Hi all: Just joined and wanted to do an into. We have a small farm in Northeastern Oregon. We grow and sell fresh produce,fruit,berries,cut flowers,goats,pigs,and poultry. We also do woodworking of all kinds. We do farmshares. You can check out our site if you like. http://www.smallfarmshare.com
Hello,
My name is Erin. What part of Oregon are you from? I have family in Eugene and we used to live in Junction city about 11 years ago. Welcome to the site, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do....
Hi: Vicky here and we live in the boonies near Pendleton. :} I am enjoying the site so far. It is one of my first stops in the mornings. http://www.smallfarmshare.com
We raise Nubians,LaManchas,Obers, Boers and crosses. You can see some of them on our site if you like. This year we had a bumper crop. Out of 3 Does we got 10 kids!!! 2 more to go. :} http://www.smallfarmshare.com
wow, how many males and females? The last year we had our sheep we had a REALLY good year, 10 females and only 2 males... It broke our hearts to sell them... I can't wait to get some more... Do you milk your goats? Do you like drinking the milk?
6 Bucklings and 4 doelings.2 boys are keepers, the others will be raised for meat. Yes I do milk them. I make cheese and my family drinks the milk. I do not like milk of any kind. :} I also sell the milk.
vicky http://www.smallfarmshare.com
I never much cared for the plain milk. I do like the cheese if it is done properly and isn't too strong... I am pretty picky when it comes to "strong" goat, deer, or sheep (that's why I like hair sheep vs. wool sheep) flavors. But I am hoping to find a good milking goat so my children can have fresh milk. It is so much cheaper to have a goat then a cow, and the milk is supposed to be better for you as well...
If you are going to get a milker, may I suggest a Nubian as their milk is the best tasting and the richest. There are proper ways to handle goat milk so you don't get a goaty flavor to it. First, make sure to wipe the doe's udder with a baby wipe before you milk her, then milk into a stainless steel milk pail and put the pail into a bowl of ice water right away in the barn. Then bring it into the house and strain then refridgerate. Goats milk must be cooled quickly to taste the best. Also be careful what you feed the doe. I personally feed Alfalfa hay and they have pasture. The milkers also get a grain mix when they are on the milkstand. They have a good goat mineral, baking soda and kelp free choice. Fresh water is a must and of course lots of love. :}
why do you feed them baking soda? My parents had goats and when they milked they used a staneless steel bucket, washed the udders with bleach, dish soap, and water mixture, wiped and dried with a paper towel. To cool the milk they would take a small plastic soda bottle or a small water bottle filled with water and froze it they would put that right into the bucket so the milk would get instant cool... The milk they had never tasted very good, but I think it was because they had Toggenburghs (SP?) and Alpines. And they had the bucks close (in a different pen) I don't think that helped anything either....
Yes you are right. The bucks need to be as far away from the milkers as possible and yes I've heard that Toggs don't have very good tasting milk. They have the baking soda free choice and just eat what they seem to need. It helps keep their rumen working well. I use ice water as it seems to cool the milk faster than just ice. :} http://www.smallfarmshare.com
I have mine brought to me from a friend in Seattle but you can get it locally at the feed store across from the Grain Growers in Walla or sometimes in Hermiston at the feed stores.What kind of goats do you have? I am not far from you.
Hello,
My name is Erin. What part of Oregon are you from? I have family in Eugene and we used to live in Junction city about 11 years ago. Welcome to the site, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do....
Hi: Vicky here and we live in the boonies near Pendleton. :} I am enjoying the site so far. It is one of my first stops in the mornings.
http://www.smallfarmshare.com
What kind of goats do you have? I grew up raising hair sheep, my sisters had goats (Toggenburgs and Alpines).
We raise Nubians,LaManchas,Obers, Boers and crosses. You can see some of them on our site if you like. This year we had a bumper crop. Out of 3 Does we got 10 kids!!! 2 more to go. :}
http://www.smallfarmshare.com
wow, how many males and females? The last year we had our sheep we had a REALLY good year, 10 females and only 2 males... It broke our hearts to sell them... I can't wait to get some more... Do you milk your goats? Do you like drinking the milk?
6 Bucklings and 4 doelings.2 boys are keepers, the others will be raised for meat. Yes I do milk them. I make cheese and my family drinks the milk. I do not like milk of any kind. :} I also sell the milk.
vicky
http://www.smallfarmshare.com
I never much cared for the plain milk. I do like the cheese if it is done properly and isn't too strong... I am pretty picky when it comes to "strong" goat, deer, or sheep (that's why I like hair sheep vs. wool sheep) flavors. But I am hoping to find a good milking goat so my children can have fresh milk. It is so much cheaper to have a goat then a cow, and the milk is supposed to be better for you as well...
If you are going to get a milker, may I suggest a Nubian as their milk is the best tasting and the richest. There are proper ways to handle goat milk so you don't get a goaty flavor to it. First, make sure to wipe the doe's udder with a baby wipe before you milk her, then milk into a stainless steel milk pail and put the pail into a bowl of ice water right away in the barn. Then bring it into the house and strain then refridgerate. Goats milk must be cooled quickly to taste the best. Also be careful what you feed the doe. I personally feed Alfalfa hay and they have pasture. The milkers also get a grain mix when they are on the milkstand. They have a good goat mineral, baking soda and kelp free choice. Fresh water is a must and of course lots of love. :}
why do you feed them baking soda? My parents had goats and when they milked they used a staneless steel bucket, washed the udders with bleach, dish soap, and water mixture, wiped and dried with a paper towel. To cool the milk they would take a small plastic soda bottle or a small water bottle filled with water and froze it they would put that right into the bucket so the milk would get instant cool... The milk they had never tasted very good, but I think it was because they had Toggenburghs (SP?) and Alpines. And they had the bucks close (in a different pen) I don't think that helped anything either....
Yes you are right. The bucks need to be as far away from the milkers as possible and yes I've heard that Toggs don't have very good tasting milk. They have the baking soda free choice and just eat what they seem to need. It helps keep their rumen working well. I use ice water as it seems to cool the milk faster than just ice. :}
http://www.smallfarmshare.com
Where do you get your kelp? I've been searching for a good source close by...I live in Walla Walla, WA, about an hour from Pendleton, OR.
I have mine brought to me from a friend in Seattle but you can get it locally at the feed store across from the Grain Growers in Walla or sometimes in Hermiston at the feed stores.What kind of goats do you have? I am not far from you.
can you use kelp off the beach?
No. It is not suitable.If I remember right, it has other things in it that is not good for them. Also not clean.
Vicky
http://www.smallfarmshare.com