Monday, May 30, 2011

Testing

Cora Belle is on milk test. This is where you milk the goat under supervision of a certified herd tester. Then the tester weighs the milk and takes a sample to send to WDHIA for analyzing things like butterfat, somatic cell count, etc.
Luckily I have a really smart herd tester, Cathy, who I like to call the goat judge. I'm a herd tester too and even after taking the class several times my paperwork comes back all scratched out and corrected. Not my tester. Her paperwork comes back with everything in the proper place.

And there is a lot of paperwork to keep it all official.



Then under the watchful eye of the milk tester, Cathy, I milk every last drop out of Cora Belle in the morning and exactly 12 hours later in the evening.



That means Cathy must come all the way back and watch me milk and collect the second sample.

The milk is weighed. Blurry picture, good weight!



A sample is drawn, filling the container half way to leave room for the evening milk sample. Then it will be sent to the lab. In a few days I will receive a breakdown of her milk and the amount will be recorded. When she dries off, WDHIA will send the information to ADGA and hopefully she will earn herself a star by her name.



At the end of the day, Cora Belle milked 6.4 lbs of sweet candy milk so tomorrow I'm making cheese.

7 comments:

Danni said...

"Sweet candy milk" sounds delicious. What does it mean if she gets a star next to her name?

Christine said...

It really does sound delicious. I wish my Daisy had milking asperations. Sadly she has informed me she's really not into that sort of thing.

Teresa said...

Very impressive. I love the way you call it "sweet candy milk."

Marigold said...

That CoraBelle. She gets a star from us no matter whether they give her one or not. Is she going to go into competition with Jammies for the sweetest candiest milk ever?

goatgirl said...

Danni, Here is a good explanation of Nigerian milk and a Star Milker.
http://www.blythmoor.com/milk.htm

Marigold, since Jammies hasn't kidded yet I think Cora Belle is on top for the sweet candy milk.

goatgirl said...

BTW Christine, I bet there are "certain times" when she could be persuaded:)

Cathy said...

It's not all that far of a trip to come and test. Cora Belle is a sweetie. And best of all, I get to talk to a grown up for a change!

Cora Belle is doing better than some standard sized goats I have tested. I can't wait to see how she does for the run of her lactation!