kids must be weaned. They will probably give you enough milk without giving you far more than you can yes. If you get a quart or so a day, you will have enough milk for your coffee, ( he he he). The kids seem to have nice personalities. Your daughter seems to really like the kids. I am sure they loved the trees and the fresh leaves. Wow, another great cider. Thank you for taking on goats. God bless the three of you and God bless America.
Go crazy milking your goat ! You CAN"T milk to much but you CAN milk to little !!
Use a flat cake pan and sit down so your beside her at shoulder height(your shoulder = her back) then go until she stops then massage her udders and go again... this will make her "Milk run" (she will produce more for you and her baby,) Don't worry about the baby as she is eating solids and will just eat more ..... greens.when it come to weening the little one... crate her overnight and milk Mom first thing in the morning .... then let baby out. At night crate babies next to mothers but make sure they can't feed thought walls/fencing .
Bucket kicking ...OH yes this will happen... get a cat/dog leash .... hold the loop/handle open reach though and grab the leash body( creating a slip noose) slip this on one leg and use the Collar snap clip to secure around the bench leg or an eye bolt to suit length of leash. This will hold the leg back away from the pail an stop kicking. best to start with both legs until they know how you want them to stand.
Thanks
TheNastyBastard to
The goats appear to be very vocal and talented tap dancers 🐐 You all seemed to enjoy hanging out with them. A pleasure to watch 🐐🐐
Karilyn Jaquest that type of goat is more vocal.
Karen Hernke They certainly like to be heard. Haven't met that type of goat before. Thanks
Love watching you interact with your animals. You have great instincts.
She was ready! Food helped up there.
Well done! Great first milking! 👍
You need to keep the babies away from the mother at night so milking will be better in the morning, free the babies during the day. Feed her milk producing food like barley grain (300g/d) and alfa alfa hay (1kg/d). Always have fresh water available (milk is mostly water and fat). The more you milk the more she will produce and always do it everyday. You can milk her twice or once (-20%) a day preferably always at same hour. Make it a ritual so that she will take the habit and react by giving her milk. The milking should last 8-10 months. Babies should not drink milk after their 2-3 month anniversary so that you should gain 20-30% more milk.
Thanks
Its fun to hear the new sound of goats on the homestead!
Thanks, I love listening to the goating! :)
You have some very nice looking goats I must say. They are beautiful. When you was laying down in the goat barn it reminded me of myself. I'm glad that Olivia seems to enjoy them as well.
I milk into a mason jar. It keeps them from putting their foot in. I bet a widemouth pint jar would apron perfect for them. You might just have to use more than one in one milking if she fills the first one.
Love your videos, I feel like I'm part of the family...lol...Country living is awesome...❤
Weed 'em and Reap has all little goats. Watch how the kids do it. Have a Blessed Day!
Nigerian Dwarf and Oberhasli cross? All the markings on the front half of the Doe’s body look Oberhasli. Oberhasli is a desirable breed that has become a popular cross, since it has a very good disposition, good milk production, and a medium size. I think they have very pretty markings too.
I think you did great! It’s not easy milking little Nigerian teats, especially for a man with large hands, and for the first time!
When we got our Nigerians 4yrs ago one was in milk and she was so stressed out by the new place that it was over 24 hours of trying to milk her before she finally let her milk down 😩 (lots of massaging and reassuring her). And she didn’t have a nursing kid with her like yours does! That is a huge bonus! Having that nursing kid gives you more time to figure things out. But eventually (as mentioned) you will want to separate them at night and milk her out completely in the morning to keep her supply up.
Our bucket wasn’t working either so I went to the kitchen and got a Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup. It is wide and heavy. We ended up using it permanently. Yes glass can break but those things are heavy and it is never a problem. The weight of the glass is also great to prevent spilling or being tipped over. I do 2 hand milking with it. Everyone has their preferences though. Some of the kids prefer one teat at a time into a cup they are holding with their other hand.
You will figure out what works for you.
With goats the main things to watch for are parasites, and sudden feed changes (bloat, enterotoxemia etc) we use natural rearing and the Facebook group “Totally natural goats and more” has been a great source of info. They are not necessarily easy keepers (I check eyes weekly) but have loads of personality, great milk, and are lots of fun.
