How to Chug Milk!  The Horsey Way!

Today you’re going to meet one of my favorite 4-legged hay burner (horse) friends!  This is “Missy” or  rather “Rhinestones Miss America,” to the Tennessee Walking Horse World.  Like us, they have their real names and their nick names, but on a daily basis she is Missy to us.

Missy is going to be 3 years old pretty soon. A few years ago (2 and a half to be exact) I sold a home to some folks that were moving here from Nevada.  Like most people with livestock, it’s usually always more than one trip to move anywhere when you have critters.  They either come first (if someone will take care of them) or they come later (if someone back home will take care of them.)  And if you’re selling and then buying, sometimes timelines necessitate getting the animals moved some time before your current home sells, just so you can clean up and do what you need to do.

So, we ended up with a few boarders for a month or so.  A couple of those boarders were their milk goats.  As anyone who has milk supplying animals knows: usually when you have milk, you always have way too much milk. It usually gets fed to most anything that will drink it.  So, during that time, young Missy  had just been weaned from her mom.  Now years ago, as a kid growing up, my mare that I had at that time used to drink goat milk, since we had a bunch of goats (lots of lactose intolerant children, so nothing better then goats milk) .  So we decided to try and offer her some.

    Now you will find that once an animal has “sucked” milk from its mother, getting it to turn to drinking milk out of a bucket is a project.  And not always a successful project.   Don’t ask me how they can learn to drink water but can’t slurp milk out of a bucket, but young Missy said “Thank You” for the milk and swallowed it right up.

Well, those goats were here for about 6 weeks and then they went home.  As they left, so did her milk supply.  No more milk for baby Missy.

Well, about a month ago, we were lambing like crazy and ended up with several bummers (lost there mom).  I decided, then, we should add some goats back into the farm. Since I hate feeding lambs formula (as I just don’t like how they look on it). And, I have to be honest I am somewhat of a natural nut and I hate feeding any products with words in them that I can’t pronounce.  

 So, we added two beautiful Sable milk goats, Ella and Stella. Now, just so you know, goats are like potato chips and you can’t have just one. Actually, they get a little lonely as one and don’t milk as good as they can unless you have a couple.  Most livestock is like that, and that’s part of the reason that you always see a bunch of something in someones yard. It has to do with part collector and part needing a buddy.

As we are drowning in milk (because those 2 girls are very happy here and are both giving almost 2 gallons of milk each per day) I wondered the other day, as I had finished milking Stella, “where I am I going to put another gallon of milk? My fridge is overflowing, the lambs are ready to explode, and the baby pigs aren’t here yet.” Then ole Missy gave a nicker to say “Hi.”“I wonder if she remembers how to drink milk?”  

As you watch her video, I believe we can say adamantly that, “Yes” she remembers how to drink milk.

Now for you kids, just so you know, as the milk comes out of the goat and hits the bottom of the pan, it creates foam.  It turns back into milk as the foam collapses once it’s been out for a little while, but as its coming out, it does create about an inch or 2 of foam on the top of the milk in the pan. Since she actually has to dip her head down into the foam to get the milk, that is what she is wearing all over her face.

Missy has her milk every night now for dinner.  She waits patiently looking through the crack of her door as she watches me milk the goat and get her  evening snack for her.  I guess I should get her some horse cookies, then she could have milk and cookies before bed each night.

And that my friends is how you unload a gallon of milk in less than 2 minutes flat.  Happy chugging and I hope you all have “Got Milk!”