IT'S A SAD DAY

Yes, the time has come.  Ezzy is slowing down in her milk production and I feel it is time to stop milking her and dry her off.  So sad!  I'm not sure I will breed again, as I am a really bad farmer and refuse to get rid of any of my kids so I do have too many. My goat milk customer is not gonna be happy! And I think for now, the break will be nice.  Not having to milk twice a day will afford us some time away from the farm too.  Most helpers don't mind the tossing of hay out for the animals, but the milking thing gets them a little freaked out sometimes.  I don't know why, it's just a little teat.

I will miss my goat milk, but I was smart this time and planned ahead, knowing the inevitable.  I froze a whole bunch!  This way when I get a craving for some chevre - I'll just whip out a bag of frozen and make it!

Sometimes my mind works….sometimes it don't.

This here is Ezzy when we first got her:

 

This here is Ezzy when we had her horns removed, (I'm sure the vet thought we were nuts, but we wanted to show her at the fair and you can't show a goat with horns and besides he probably knew better: you don't mess with a 4H mom!).  She had to wear this babooshka looking bandage for a week. And read the paper on the latest events in town (she's a socialite, what can I say?)

This here is Ezzy when we took her with us in the parade with the horses:

This here is Ezzy lounging with me in the hammock, I love my goat!

This here is Ezzy and me after she gave birth to her first set of kids:

And here is Ezzy and me after her second set of kids:

This is Maddie with Hermes and Athena

and this here is Percy enjoying milk - straight from the teat.

GOAT MILKING 101

Always have a cat present at milking.

My goats - are awesome!  and funny at the same time.  Ezzy has been a consistent milker ever since we got her.  I milked her through and she gave me copious amounts of milk for 4 years straight!  This is her second breeding and i am hoping she will last another four years.

So I thought i was really clever for this one:  since i clean the teats by wiping them off with a baby wipe, I have to keep these particular items handy.  Well, in -20 degree weather of the beautiful winter of Minny-sota, when cannot possible keep them from freezing without a little creativity.  That's where that old heated doggie bowl comes in handy, ya know the one i had to have because i thought the dogs might need it someday.  But honestly, NEVER, NEVER throw anything out when you have a farm, because at some point you will find a use for it.  So here it is, and it keeps the wipes at the perfect temperature not to freeze and warm enough so the goats don't kick you in the head when you rub an ice cold cloth over their personal area.

Another handy thing to have is tape, medical tape.  I wrap it on the teat when it is time to wean the babies off their mama.  They then, of course, cannot drink from the teat, and they subsequently will stop nursing.  This normally would be an effective way and has in the past, however, this year Ezzy gave birth to two very intelligent, resourceful kids that have figured out that if you pull with just the right amount of force and in the right direction, the tape will be removed and you can drink heartily.  So these little buggers have been doing this lately, which is ticking me off since i am down to one milking doe right now after letting Demeter off the hook a few weeks ago, not even to mention the fact that they are 9 months old now and shouldn't be wanting to drink any milk or the fact that their mother shouldn't be even wanting them near her to do so!  Does will usually kick their offspring away at some point when they try to nurse.  I guess Ezzy is still feeling very motherly.

They are also stealing about a quart of milk a day from me, thieves!

So Ezzy is and probably always be my best milker. I share this image of Ezzy being milked so you can compare it to Demeter:

Now look at Demeter, oh Demi as we call her sometimes. This made me crack up even every time I milked her.  She squats down over the bucket!  I've never had a goat do this!  Its hilarious!  Why?  Who knows but i had to take a picture of it.

No directions on how to milk a goat, that has to be done in person.  many people have come here and experienced such a thing. As i think all people should.  Like I think all people should have pets and goats, and horses.  It would be a better world if they did.

SO this is milking from my barn.

MAKIN' CHEESE

Now that we have more milk then i can handle, i have begun making cheese again.  When we first got Ezzy and she gave birth to two beautiful doe kids, i was amazed at how much milk she gave.  And i knew nothing about milking goats then.  But Ezzy gave me a gallon a day then and now she is close to that again.  I should have kept better records because the The Dairy Goat Association might want to hear of this amazing goat!  She could win prizes!

Start with two gallons of milk.

Heat milk, add rennet and culture, when curds are set, put in mold.

After mold is removed, soak in brine for 4 days.

Wax the cheese.  Store for at least 5 months.
I also realized its difficult to take a picture while waxing a cheese round at the same time.

This is the making of some nice Gouda, i hope.  I will let you know in about 5 months when it has finished aging.