Thanks for all the info and tips
A wider pail is not a good idea! She'll step in it for sure! Just use a smaller container & when it's full, transfer it to your pail then repeat. I'm telling ya Al, meet Rose Duncan, Wholesome Roots or Weed Em and Reap. They are both experts in the goats department! Rose is especially knowledgeable & loves to teach! ✌🇨🇱
On your milk bucket problem Al, cut a hole out House style with a bottom that would hold your pail at the right height so you could milk with both hands, those goats would adapt to the design in no time. If you come up with a revolutionary design for goatmilking homesteaders I'll split with you.
I’ve been getting goat milking lessons in order to take care of a friend’s Nigerian Dwarfs while she camps next week. It’s been much harder to find my technique than I thought!
Idyllic, the goats really fit!
Sounds like you are getting our heat, we had sauna day yesterday 😃 Once in a while I don't mind high 90s, if it doesn't linger for a week..... this time my wish was granted, rain clouds in the sky!
You need a baby pen inside of the barn. That way you can separate the babies from mom when you put them in at night and she will be full of milk for you in the morning.
Thunder Ridge Homestead, the who setup should have been larger, but they didn't do enough research. With all those rocks, stumps, brush & trees so near-by, those goats would have thought they were in goat heaven!
Hi good morning Al Gina and Olivia love the songs of the 🐐 goats. It will get better each day, Olivia I see you and the 🐐 goats have already bonded ha ha ha. Al what other animal will you be getting next?. Till tomorrow same time same place have a wonderful day today all day long everyone. 👋 bye. I hear yeah Mr. Biggs. 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐖🐖🐓🐔🐔🐔🐕🐈🚺💕💕💕.
The goats are beautiful , I’m sure your all going to love them !
Funny the pigs don't go out hey? Thumbs up Lumnah"s!
Them pigs are scared of the electric fence. The milking will get easier over time, once you both work out what you are doing :-)
So fast forward to June 2020. I bet the brush is gone. So fun to see how much you have accomplished.
You need to talk to Rose at Wholesome roots about goats. Really enjoyed your video today, thank you for sharing.
Love the growth on the farm! Idea for milking, could you cut a circle out of the platform for the pail to drop into? It won't spill and will give you the clearance you need.
Al, see you're getting your kindling wood for this next non-summer time, Too. . . . B Blessed BIG time, Family
I'm no help on the milking,I thought you just picked them up and hugged them real hard LOL
I will have to try that! :)
Well that was adorable. Willow new exactly what to do.
You should milk her empty at each milking, it will keep her producing milk. You do handle them wonderfully. I loved the way your taking time to be with them🤗
Her baby is still milking too
The goats are going to love their new home. Cute little things! Figerooooo is still my favorite tho! Mama goat looks like she's gonna burst, are the kids still nursing? So much fun for your family. Figerooooo is so cute! My word for the day ; CUTE!!!🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🦄🦄🐩🐩🐩🐩
Thanks for highlighting my comment. Do you have any flat pans like a casserole dish? You could milk into the dish then pour it into the bucket. Just a thought! 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐞🐞🐞🐞🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
start feeding the pigs their slops outside the pen in that new area, they will get used to it. willow did great on the milking stanchion
Chewing her cud, I've got the giggles, I aint heard theat saying for a long time
This is awesome! Teatch Olivia to heard the goats so they can browse your brushes!
Crazydog can help! XD
They’re gorgeous! I can’t wait till I get my goats!,
what breed of goat are you getting?
Make a milking jar for Nubians by using a mason jar, break fluid pump, clear plastic hose and a large syringe. Works great on small goats.
if u get chance watch rosie at wholesome roots ur goats look like hers in coloring good luck with urs i have watched at least 10 goats on roses channel being born and still learning
Beautiful goats! Best milk ever!
man they are just the cutest xxx
I would just milk in a mason jar and cover with solid plastic cap so its spill proof.........or.........get a big hole saw and make a cup/pail holder in the milking stand so your pail is inset 3-5inches in the floor
I use a mason jar wide mouth pint size with a coffee filter to help with the fancy feet issue. Faster to move and less worry about getting debris in the milk that way when they do kick.
Also I’m finding that if I pit my hand on my ff udder and talk to her. She relaxes and I can milk her with out issues. Just what works for me.
thanks, i will have to try that!
You're doing such a great job!!
Could you answer a quick question for me please? I remember a video where you had to return a chicken plucker and I was wondering which one you recommend buying. I Just ordered meat birds and I want to buy the plucker and have things ready. Thank you so much for all you do and posting it all so we can learn!!!
