COMPASSIONATE HERD MANAGEMENT
The Milking Process
The does are brought into the milking room, where they eagerly enjoy their breakfast while being milked. We hand-milk each doe on a sanitized stand after thoroughly cleaning the udder. The milk is regularly tested for mastitis, and if detected, we treat the doe and remove her milk from use until it tests clean.
The milk is then transferred from the milk bucket into glass containers and placed in the freezer for 40 minutes for rapid cooling. All equipment is washed and sanitized daily, and deep cleaned according to standard dairy practices.
Our Kids are handled daily
For the first two weeks, the kids stay with their mothers to receive good colostrum. After that, we pull them for bottle feeding 3-4 times a day. This helps maintain the does' udder health and ensures the babies grow up friendly and well-suited to becoming good milkers or valuable members of another farm.
We rotate the does that are in milk to give them breaks, ensuring that we always have a few producing milk so our supply never runs out, even during the winter months!
Ensuring Herd Health and Nutrition
Our herd undergoes regular testing for zoonotic and communicable diseases to ensure the safety of our animals and the herds they join when sold. They are fed a mix of alfalfa and Sudan grasses and are allowed to graze on lush pastures when available. When in milk, the does receive a blend of grain, barley and black oil sunflower seeds, as well as Champion supplement to provide the additional nutrients and vitamins needed for milk production and maintaining their body condition. They also have access to free-choice minerals, rich in copper, and baking soda to support their rumen health.