Milking Hazelnut

I had to share this picture with you--this goat is Hazelnut, a very healthy, productive, but incredibly vocal Nubian who was barely saved from death-by-hypothermia as a Spring newborn several years ago, and now lives with my friend Mark, seen milking here! It is fun to see where my kids end up in the world.

No kids for us this Spring, as many have asked. I breed my girls every other year, milking them for two years at a time. Although over time milk supply does diminish, my two milkers (Autumn and Sula) are still giving me a gallon a day between them, and their milk supply has just gone up a bit over that--I think from the Spring weather (which we really are having, despite a weekly snowstorm still). I think it is good to give the girls a break from pregnancy, and I don't need to max out their milk production to get what I need for my soap and my family. I have been making chevre this week with the extra milk--we can't possibly eat it all ourselves, but it makes lovely gifts for friends, who, bless them, can't believe their good fortune at getting homemade goat cheese in 8oz jars!

Happy Spring!