Another Update + Pictures - The New (and the old)

Sunday was the local soccer league finals, and our team, Revolution, won - but sorry, no pictures yet because I don't have them imported yet ;).

2 new male llamas - from registered stock.

Another new animal we bought as an alpaca, but we think it's a llama/alpaca cross (I'm not joking). He is friendly.

And here he is again with his friend, an alpaca.

More new animals . . . we got over a dozen shetland sheep.

An old little mule and a mini (just bigger than the goats!) donkey.

Painted desert horned rams.

And lastly, something that's not new - one of our old, thin mini nubian does. In this picture - we let her hang out in the front yard and she went under the truck that's being worked on for shade :).

~ Hanunyah

Grandma Goat

Hi, Grandma! You want something from me?

~ Hanunyah

Farm Activities - Goat Milking

*I have not posted for about a week because the internet has been down. *

We have about 20 does in milk right now, and we milk them 2x a day (morning and night). With a 7-goat milk stand, milking only takes about 30 or 40 minutes (milking by hand, usually with 2 or 3 people helping).

Here are some pictures from start to finish -

Going out to get the does . . .

At evening milking we usually have to go out and get some milkers that didn't come back yet

Feeding the bucks

Watering

Welcome to the Good Goats Milk Room!

Loading the stand

Give me grain!!

The udders are now sprayed with diluted Nolvasan disinfectant spray and left to air dry . . 

While somebody gets the grain bowls

And don't forget to give Rhia (the grandma goat with no teeth) her grain

"Give them the grain"

Sanitize your hands . . .

Grab a pail . . .

And milk!

We put 2 "guard rails" on the stand because of this . . . 

The goats grabbing each other's bowls

Now, strain the milk into gallon jugs, and put in the "milk freezer"

Milk room dogs and cats

See if the goats are done with their grain, and let them all out!

"Chasing" them out

Feeding

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~ Hanunyah