End of the Milk Supply

I have chosen to dry up Ginger so as to ease my work load around here. With school back in session I am now so busy with volunteering obligations and basic home necessities and tasks that I had to find a place to cut corners with my time. Unfortunately, the corner I cut was with the goats.

After a bit of research, I learned that the easiest and best way to dry her up is to just stop milking her. Normally, a dairy goat produces milk for ten months after freshening (birthing). So really, Ginger could have produced milk for me until at least January (She was producing on average 12 pounds a day on the last day she was milked - that's a gallon a day). I had thought that I would just not milk her out all the way and naturally and gradually reduce her milk supply over a few weeks; but books say cold turkey is best for goats. For the first week I still cleaned her udders and used teat dip to help prevent mastitis while feeding her on the milk stand. I also used Udder Balm to keep her huge and full udder soft and conditioned. She is doing fine a week later, still a full-looking udder, but it's not hard or hot or red... no sign of mastitis. That's good. I have also reduced her grain amount to just short of two pounds a day; she was getting six pounds, which is crazy, but she seemed to have needed it - and she never got fat in the least. I always felt like I still needed to be giving her even more grain! Anyhow, she seems to be adjusting nicely.

I am now mulling over in my head how to approach this upcoming breeding season. Who to breed? Breed just one goat? Both? Neither? I have wondered about selling both of these girls and starting anew with a different breed, particularly a smaller breed. Ginger is a strong giant of a goat, and she's hard to handle. Another concern I have about breeding Ginger is that she has a lame front leg and I can't see her being able to carry another pregnancy on that leg. I'm afraid it'll just snap in two or she'll not be able to stand on it and just lay on the ground for that last couple months.

Clover is an ideal size in my mind; easily overpowered if need be, and just gentle-natured, she pretty much will go wherever you take her on a leash; but Togg milk is supposedly not great for drinking, and more suited for cheesemaking. I would like to use the milk for drinking and baking, not just for making cheese. So I think I need a more versatile breed. On paper Nubians seem to be the ideal breed for me, but I wasn't so fond of Juniper and Tulip's dispositions. They were loud, fussy, nervous, and not generally friendly to anyone other than me. I figured it was a Nubian breed thing. I could be wrong. It would be pretty easy to aquire more nubians locally.

I feel that perhaps Ginger and Clover should be a package deal since they've been together all of this time, and they are jolly friends. John is not thrilled at all about the idea of getting new goats. I can't blame him, really. But I feel the need to begin again after becoming more familiar with these caprines.

I'm thinking of maybe getting a job too - so how would goats fit into that picture, if at all?

I've got a lot of thinking to do.

The Gruners come a-milkin'

Emma - Jake's best friend - gives it a shot.

Asa - the old pro! Check that finger placement and strong milk stream!

Ann, Emma's mom, also gave milking a try. I am showing her the finger placement that I use.

Ann loves a quart or two of Ginger's milk once in a while. She puts it in her coffee and makes bread with it. Ann is the Wonder Woman who taught me how to make bread. Actually, she let me make it with her and gave me the confidence to finally try it again, on my own, after a 15-year hiatus. My very first loaf of bread back in about '91 was a squat little brick-of-a-loaf. I decided that I needed to meet someone who would walk me through breadmaking. It was really hard learning from a book... finally after all of these years, Ann comes along and happily shows me the ropes. She makes it look so easy.

Another great thing about Ann is that she sews too! That's another thing that I've been wanting to learn alongside someone who actually knows how (as opposed to reading how out of a book). She's happy to teach me that too! I'll let you know how that goes.