How to Milk a Goat by Hand

Milking a goat by hand

Have you ever wanted to milk a goat? Well, it’s not as easy as it looks, and it’s not the same as milking a cow.

But with patience, perseverance, and a willing and lactating participant, you can become the expert goat milker you’ve always wanted to be.

Things You Will Need:

• One or more female goats
• Milking stand
• Feeder
• Grain (or plant leaves,grape if you have any)
• Metal bucket
• Collar/lead
• Washing water in which the washing cloth has been boiled. Dilute with equal parts cold water before using.You could also use one of the several brand of sanitary wipes.

1. Prepare the grain and milk bucket. Put the feeder on the milking stand and place approximately 1 pound of grain in it. Don’t overdo it or your goat will bloat.

2. Catch the goat. If she has a collar, you can either hold onto the collar, or clip a leash onto it and lead her.

3. Separate the milking goat from the other goats. Otherwise, the other goats will be extremely curious and interfere somehow, whether it’s by stealing her grain, or distracting the milking goat, or munching on your shirt.

4. Lead the goat to the milking stand. If she knows the feed is there, she will put her head through the stanchion. Once she does that, clip it closed.

The stanchion should be comfortably loose, but not allow her to slip her head back through once closed. If you get your goat used to the routine, they will easily come up and jump onto the stanchion. No stress involved.

5. Wash down the udder and teats with the sterilized cloth and warm water, wring out cloth and wipe down. This does three things. 1)

It obviously removes dirt, loose hair and piece of manure clinging on. 2) the warmth relaxes the goat and helps with milk letdown, 3) udder massage causes the release of oxytocin, triggering milk letdown.

6 Put the bucket in position

6. Place the bucket on the stand, slightly in front of her udder.

7 Trap the milk in the teat

7. Wrap your thumb and forefinger around the base of the teat tightly enough to trap the milk inside the teat.

8. Squeeze with your middle finger, then your ring finger, and then your pinky, in one smooth, successive motion.

Remember to keep your grip tight on the base of the teat, or else instead of going into the bucket, the milk will slip right back up into the udder. (NOTE: Milk going back up into the udder might cause infection.)

Also, be sure to direct the first squeeze from each teat (which may contain dirt and bacteria) outside the bucket-either on the ground or at a waiting, eager cat (or cat dish…).

another note: dont pull on the teat! This will hurt the goat, causing her to try to pull her head out and probably step in the pail.

9. With some goats you may have to learn to use fewer fingers

10. Relax your grip on the base of the teat to allow milk to refill the teat.

11. Repeat steps 6-8, with one hand on each teat. Alternate, with one teat being squeezed while the other refills. With practice, you will find an efficient rhythm.

12. Stop when you see that there isn’t much milk left. The teats will be flaccid, with almost a “deflated” appearance. Massage the udder to release the remaining milk. You should get another 4-8 ounces.

The finished product

13. Take the bucket away, and put it somewhere that it won’t get knocked over by a curious or oblivious goat.

14. Use a teat dip (iodine solution) after you are done milking.

This will keep bacteria away from the teats, thereby keeping your goat healthier.

15. Grab the goat’s collar (or attach a leash) and unclip the stanchion.

16. Lead her back to her pen, and give her a nice scratch underneath her chin.

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Tips

• A goat has one udder and two teats. The teats are what you squeeze to get the milk out of. Many people mistakenly refer to the
  

  Ready to be Milked

  teats as “udders.” An animal with more than one udder is an extraordinary animal indeed.

• Milking out a goat by hand is much more strenuous than milking out a cow, even though a cow has twice as many teats and a lot more milk. That’s because a goat’s teats are much “tougher.” [Some of us question this...] You may need to take a break here and there, or alternate with someone else [Com'on], until your hands build the necessary strength to milk out a goat in one sitting-and it will happen, if you practice daily.
• If the goat lifts her leg in an effort to scrape off your nuisance of a hand on her teat, one way to discourage this is to stop milkingbut keep your hand on the teat. Keep your hand on it until she puts her hoof back firmly down. This will show her that she can’t shake you off that easily.

• Make sure the goat has enough grain to keep her entertained while you milk her. If she runs out, only goats with the calmest temperaments will wait patiently for you to finish. But do not give excess grain to a goat. She will get scours (goat diarrhea). You do not want that.
• Don’t rely on just your hand strength. A half twist to the teat up near the udder will help seal off the top. Do not pull or twist the

  A Goat Being Milked

  teat. It causes pain to the goat, and problems for you!

• It is important to wash the udder off before you start milking. This will remove dirt and skin that can flake off the udder into the bucket of milk. The warm water also relaxes the udder and releases the milk.
• If the milk gets low, try massaging the udder for thirty seconds. You will get quite a lot more milk out.

Warnings

• Most,but not all goats kick, and they kick hard. Don’t bring your face too close to the bucket, unless you don’t mind the risk of getting a tooth knocked out.

• As with all animals, never, ever yell at, hit, or otherwise abuse the goat while she’s being milked. The key is to make milking a positive experience, one that she will welcome, not dread. A nervous goat is a force to be reckoned with.

• Better yet, never, ever yell at, hit, or otherwise abuse the goat period!! It will be more willing to let you do anything to it.

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