Opening Day

Today was opening day in the parlor - this is an event! 

We clean, scrub, and wipe down some more!  The parlor is a white room, and we consider it "secondary clean"   as in cleaner than the barn...but not 100% sterile -  if that makes sense - the parlor has two large doors that open, and opens to the barn - via a small "cat door " 

This was our Easter weekend and had a few more kids born too! 

The parlor is where we milk with the machines - we also keep feed in here, miscellaneous. supplies,  it's a large space - 16x20 apx. 

Has have had many remodels over the years as well - 

We feed a mix of rice bran, a protein pellet and my own version of "chaffhay" fermented alfalfa - nutrition is # 1 with goats! 

Opening Day means - there are kids old enough to be separated overnight, just overnight, from apx. 5 pm to 9 am -  These kids are young ruminants, meaning they are eating some solid foods and hay - and can be without milk 24 per day - pictured in a comfy stall within the same room as there dams - they talk to each other - 

Milking the does, just in the AM till the kids are 9 - 12 weeks old - old enough to not need milk anymore - Very case by case, kid by kid basis, single kids grow faster than twins, for example.  

Kidding season goes for 3 months here - so it is ever changing status - moving does into the main barn (next to parlor) with kids old enough - while we have younger ones uptop - it's a process....a long process....