Yep, the freezers are emptying quickly.
The photo above shows the two top shelves of the commercial freezer in my shop. We also have a freezer in our laundry room, one in the barn, and one 1/2 full at a friend’s house. All are empty except for the freezer at the friend’s house.
One small goat kid can consume 4-20 ounces bottles of milk a day. Multiply 80 ounces a day by 10 kids (give or take) and the freezer doesn’t stay full long!
Remember the goat milk transportation going on a year or so ago (here)? There will be no need for it this season.
Cleaning the freezers will now be a breeze…that is a plus!
Milk replacer is now being introduced at a ration of 1/2 milk replacer/water, 1/2 milk.
And there is still enough fresh milk for soap and lotion, barely.
The kids are certainly a lot of fun. They are a lot of work. And I do enjoy them while they are little. They do not stay that way long. They are a blessing.
You might ask, why bottle kids? Sometimes unplanned things happen. I had a lot of triplets this year, for starters, the third in a set just do not get fed well, and sometimes the third is a weaker kid. Other factors were involved as well. Just call me the Goat Milk Bottle Queen. It seems to be my job each spring.
Have a beautiful day!
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
hardest part for me with bottle babies is giving them up (if it is a male we wether and sell) – they get so attached to us. Do you do bottles or one of those multi feeder buckets? It is wonderful to have the babies and then we get tired enough it is wonderful when they get independent.
Linda Sue, yes, when they reach a certain age it is a lot of work because they can be very clingy. A goat = always thinks they are hungry, and we become THE BOTTLE. Ha ha ha!
Our children and I one year fed 40 bum lambs with baby bottles. I got so I could hold two between my legs and one in each hand. Never again! Last year we used a lumbar bucket for the first time for our kids. Oh how I love that lumbar bucket. Why wasn’t I smart enough to get one years ago I’ll never know. Hopefully you don’t have too many bottle babies this year.
easylivingthehardway.blogspot.com
I will admit, I have not reached that smart level yet! Actually, we had planned on just a few bottle kids this year. I have 14 at this point. I feed 3 at a time, from the bottle…and because of the number, need to seriously consider a bucket. Love your title EasyLivingTheHardWay. I have bookmarked and will be visiting!
I use a bucket feeder, too. But hand feeding is more rewarding. Ah that is IF I have the time. Bucket feeding solves that problem.
I also have a frame that holds four bottles that I hook onto the fence. That works fine, too; if you have only four babies. So it’s back to the bucket feeder.
I’ve found that if I let them nurse on their mama they won’t nurse from a bottle. One difference is that her teats hang straight down whereas the bucket feeder is perpendicular to the bucket where the nipple can poke a little guy in the eye.
Ahhhhh the learning curve. 🙂
Pat, I haven’t had too much problems with the switching from the momma to the bottle. I had to switch one this week. He looked fairly starved, even though his brother is a fat rolly polly.
I know, it is a challenge…perhaps not so much a learning curve. Ha.
Yes freezers do empty fast especially the goat milk when you are raising goat kids on bottles but we don’t have to worry about that here anymore.
Amy