Well, here we are, about 2 weeks into the new kids on the farm and with our Henry Goat Milker in hand, we(hubby and I) went out to mess with the goat milker. A fruitless adventure, for sure. The darn thing would not make and suction. So, after about 2 hours of messing with it, we got it to hold some pressure and tried again. We got about a teaspoon of milk. We'll hold the kids off her over night once I figure out a side pen for them and try again......
I'm brand new to this goat milking thing so anybody with suggestions or tips is welcome.......
Posts
I've never done it, so I have absolutely no tips. I'm just excited for you!!!! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAwww look at the babies! I love little goats and miss them so much. Wish we had a few now. I never milked so I am no help either. It was always in the plan so I could make cheese and soap but never happened. Can I come play? :)
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying some of the sunshine,
Debbie
Goats give milk? Really?
ReplyDeleteI'm kidding obviously. I just wanted to say how cute the babies are.
I've never raised goats but it seems like I read somewhere that goats have to be "trained" to give milk with a milker. It takes a while to get used to it I believe. I could be totally wrong though.
We pull the kids off and bottle them. It seems to work better, then they don't hold their milk up for the kids. But, we milk by hand.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps. Have a great day!
Milking by hand is easy. It doesnt take all that long either. I just use a rubber band to hold a clean square of sheeting on a container, like a jug or something. I push the cloth down into the jug a bit and then put the rubber band on. Then I just milk right thru the cloth into the jug. My milk stays cleaner and so when I strain it in the house its cleaner. I just get grossed out when things fall into my milk while I am milking. Build a milking stand and go for it.
ReplyDeleteI milked a goat twice a day for two weeks, thats my sole experience. It was by hand so really have little experience with pumps. Does she have a lot of hair around her teats? That would keep them from getting suction. I've heard that breast milk pumps (yes for humans)are wonderful for it though. Just get ones that have a large nipple attachment if she has longer teats. I heard about them being used on goats with very small teats (they couldn't get any suction with an actual goat milker). Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI've milked many a goat, Kat, always by hand. Some milk easier than others. Some have better handles than others. I don't know what yours is like. I left the kids with the momma. Once they were 2 or 3 weeks old, I'd pen them up separate from their momma overnight. Then, I'd milk her in the morning and let the kids have the milk during the day. I continued this way until weaning time (2.5 to 3 months old). I had to keep them separate for a long time or they would go right back to nursing. Milking a goat isn't a whole lot different than milking a cow -- only two handles with a little different shape that work the same. You can do it!
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to pull the kids, I've had luck with separating the kids at night, milking in the morning, & leaving the kids with mom for the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteFor milking; make a circle with your thumb & first finger (as if you were going to draw lips on the finger & thumb, & make it "talk".) The idea is to hold as much of the teat as you can, shut off the milk supply from the top of the teat, and then use the other three fingers to squeeze the milk out of the teat. Release at the top (to allow the milk to fill the teat) & do it again. I learned by reading the Fias Co Farm webpage (extensively, but especially the milking section - http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/milking-sanitation-equipment.html ) and one lesson from a local farmer. Good luck!
Found a nice visual on the Fias Co Farm page - http://fiascofarm.com/goats/how_to_milk_a_goat.htm - using a rubber glove to illustrate!
ReplyDelete