I Get Knocked Down... But I Get Up Again.....

Just like the song goes, "nothings gonna keep me down!" So this is what happened....

We had opened up the pass through from the goats to the pigs areas because we thought it looked like they missed each other. We separated Dora from her bffs to kid and now she spends her days leaned up against the fence with Big Willy and Big Mama on the other side laying next to the fence. So we opened the pass through and all went great! Boots happily and curiously went up to Big Mama, who doesn't do much but lay around, and jumps on her back. It was the cutest thing. He was playing "King of the Mountain". Big Mama didn't mind. Big Willy went to Dora smelled her and the walked around for a lil while.

Everything was going nice and easy. That is until I decided to grab her to milk. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with Willy roaming around with Boots or she was just not having it. But I had her by her horns, squatted down to talk to so I could lead her to be milked. Just as I squatted she lunged forward and threw me back. I let go of one horn to catch myself and as I was down on the ground this lil bugger tried to head butt me!! Luckily I still had the one horn pretty good so she didn't get to. Then Hubby jumps the fence, runs over and grabs her so I could get up. He tilts her head back, shows who's the boss and lets her go.

During all this I just couldn't believe the force of her. I was shocked cause I'm no lil lady. Well, I didn't get milk that day but I shall try again! Next time I'll do it before we open the pass through. If she continues to be just stubborn, then I guess we'll just have to take her down when we take our pig in to be butchered. Not sure on that yet. But I see no reason keeping her if she doesn't have a purpose. Too expensive. She may just continue to be aggressive since she has a kid to protect.

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!