We are using the large plucker from coopsnmore.com use promo code Lumnah for 10% off
Just subbed to you guys today on my 2 channels cuz why not. I have a few questions for you.
We have just gotten 10 acres of hardwood forested land in New Brunswick Canada. At the moment we have a five-six year plan to move out and homestead with a tiny house.
The plan is full solar, rainwater collection etc. The full off-grid experience.
where we are is a 5a growing zone so we plan on planting and growing lots of the same things you do.
Question 1 - With what you have planted, how much do you pressure can and how much do you sell / give away?
My thoughts are with two growing kids and the two of us we might need even double the garden area you have.
If you do keep and can most of your food, how long does it last you in regards to the garden area you have now?
Question 2 - Is breeding your ducks and chickens profitable or is it to just to grow your own flocks?
I am quite new to the idea but I wanted to know why you decide to breed and sell.
Btw, I LOVE the idea of the tractor for the chickens and will be using that down the road.
Question 3 - Why exactly do you have so much space between the things you grow? Not in the garden itself but in one area you have the kitchen garden and quite far away you are growing taters etc. Was this a choice for a reason?
Question 4 - I see you are doing rainwater collecting on NYC (lol btw) and I was wondering if you had planned on fully incorporating it on the homestead? On our land running pipes for all areas would be a huge deal because of the winters we get. The plan is to collect of a catchment surface built just for collection and store it in a heated shed directly up against the tiny house. This would make it easy to have plumbing inside and not worry about freezing.
How much water storage do you think you would need if you decided to go fully off grid and how much annual precipitation does your area receive?
Finally, I just wanted to thank you for the videos. At this point, I have dedicated my next five years to learning all I can so I can attempt to hit the ground running in the future. I am aware planning and doing can go totally different when the time comes so I would like to preemptively thank you for any reply on video or off as well as the advice you can give if you have the time. :)
Check out Tractor Supply for shallow and wide pales. I use them as water dishes for chickens.
Al I hate to sound like a know it all, but in my experience the less milk you get and the less you milk, the less she will give. She is producing to feed her "calf" when it's demands lessen so will her production.
If you want the most milk you can separate babies from mom at night milk momma in the morning before she goes out with babies. I do this with all my lamancha girls and babies still get enough to eat plus I get plenty of milk for my families use.
Thanks for the update. Goats are looking happy. Did the pigs leave the pen and explore?
Like daughter like mom they both like their ketchup haha. Larry
yup! Lol
Thank you for sharing.
My first thought is l can’t wait to see this.
Good morning! Talkative little things aren't they.
LOL!
Separate the kids at night so there is more milk, and the first few pulls should be discarded just to clear out the teet.
Use saucepan from the house for milking in mean time.
Good mornin AL ..... I'd throw some food scraps in the pasture to lure the "hamsters" out of the pen area? And so begins life on the farm with goats ...... good luck and take care.
When you give them the Apple branches so long as none of the stuff is sprayed they can eat the bark too
thanks the branches havent been sprayed with anything
Glad to see you switched to Heinz ketchup
gotta warm the cloth up.. hehe must be cold
Oh good job with looking after you’re goats get on to Weedem and Reap u will get loads of tips also Art and Bri as Bri has gone through all this last summer 👍👍lots to learn practice makes perfect 🇦🇺❤️🇦🇺❤️🇦🇺🐐🐐🐐
The goats have settled in nicely and look very happy...What type of tree is it that you're giving the goats branches from to eat...I guess the pigs are being cautious about venturing out to explore...People who rear goats say the milk is very nutritious...But i've never tried it😊...Have a great day👋👍
Eve Phillips I think they said apple tree.
I think your doing a great job with those goat's.
Try milking her from behind and use a bowl. Go spend time at the farm where you got the goats during milking time and see how it's done. She has to be milked out or she will make less milk.
Doing good Al. If you use some hobbles on her she’ll learn not to kick and it’ll make it much much easier for you to develop your own technique for milking. I did it with my two alpines and now just a few months later they don’t kick and I’ve got it down to where I can milk a half gallon in just a few mins.
Looks good. Make sure you strip first a couple of times make sure her milk is okay and you get out the bacteria out of her teeth. Unless you did that and I just didn't see it in the video. Have fun!
I have a stainless steel pot with a top handle that lets down. I got it in the camping section at walmart
The milking will come as you both get use to eachother.
