Are your dairy goats running your life? Take back summer vacation without giving up the goat.

The problem with summer vacation is that it takes place right in the middle of peak milk production. The does have kidded, and consistent milking is very important during this time if you want to maintain the quantity of production. Usually, the thought of leaving town this time of year would be enough to give me an anxiety attack. This year is different. This year, I finally have a goat sitter who can handle my girls, giving me the opportunity to get away from the farm for a few days.

Finding The Perfect Goat Sitter

Most livestock can be left in the hands of a competent friend or neighbor without much fuss. Toss some food at them, make sure they have fresh water and clean bedding, and they are set for a few days. Dairy goats are much more problematic.

It is possible to find someone to milk your goats for you, but it is not easy. Milking does are finicky. Sure, some are laid back and will let your neighbor near them with a pail, giving you false hope. Others refuse to have anything to do with strangers. If you can socialize your goats from an early age you might be able to reduce some of this “stranger danger” anxiety, but if you have a drama queen in your herd then you and your goat sitter are in for a world of trouble.

Dairy goats like consistency. They do not appreciate change, and they do not enjoy meeting new people at the milk stand. Even well-behaved goats might refuse to let down their milk, which quickly becomes an uncomfortable situation for all involved.

So how do you get around this? The best way is to have someone familiar with your goats do the milking for you. Not only should your goat sitter be someone with whom your goats are comfortable, but you should have them start milking your goats for a few days before you leave so that your goats are fully adjusted by the time you hit the road. This means more work for your goat sitter and more money from your pocket to pay them, but it is worth the added time and effort.

If you hand milk like I do, then you know that the art of milking takes a little while to master and that each goat requires her own touch to get all of the milk. It will take your goat sitter time to figure that out, which is why you should try and use the same goat sitter for all of your vacations.

The good news is that once you have found a willing and capable milker, you are free to travel to your heart’s content—as long as your goat sitter is available. Finding a goat sitter is the best way to embrace a rural lifestyle without giving up the other parts of your life. Plus, with a goat sitter, romantic weekend getaways again become a possibility—especially if your goat sitter also watches human kids.

Embrace Winter Vacations

Summer vacations make sense when you have kids and want to go someplace as a family, but if you also have dairy goats you might want to think about taking winter vacations if it is economically possible. Unless you milk year round, drying your goats off in the winter gives you a few months of freedom to travel, huddle indoors in the cold, and go through the milk in the freezer.

Staycations

Travelling during the summer is expensive. Gas prices go up, and tourist towns jack up their prices. Instead of letting your goats dictate your life, consider taking a few “staycations” this summer. Take advantage of the area around you and explore some new parts of town, or better yet, build a few bonfires in the backyard and relax without electronic distractions.

Owning dairy goats doesn’t have to sound the death knell on summer vacation. It is possible to enjoy a vacation and still milk your goats, but it requires planning, foresight, and taking the time to find the perfect goat sitter for your herd.