Right now working on the ranch is fun for the kids. Little do they know we're grooming them for the heavy work.
The eldest's hands are almost big enough to milk the goats, but unfortunately it will be a few years before she can carry the heavy Babson Milker I use to milk the cows.
When they put out 2 gallons at a time, that sucker gets really heavy!! It's faster and cleaner using the Babson than milking by hand, but it's a bugger to carry and clean.
Right now they collect the eggs, some even make it in the house without being dropped or squished from being held too tightly. Sometimes collecting is more fun than others because the chickens either get lazy and lay their eggs wherever the mood strikes them, or they like to pretend they are the Easter bunny and hides them. This egg was laid in the cow barn.
I'll just be happy when they can scoop poo from the barns without coating themselves with it!!
Nice post. Enjoy them while they are little! They grow up too fast! My girls are 19 & 17 and I started them out early too....a good work ethic will take them far in life! Blessings from Wisconsin!
ReplyDeleteWhere did you buy your milker? How much did it cost? I am interested in getting goats but I would prefer not to milk them by hand.
ReplyDeleteWe got the Babson off ebay, it was reasonably priced(<$100), but the vacuum pump was the expensive part (>$800). But there are smaller milkers for goats, I tried Maggidan's milkers ($40) and the Henry milker ($140). Neither really worked on my goats, although others rave about them. I am only milking 3 goats right now so I haven't hooked up the Babson to them yet, but I have the stuff for it if I milk more than these 3.
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