The goats have a routine when it comes to milking. There are 45 goats to milk, and we can do up to 12 at a time. The first group are the goats that are the most anxious to get to the grain they eat while they’re being milked, so they fight jostle with each other to be the first through the doorway. Of course, this ends up always with a long jam of two or three or more heads, all waving around in the doorway, they shove to get through first. Once that log jam is broken, they file in quickly, put their heads down into the stanchion and begin frantically eating. We have to keep an eye on the door as more than 12 goats often try to get through in this first group. Sometimes it entails someone jumping up onto the stand and pushing a girl or two back into the barn. Once we are done milking and they are released, the first group files out fairly quickly. The second group is the easiest as they are excited to get in and have grain but are not as pushy as the first group. The third group usually has a few reluctant goats and can take a little while to get everybody in and settled. They usually need a little coaxing to leave as well, often because there are one or two goats sticking their heads over the ramp, wanting to see if they can get back inside for more grain. Every once in a while, one of them will jump over and get into the other part of the barn or even attempt to get back into the milking room. That means someone has to go and wrestle them back into their part of the barn. (luckily, I am not usually that someone! )They are very strong for their size, but you can usually maneuver them by holding onto their horns. The fourth and final group, which is anywhere from 9 to 11 goats, depending on how many we have milked in the preceding groups, is the one that takes the longest to get everybody into the milking room. Usually someone has to go and bring them over one at a time and push them up the ramp and onto the milking stand. Usually once they’re in, they know there isn’t anything they can do and they put their heads down and enjoy the grain. But sometimes we have to encourage coax the first one to come in. Usually once one of them comes in the rest will reluctantly follow. This group also takes awhile to leave once they are done being milked, because at this point, the barn is no longer divided between goats that have been milked and those who haven’t, so some of the bolder ones come up the ramp and see if they can sneak in to get some more grain. There are always a few goats who don’t like being touched and when you apply the disinfectant or wipe it off or put the milking machine on them or hand milk them they will jump. Sometimes they try to use their back legs to push the milking machine off their teats. And then there are the crouchers who crouch down as low as they can to avoid being milked. I’ve learned with these ones to just push up on their milk sacks a little bit, start milking, and once they realize that I am not going to give up, they relax and straighten up. They’ve all got their own personalities, I’m learning which ones are easier to milk and which ones are harder.
Today after morning chores and breakfast I labeled and weighed feta cheese, which involved taking the wrapped cheese, putting it into a plastic sleeve, then into the machine that shrink wraps the packaging, weighing each one, recording the weight, lot number, and expiration date, putting that sticker on one side, and then the farm label sticker on the other side. It was good meditate work and felt good to see the results of my work.
I spent time today down by the river, relaxing in the hammock, just enjoying the play of light on the trees, and the sounds of birds and the water. It was a lovely way to relax on my downtime.
