When people keep goats on the farm or homestead, most are keeping them for milking. Although some may keep a couple of dairy goats for pets, for work, or for packing (discussed further in Chapter 12), the majority of farms, homesteads, and households keep dairy goats for their milk.
Keeping milk goats will require you to set aside space and equipment that you wouldn’t need with meat goats. It also means that you must keep a schedule, as your goats must be milked at the same times each day. And in order to be able to milk, the does do have to kid, usually every year. I say usually, as some goats (and some goat breeds) can continue to milk without kidding every year. In fact, I knew of a goat that was still milking well over three years after its last kid. While this is not the norm (and yearly kidding is), it is something that can happen, but that should not be an expectation.
When you have milk goats, especially several of them, you will need a milking parlor. This is simply a separate space from where the goat stays that holds the milking equipment and serves as a clean space to milk your goats. This room can be part of your barn; it does not have to be a separate building. If you do not have a separate room in your barn, you can select an area and wall it off. If you are only milking a few goats, a single-door room would be plenty. In this way, you can create your milking parlor without having to add on. Just make sure you allow plenty of room for the equipment.
Milking your goats can seem difficult or confusing at the outset, but the proper equipment will make it easier and more manageable.
A doe’s milk production will change as time goes on. Its prime milking time will be from kidding time to six months after kidding, when, depending on the goat, it will produce up to a gallon of milk per day. At six to eight months following kidding, does can produce approximately two to three quarts of milk per day, after which they may go down to approximately one quart of milk per day. (A Nigerian Dwarf Goat, for comparison, will produce approximately two quarts per day at peak.)
Once the milking is done, the milk must be quickly chilled to below 40°F. This must be done within the hour. For small amounts (from just a few family goats), an ice bath should work fine. Putting the fresh warm milk into the refrigerator will not cool the milk down fast enough. There are commercial coolers available, but unless you are cooling six or more gallons a day, this is not a necessity. However, it will make the cooling process go much easier for the larger amounts.
When you milk goats, whether one or one hundred, you will need equipment. The following is a basic list of what any milking parlor needs:
• Milking stand
• Strainer/filters
• Milk pail
• Sanitizer
• Containers (glass)
• Teat dip and cup
• Udder cream
• Paper towel
• Milking machine (optional)
• Cream separator (optional)
• Pasteurizer (optional)
Now we’ll take a brief look at each piece of equipment.
Milking stand: This is a platform that the doe stands on to be milked. It will be up off the ground, making it easier to milk her. It has a keyhole stanchion that holds her head and a feed dish on the front so she can eat as you milk. Milking stands may be metal or wood, and can be either purchased commercially or built on the farm (links for plans are included in the “Resources” section of this book.)
Once a doe is accustomed to the routine, it will usually climb right onto the stand and put its head into the stanchion on its own (of course with feed in place) and quietly nibble as you milk.
Strainer and filters: Used to strain/filter the fresh milk. Stainless steel is best to use, as it is easiest to clean and sanitize. However, some have found that canning funnels with reusable coffee filters (that can be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized) or disposable paper filters work as well. Some still use cheesecloth for straining.
Milk pail: Usually a small, seamless pail used to hold the milk. If milking by hand, you will milk directly into the milk pail. They are easy to clean and sanitize.
Sanitizer: Used on teats and udders before and after milking.
Containers: These will be used to store your milk. Most keepers prefer glass over plastic, as the plastic can affect the milk’s flavor, and some say that the milk will not last as long. For glass containers, even mason jars will work.
Teat dip and cup: Used on the goats’ teats after milking; with the teat cup, the teats are dipped into the liquid that has been poured into the cup to prevent infection and heal the teat. This helps prevent against mastitis (see Chapter 11).
Udder cream: Used on udders after milking. Prevents chapping and promotes healing of some skin problems.
Paper towel: Used to dry udders and teats after sanitizing.
Commercial goat milking, which focuses on production, uses many of the same techniques the backyard farmer will employ.
The following are options for milk-house equipment:
Milking machine: Unless you have a barn filled with goats or, for some reason, cannot milk by hand, a milking machine will be an expensive purchase that really is not necessary. Basically, a milking machine has cups that attach to the goat’s teats and, through a vacuum that is created by the machine, take the milk from the teats, flowing through attached hoses into an attached container (typically stainless steel).
Even an antique cream separator makes for a valuable investment.
Cream separator: If you want to make butter or want the fresh cream for anything else, a cream separator will make the process of separating the cream from the milk much easier. Although this can also be done by hand, if you can afford a new machine or find a good used one, it will be a worthwhile investment.
Pasteurizer: If all you will be drinking is raw milk, you will most likely not need a pasteurizer. But if you are concerned about bacteria, then you’ll want to gently pasteurize your milk. We will discuss pasteurized milk further in Chapter 8.
All of the equipment mentioned is quite easy to find at farm stores and online stores that cater to goats and their owners. Although some of this equipment can be safely purchased used, you should go over it thoroughly before making your final decision.