Cookie on the milking stand
Here is where it all begins! Cookie was my first milking goat - she came from
Carolina Caprines where she had just finished weaning a lovely set up
quadruplets (fathered by ZZ Top - the goat, not the group), plus a young
donkey. She is definitely a superb mom! She took to the milking stand very
well - her only request was that I provide her with heated teat dip on cold days
(for which I can't blame her a bit).
I've done a little cheesemaking in the past with store bought milk, but this is my
first experience with milk this fresh! Early experiments included simple cheeses
like panir and lemon cheese.
Later I was able to milk Belev and Reba as well. Some of the milk went to
supplementing goatbabies, the rest to cooking, cheesemaking and (thanks to
a tip from some friends at NC Farm Bureau) ice cream making. Nigerian goat
milk has very high butterfat content (higher than Jersey cow milk) so makes
lovely ice cream!
As the winter season came on the goatmoms were "dried off" for breeding
season. I miss all the milk, but want all of their nutrients to go toward keeping
themselves healthy over the winter and building strong and healthy goatbabies
for Spring!
Carolina Caprines where she had just finished weaning a lovely set up
quadruplets (fathered by ZZ Top - the goat, not the group), plus a young
donkey. She is definitely a superb mom! She took to the milking stand very
well - her only request was that I provide her with heated teat dip on cold days
(for which I can't blame her a bit).
I've done a little cheesemaking in the past with store bought milk, but this is my
first experience with milk this fresh! Early experiments included simple cheeses
like panir and lemon cheese.
Later I was able to milk Belev and Reba as well. Some of the milk went to
supplementing goatbabies, the rest to cooking, cheesemaking and (thanks to
a tip from some friends at NC Farm Bureau) ice cream making. Nigerian goat
milk has very high butterfat content (higher than Jersey cow milk) so makes
lovely ice cream!
As the winter season came on the goatmoms were "dried off" for breeding
season. I miss all the milk, but want all of their nutrients to go toward keeping
themselves healthy over the winter and building strong and healthy goatbabies
for Spring!
