I had never really thought I would be milking in the winter, but I've learned that there are things about owning dairy goats that I can't fully plan. I think I'm going to have at least one doe who isn't going to be so easy to dry off in the future.
I've never thought it seemed like a good idea to milk in the winter in Minnesota. I'm concerned about being able to keep the milk clean with the amount of hair they grow. It's a crazy lot of hair! I don't know if it would be okay to trim it up at all or not.
Also, I'm concerned about udder and teat health. Sometimes it seems just way too cold to be getting a doe's udder wet. Also, what about chapping from all that cleaning of udders in the dry, dry and cold air? If anyone can share any thoughts regarding these, and any questions I haven't even thought of yet, I'd appreciate it! :)
Sure would be nice to have that awesome milk in the winter! :)
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Sorry, not yet. I am working with a videographer to make some videos though. There isn't really anything special about using a stick blender. Just follow whatever recipe you're using and after adding the lye mixture to the oil mixture, you put in the stick blender and turn it on. One thing I'd suggest is to use the stick blender in water or something else before using it in soap. In other words, don't just go out, buy a blender, come home and stick it into the soap mixture. I bought a new stick blender a couple years ago and did that, and I had a very unpleasant surprise as the new blender was far more powerful than the one I had been using, and it splashed some of the mixture out of the pot. Luckily I didn't get lye on my skin or anything, so it turned out okay, but I just got lucky. It only takes about 3-6 minutes to reach trace with a stick blender, compared to hours with a spoon, so if you're making cold process soap, you definitely want to use one.
Amy Bell said:
Deborah,
I would be very interested in seeing a video of you using your stick blender to make soap-do you have one out there?
Thanks, Deborah! I think I'm close to soap making. :) I was just talking with my hubby about it last night. I'm hoping to get a stick blender and scale soon. I appreciate all of your great information!
We use one washcloth for eight does. My oldest daughter came up with this complicated way of folding and flipping so that each doe gets a clean quarter, and we always lay the dirty side of the washcloth on the milk stand (summer) or mug warmer (winter).
As for the milk -- it was the backs of their hands that got dry and scaly, so I'd put the milk in a bowl with a lid, and they'd stick the backs of their hands in there twice a day and just let it dry. They'd reuse the same milk for a few days. If you haven't started making your own goat milk soap yet, that will also help. Most commercial soaps are terribly drying because they're actually detergents and strip away the natural moisture in your skin. Then you have to buy a moisturizer. And olive oil is a great moisturizer! If you don't like the smell of olive oil, sunflower oil has almost the same benefits when it comes to skin.
The ceiling of my milking parlor does not have insulation in it, but we stack straw on top of it, so that insulates it quite well.
Do you use the same wash cloth for all the does?
Also, how do you have your kids use milk for their dry skin? Do they just put it on and let it dry? I'd love to hear about that! :) I'm actually looking forward to milking during the winter to see if my husband's psoriasis goes away if he has the goat milk in the winter. Maybe the milk on his skin, however you do it, would help him too?
Oh, Deborah! Thank you so much for sharing all of that. Those are some great ideas! If I can think of another way to store hay, I would even be able to build a smaller, insulated room in my barn. And, I might even have an idea for the hay...This could work! I can see I just have to dream a little bit bigger here... :)
Like you, my original plan was to stop milking in the fall whenever it started to get cold. But after having our own fresh milk and goat cheese and yogurt for six months, we got spoiled! So, that first year was the only year I did not milk through the winter. Going back to store bought dairy products was horribly disappointing.
I'm in Illinois, and it gets pretty cold here. We were initially milking in the open barn, but I had my husband build a milking parlor that is insulated. In the summer we have compact fluorescent light bulbs in there because they don't produce any heat. In the winter, I put heat lamps in the light sockets. They don't warm it up a lot, but it helps. If it's getting down to below zero, I'll leave the lights on overnight to warm it up in there a little more. We don't use anything to clean udders other than a wet washcloth. A few years ago, a friend of mine was moving and I inherited a mug warmer, which is like a little mini hot plate. I put my washcloth on there while I'm milking, and it stays warm. The goats never seemed to mind my cold hands or a cold washcloth, but I sure do appreciate the warm washcloth! Before I had that, I'd put my warm washcloth in an insulated thermos that had a wide opening. That would at least keep it from freezing between goats while I was milking.
I never clip udders other than in spring when we're doing show clips for photos or classification. A little hair will fall off, but not that much on most goats. I've had one or two that's a pretty bad shedder, but I don't worry about it. Also, using a machine, you don't get hair in the milk at all, even with an unclipped udder.
I've never had any problems with a doe's udder getting chapped, but it is wet for such a brief time, that probably helps. Also, they do wind up with some milk on the teats by the end, and milk is actually very good for your skin. When my kids get dry hands in winter, I first tell them to use lanolin, and if that doesn't do it, I have them use milk. Between the two, we've healed the most alligator-looking skin.
Like most things ... I thought that milking in winter would be a big deal, but it's not.
Thank you, Amy. I really appreciate your input on this! :)
Patty, I have always milked in the winter with no problems and it gets darn cold here in Wyoming! I use baby wipes and like to trim the hairs off the teats but I have milked some with the hair on. I avoid getting the udder fully wet. Never had any trouble with chapping probably since I dont use any detergents. Especially in the winter I like to milk straight into a quart mason jar. I hold the jar at a slight angle with one hand and milk with the other hand. I switch off on the other side. Usually I'm able to keep hair out of the jar. So worth milking in the winter in my opinion. Right now everyone but Daisy is dried off. Kidding begins if Feb. this year. I milk Daisy 1x per day at this point and she will not dry off until I quit milking her completely.
Good points! Especially for those of you in colder climates! I'm following this thread, because I'm interested to hear what everyone says!