Milking our goats has easily become my favorite chore on the farm. Sure, it can definitely be frustrating at times, but there is something so rewarding about bringing your pail full of delicious milk back inside.
Materials:
- Milk Stand
- Feeder
- Stainless Steel Pail
- Udder wipes
- Milk Strainer & Filters
- Jars & Lids
- Homemade Teat dip or balm
- Strip cup (optional)
- Hobbles (optional)
Milk Stand
Some people view this as optional and really, I guess it is, but it can make your whole milking experience so much more enjoyable. Personally, I like having a milk stand because my goats can’t dance around while I am trying to milk like they can if they were on the ground. Our homemade milk stand can be seen below. When it comes to milk stands, you can buy one online, find someone local who builds them, or you can build it yourself. If you choose to build it yourself, there are tons of free plans online to help!
Feeder
A feeder is great for exactly what it sounds like – it feeds your goats while you are milking. Food keeps goats distracted while you do your thing, which is great because if they are not busy eating then they are probably busy dancing around and stepping in your milk pail.
Stainless Steel Pail
It is important that you have a stainless steel SEAMLESS pail when you milk. If you have a pail with a seam, it is easy for bacteria and dirt to hide away in. A seamless pail makes it much easier to make sure that everything is nice and clean for your milk. I know that it is tempting to just grab a plastic bucket or tupperware from the kitchen, but don’t do it! The bacteria can get into the plastic and spoil your milk. Just trust me and use a stainless steel bucket. A few of my favorites are below. I have Mini Nubians, so I personally like the larger pails, but if you have a dwarf breed then the small pail works great for that!
Udder Wipes
Before you start milking, you want to make sure that your doe’s udder is nice and clean. You can do this by making homemade udder wipes or buying some online. You’ll want to wipe down the udder really well in order to prevent dirt and debris from falling into your milk pail. For my wipes, I use an old towel that I have cut into small rags. I just dip the rag into my homemade udder wash and clean the udder that way. Rags are great, because you can just throw them into the wash when you are done. If you want to find out how to make your own natural udder wipes, click here.
Milk Strainer & Filter
What you use for this is really up to you. Some people feel comfortable milking straight into a pail and then filtering the milk when they pour it into a jar. Personally, I like to use cheesecloth on my milking pail so that I get a first filter when I am milking and then use a stainless steal mesh filter when I pour into a jar. That way my milk is being filtered twice before going into the fridge. I have seen people use coffee filters, stainless steel mesh filters, cheesecloth, etc to filter their milk, so use what you think is best for you.
Jars & Lids
This one is pretty self explanatory. You need somewhere to store all of this milk and mason jars with reusable lids is what works the best for us!
Homemade Teat Dip & Udder Balm
When you are done milking, you are leaving the orifice of the teat exposed to dirt and bacteria. In order to help protect the teat and help prevent mastitis, you can use a homemade teat dip. This is a quick and easy step. All you have to do is dip the teat into your solution and you’re done. If you want, you can also make or buy an udder balm. The udder balm will help moisturize the udder. Coconut oil is also good natural moisturizer that you can use as an udder balm. (Homemade teat dip recipe coming soon!)
Hobbles
These are optional. Hobbles are typically used when you have a reluctant goat that does not want to be milked. If you don’t want to buy a hobble, I have seen people use an old dog leash. You can loop the leash around one of the does ankles and lift their leg into the air. This should discourage them dancing around while you are milking.
Strip Cup
A strip cup is optional. A lot of people will use some sort of cup to capture the first few squirts of milk from each teat. These first few squirts will flush out most of the bacteria. If your does has clumps or blood coming out in these first few squirts of milk, she probably has mastitis, so be on the look for that too!
I like to squirt these first bits of milk into a metal dog bowl and let our dogs or barn cats enjoy the milk. You can also just squirt the milk onto the ground. It is really up to you!