You have to train her not to be dancing or hicking on the stand. Looks like everything is going well.😀👍
just wondering if you dipped her teats afterwards to prevent bacteria getting into her teat openings?
I use a soup cup the real big big ones that look like coffee mugs just short enough to fit under the goat but holds all the milk mine gave
It’s good you can hand feed them like that.
I was wondering if you have a salt lick and minerals for them. They love them and also need them to stay healthy. Leaves are their favorite treats. You can also give them kitchen scraps like veggies and fruit. They love banana peels. You will also find over time you may not like having the kids climbing into the feeder. They will pee and poop on the hay and then not eat it. I would put cross sections on it so only their heads can get in but not their bodies. She already knows how to get in the stand so that's great. It just takes a little time.
The goats are adorable! Do you find it hard to keep them in the pen? We want to get goats for our farm, but we are worried about keeping them in their pens as we have been told that they can be difficult. I also heard that they are great at eating weeds.
Hi walls .... make your pen walls extra high..... goats love to get up and look about ... SO in the middle of your pen .... well away from fences ... pile some rocks, pallets or cable drums,even old round bails, up to make a goat mountain an then they will play on this an not go for the fences/walls. if they learn to jump you fence then make a wire rope tether for them... just make sure you have completely clear ground, so they can't get twist up or have anywhere they can climb on (as they sometimes hang themselves)
Great advice! Thank you.
Our Happy Tribe - Australian Family Vlogs goats are browsers, sheep are grazers. Goats forage food from the shoulder up. The love to eat down brambles, and small trees...
I'm curious. What is Olivia carrying clipped to her pocket. It appears to be a two way radio.
You should watch Weed em and Reap. they have goats and are really good at milking and showing what and how they are doing it. keep trying you will get milk yet.
Someone probably said this already. If you want more milk, don't let the kid stay with the momma overnight. Separating the kids from the momma, will help her to be able to build up more milk, by morning. Make sure you milk each teat dry. Massage the utter to get all the milk out.
Also, it might seem cute, but allowing that little kid into the middle of the feed trough is a bad idea. If that little goat gets the hay dirty from urine, or poop. The goats will not eat it. It's the main reason for having a feed trough. To keep the hay clean, so they will eat it all. Those slats are probably too wide for Nigerians.
My wife tells me these things. she has raised goats. As far as I go, I've never done it before either. With each experience there was a start. Starting is sometimes funny to watch. When you see someone "muddle through" for the first time. That's one thing I talk about on my channel. Be encouraged, your homestead seems to be coming along VERY GOOD!
The goats are selling right in everything's looking good have you named go barn yet
I saw a Homesteader use a mason jar when milking her small goat. Easier to hold and keeps the goat from putting her foot in it.
I have been told by a vet that some leaves that is wilted is bad for goats. He said that oak and wild cherry are two mite want to check with your vet and. Ask him if it is the case in your area.
Goats need minerals too
you should do a time lapse of the pasture
Well done Al ! Thank you for sharing the breed of goat. I thought they were either Alpine or Nigerian. I wonder what the difference is regarding the height they can jump, compared to the Nubian? My concern here would be goats escaping :-O. Our neighbor has 1000 acres behind us and our acreage runs up to a busy Route 11 that splits the open pastures. Plus our Hereford moms can be aggressive if they have calves. If the goat milker ate poison ivy, do you know if that can be transferred into the milk?? I'm severely allergic to poison ivy , poison oak and sumac....Have a great day!
I know a lot of people like using there goats to clear poison ivy for them
The urushiol (the oily substance that causes dermatitis in poison ivy, oak and sumac) does not pass on to the milk. Even goat droppings only contain roughly 9% of the concentration of the living plant. There is more concern of the oils on the goat's coat from coming in contact, than there is from anything that passes through the digestive tract.
I would love for all the poison ivy to DISAPPEAR via goats!
You can milk by music or singing to her.
Good morning Get a couple of horses you will enjoy it see you tomorrow...👋🏿👋🏿👋🏿
Reginald Smith . I dont think they have time or facilities to safely have horses. After breeding Appaloosa's for years I see too many horses on overgrazed paddocks. The cost to feed hay year round is crazy. The goats are perfect for this wonderful homestead.
Fiona C I forgot every one is not like me thank you for your commentary???
your goats are cute and funny...
Well........they all figured out the stand......lol.....wow
I like your videos!😊