Could someone explain milking records? How do you measure #'s of milk and how is butterfat measured? I would think it would be good to know.
If you do keep milking records - how is that documented and how do you obtain stars and letters. and what do they represent?
There is A LOT to know about goats :) thanks!
Replies
Yes, the milk tester is paid, but you can do Owner-Sampler, and you would only need to pay a milk tester to come out for one test all year. You can get the rules from AGS or ADGA on their websites.
Ugh...not cleaning udders? I've noticed that my goats don't seem to have any qualms about lying down on their own "goat pebbles", let alone the dust and grime that build up in a day. We live in an area with a lot of high-density dairies, and it's pretty gross.
Do you pay the person who comes out to measure the milk? Earning milking stars would be really nice, but with only one doe in milk it seems like a waste of their time to come sit in my back yard all day. (I realize that my grade goats can't get stars.)
Kimberly Martin said:
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Deborah:
Thank you so much for the knowledge! I haven't started milking yet, but found a new concern. Our farm is still getting into shape, and this region has a fair amount of wild ramps and onion grass (a variety of chives). Of course, it is a favorite to the does when browsing. I presume this will flavor the milk, so wonder how long something like that might stay in their system. The new babies next month may not like onion flavored juice, and I'm pretty sure I won't either! ;) So, I need to know when to start keeping them away from that particular "treat".
You have to send your milk to a lab to be tested for butterfat and protein.
A feed with 16% protein is good for milk production. A lot of people swear by black-oil sunflower seeds to increase butterfat, and you can add me to that list. :)
We make all kinds of cheese -- chevre, both plain and with a variety of herbs, as well as gouda, parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, gjetost, buttermilk, yogurt, riccota, queso blanco, brie. To avoid goaty flavor, you need to clean the udder before milking (we just use a wet washcloth) and put a few squirts of milk into another bucket or cup before starting to milk. You're doing that to clean out the end of the teat. When I was talking to my vet about this one day, she said that a lot of commercial dairies don't clean udders before milking, which makes me even happier that we're making our own dairy products. Since they pasteurize the milk, they don't worry about germs. :(
Melissa Johnson said:
how do you measure your butterfat readings (I'm assuming yourself)? Iam just feeding payback 16% protein and an alfalfa/grass mix. that's it. So will I need to supplement that when they are freshened? Do you make cheese plain - or do you add herbs to yours? I have only had it from the grocery store and it was goatie - I didnt care for that. Have a great week :)
Good luck with that doe that got out! They are very talented. As they say, with goats, fences are merely a suggestion.
Melissa Johnson said:
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