My First Goat Milking Don't Laugh!

It is official we 'got milk'! Our own milk! Milk we raised. Milk we fed and cleaned up after. I'm so proud I could burst! 100% home grown milk! I'm trying to control my giddiness. Although, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. But is anything we do here as easy as I thought?

I made the mistake early on, the way I bought Dora. I saw an ad on Craig's list. I went to see them and it was cage after cage after cage as far as I could see. Small cages with like 6 or 7 goats in each. No fence around the property so I knew they didn't get out of the cage ever. Against what I had wanted a nice little doe kid, from a loving little ranch, that would run up to me and eat out of my hand. I picked her because she looked so sad and she was very beautiful. She was also already pregnant so I wouldn't have to wait long for milk. I thought I would have her eating out of my hand in no time.

When he delivered her he said just sit and talk to her to gain her trust. He had a rope tied around her horns and said I could keep the rope. I let her go so she could explore her new home and poor thing just hid. I spent many hours and days just sitting under the trees with her talking and trying to give her fruits or veggies. But nope. I felt so bad. Hubby was on the road at that point so it was just me trying to befriend her. I just figured we'd grow on her. All the way up to now she still doesn't fully trust us.

But the other day I was able to pet her and I tried milking her. I think she liked it. She stayed with me. My first milking of anything. It took me about an hour to get like 4oz. I was squirting everywhere but the bucket. It was on me. It was on her. I don't even know how I got it in my hair! I was messy. My hand got so tired. Like carpal tunnel. But it was enough to start for me. I was so happy just talking to her and cleaning her off.

Added bonus, while I was milking her, Boots, her buck kid, kept snuggling up to my arm. She knew he was OK and sort of made the whole thing easier for us having him there. She's been over protective of him since Big Willy busted the fence to get to her. ( I think he missed her) But he was smelling Boots and I got scared and quickly took Boots out of the way, which added to her concern. But fence fixed and I got milk!

I can't wait til I get the hang of things and can actually have enough to do something with it. All day I was thinking ooh cheese, aah soap, mmm ice cream. All in due time. Soon I'll be the Goatista!