Questions about milk & cream

[Baymule]

I wish it would stop raining long enough for me to go fishing, lol.

I am a firm believer in milk-sharing with kids. I usually don't start until the kids are a couple weeks old. Then, I milk on MY schedule. I've got a doe out there now who refuses to dry up - so even with her 8 month old kids I can still sneak a little milk here and there. Seriously have to get those kids weaned!

I don't have a separator like Mini has, so I just skim cream off the top when it separates. Butter is white and very mild tasting. Goat cream is the best thing that ever happened to coffee.

Cheese is delicious. Rosemary/garlic chevre is to die for.

One of these days I’m gonna come visit you, milk a goat and seriously consider……..
Drink some milk, have coffee with cream, buttered toast and cheese and crackers.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

One of these days I’m gonna come visit you, milk a goat and seriously consider……..

I'll save a wild one for ya, lol!

 

[Baymule]

I'll save a wild one for ya, lol!

I know you would! 😀😀😀

 

[dairydreams]

Thank you all so much for the replies! I truly appreciate it. I hate to say it but I'm not any closer to deciding which direction to go! I did however find a somewhat local breeder of both Jerseys and Mini Nubians who invited me to her farm to see how she operates. She also has limited acreage. I'm hoping to do that soon and will (hopefully) have a better idea of which direction to head into. There are such significant pros and cons with both animals!

I do have a question though about poop A "big" concern of mine...what do y'all do with all the doo doo? In a small dry lot with a cow, does the manure pile up? I might be able to do two small pens for a cow (or cow/calf pair), maybe two sacrifice lots that I could rotate on to clean the other up...I am just concerned about how often I need to do that. With goats the plan would be to run to fenced in areas in the woods, split those into 8 pens or so total each maybe 20ft sq, and rotate on those. If I did that would I have to worry about cleaning manure, if say we switched them every week or so, or twice a week...? Or would it be ok to leave it to have it decompose into the earth?

*edited to add--we would have a small herd, probably 3-4 goats max.

I'm also kicking around the idea of running goats first through a more substantial part of the woods, then trying to seed it and turn it into silvopasture...

Another potential option is to ask our neighbors if we could use some of their pasture for cows. The adjoining lot is about 10 open acres of grass and they don't live there. We don't really have a relationship so to speak, we only approached them once about purchasing some additional acreage behind us (a second 6 acre lot of just woods) but they politely declined. The property has been in their family for generations so they are aren't willing to sell....but maybe rent part of the pasture or barter for milk and eggs...? I'll have to contact them again maybe....

 

[SageHill]

Umm you said:

split those into 8 pens or so total each maybe 20ft sq,

20sq ft is not a lot. You must be missing some zeros right??

 

[Mini Horses]

Go visit the farm you mention -- at least we've given you things to ask about 🥰

 

[farmerjan]

I see by your avatar that you are in the Va Appalachian foothills... you can PM me (little envelope top right) if you want and tell me where... maybe I can help you by looking at your place from a different view point. Or have this person you have found that you want to go look at their place... come to your place and tell you honestly what they think might work or not... and understand that it is for the best interest of the animals to have something that will work. Also, I question the 20 sq feet ... That is only a 4x5 pen... that is not adequate for an animal... definitely not enough for several..... for more than penning overnight or something like that...
Not trying to burst your bubble...

Approaching the neighbor about renting pasture is a good idea... anything is possible... just keep in mind that you need to be aware of fencing laws in your area... and that keeping the animals contained is the goal even if you are in a fence out county.... because you are liable for damages to others property.... and you sure do not want anyone wandering all over the neighborhood...
We rent several places... a word to the wise... WRITTEN LEASE... agreed to by both.... signed and both having copies.... because if there are problems, you have to have something legal to stand on...
No one has to feel threatened or uncomfortable with it,,, and most insurance companies require a written lease.... make sure your insurance will cover you having animals like that.... there are liabilities.... and you don't want to find out the hard way that you are not covered if something unthinkable happens....

 

[dairydreams]

Umm you said:

20sq ft is not a lot. You must be missing some zeros right??

i.e. 20 feet squared each pen, we have two spaces we could do this -- 20 feet deep, then 80-100 feet wide, split into 4 sections of 20x20+, rotate regularly. That could probably be stretched into 30ft sq -- so 8 to10, 30ft squared pens (EACH) to rotate them through (3-4 mini nubians, in theory)

ETA -- yikes I"m sorry that reads like I would rotate them in a 4-5 foot square space! Yikes!!

 

[farmerjan]

20x20 is 400 sq feet...... square footage is length x width...
Big difference....

 

[dairydreams]

Right, "20 foot squared" is not the same as "20 square feet"...