I choose to bottle raise my kids on pasteurized milk for two reasons.
1) Bottle raised kids are generally much easier to handle. They associate people with food and are less skittish than dam raised kids.
2) Pasteurization kills the virus causing CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis) This virus doesn't affect humans, but it can be debilitating to
goats.
Here are some supplies you will need. A thermos, candy thermometer, a measuring cup and a funnel. I got this funnel set from Hoegger's Dairy Supply, and it has been one of my most used kitchen items. You can screw the funnel off the bottom and add on a screen to use it like a strainer. Very worth purchasing! You'll also need a tea kettle and a double boiler type set up.
Colostrum is touchy stuff, if you get it too hot then you'll end up with a very unappetizing and useless pudding. First I heat up my tea kettle of water, when it comes to a boil then pour it into your thermos to pre-heat it. Next set up your double boiler. As you can see, mine is creatively made. (polite terminology for rigged)
Heat the colostrum to 130*, make sure you stir occasionally. When it reaches the proper temperature dump the hot water out of your thermos and put the colostrum in. This is where the funnel or measuring cup would come in handy. Close up the thermos and set your timer for 1 hour.
When your time is up, your colostrum is pasteurized and ready to use.
This is Baco, she gave birth to 2 beautiful doe kids this evening. Baco is a registered Alpine doe.
No comments:
Post a Comment