I was wondering how everyone milks ? Do you wash the teats first ? If so with what ? How about after milking do you use a dip ? How long does it take you to milk ? One or two teats at once ?

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), May 09, 2000

Answers

And I forgot , what breed do you have ?

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), May 09, 2000.

My Nubian milk goat, Tempest, is very cooperative and patient. She hops right up there on the stand, and I sit on a bucket next to her. I don't use a dip, wet rag, etc., just massage her udder and underbelly for no more than a minute with my hand, to get off any loose hair or pieces of straw or whatever. I milk her into a 2-quart Ball jar, which she nearly fills. (She was culled out of a dairy herd because of her low production, but it's just enough for us!) It takes me less than 5 minutes to milk her. Then I let her out of the stand and put her back in the pen. Oh, and I ALWAYS tell her "thank you" after I milk her. Then I take the milk inside, filter it, and put it in the fridge. Currently, we have an orpahn lamb & goat who get all the milk, but when I milk for our own consumption, I do it the same way.

-- Shannon (Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary) (gratacres@aol.com), May 09, 2000.

I usually milk with two hand, both teats at once,unless the doe is young and restless, or is kicking, in which case I hold the leg closer to me with my left hand, and milk with the right hand.A lot of how long milking takes depends on the goat, her personality, and the size and shape of her teats. I have some that will milk out 2 or 3 quarts very quickly, within a minute or two, and others that seem to take forever. Seems like the hardest ones to milk are also the crabby ones that eat fast and then want to kick while you have only started to empty the udder!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), May 09, 2000.

Hi Patty,

We raise registered Alpines, both French and American. I usually wipe the udder and teats with a anitbacterial baby wipe... I am allergic to iodine. Never was til I got older. Then I milk using both hands and in rythm. I then wipe the bag again after I finish and then let them out to pasture, out the back door. I wash my hands and go to the next. It takes me anywhere from 5 minutes to 10 or more depending on if its a first freshner, small teats, etc. I hate finger milking! One of these days I'd like to get a milking machine.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), May 09, 2000.

Hi Patty, Nubains (almost dispersed in LaMancha's) I also use wet ones, the ones from Walmart. Milking is my thinking time, so sometimes I milk in rhythm other times both teats at the same time, when my left hand gets tired I milk with the right, I message the udder when the milk starts to decrease and again when there is no milk. I spray the teats, to close the orifice. A chem, horse sprayer plastic bottle, filled with water and about 3 tablespoons of bleach. She gets to stay on the milk stand until she has finished her grain. I do other things while she is up there. When we were milking by machine I always strip tested the milk of each teat of each doe. Now milking by hand I don't do this anymore. The girls love the more individual attention they get now, and have impressive milk weights far above what they were milking before, but perhaps its just because there is so many less of them! Probably takes 2 or 3 min. for first fresheners and 4 or 5 min. for adults. Now my daughters old LaMancha that we put down this year, had orifices so small it took at least 10 minutes to milk out her 3 quarts, twice a day. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 10, 2000.

Yes, wet ones to start here too. I finish with aerosol spray bac. I grew up milking 4 cows 2 times a day, every day for 12 years, so I'm a 2 handed milker as fast as I can go! :-) Never timed myself, but I finish well before the doe is done with her grain and give her a good brushing. We raise Oberhasli.

-- Jim Roberts (jroberts1@cas.org), May 10, 2000.

I have a new Saanen , she fusses a bit , but is getting better .I get anywhere from 2-3 qts each milking .I don't use a wash , but might start .Do any of you pasturize before drinkling ?

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), May 10, 2000.

Hi Patty, no we don't pasturise house milk, nobody likes the taste. We do pasturise for kid milk. Then we are also milking homegrown does mostly, and don't sell milk from does until out of quaranteen. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 10, 2000.

Hi Patty, I have a Toggenburg doe, first freshener. I use a baby buut wipe to wash her udder, tie her left rear leg in with a rope,(she keeps lifting it and has knocked the milk over twice!), give her grain, milk the first five strokes on each teat into a cup, then milk into the milk can using both hands. After I have gotten about a quart she gets antsy, and I have to give her a minute, then I finish out her two quarts or so, put a little hand lotion on her udder and send her on her way. She is a double let down girl, so she takes about 15 minutes to milk. I hope she decides to let it all go at once very soon!

-- Doreen Davenport (livinginskin@yahoo.com), May 10, 2000.

I am so glad you mentioned double let downs. I have a few does that are heavy milkers that do this. I always try to remember to mention this to newbies starting out as if you were not aware of it you'd think the doe was done milking. I also like to massage every does udder and teats before I stop milking to get every drop... yes.. I'm a bit greedy. *grin*

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), May 10, 2000.

I've had a few with tiny orifices and they finished eating before I had them milked out. Then the fidgeting and kicking would begin. I just got a couple of smooth rocks, washed them and put them in the feed pan. It slowed down the fast eaters and made milking easier all around. Then I'd take the rocks out for the slower eaters. Of course there was always the temptation to use the rocks a different way but.....

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), May 11, 2000.

Marilyn, that's a good idea, about the rocks -- though I've had more problems the other way, with does that took forever to finish their grain. How do you hurry them up, I wonder?!? :-)

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 11, 2000.