Does anyone milk their goats by hand?

[MissPrissy]

You'll want to tie that leg upwards so she can't get leverage or they will still kick out with the other leg.

 

[CMB]

Quote:
I hand milk my 3 twice daily. I have 2 nubian/boer crosses that give about 3 qts a day and an alpine who gives about 1 1/2 gallons a day. It tastes just great if you handle it correctly. I usually will add water to it to "thin" it out a little and make it more palletable for the members of the family who claim not to like goat milk (thin it out and put it in a store milk jug and they don't know the difference). I have 6 daughters and 3 sons and only 4 of them claim to like goat milk. But they all drink it. We also make cheese, yogurt, soap and if we are really feeling ambitious we make butter. We also give it to some neighbors who have children that are allergic to cows milk. They help out with the animals in trade for the milk.

Right now no milk but we are waiting to see what spring brings in the way of kids....

 

[friendlyearth]

Quote:
Is it hard? We will probably try milking after the kid(s) wean. I'm not sure how long we will continue. Does everyone milk at exactly the same time each day? I think that would be difficult for us.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Is it hard? We will probably try milking after the kid(s) wean. I'm not sure how long we will continue. Does everyone milk at exactly the same time each day? I think that would be difficult for us.

Some people will say yes and some will say no but they do need to be milked twice a day at a reasonablestretch of time. 7am & 7pm / 8am & 8pm etc.

If you cannot commit to milking twice a day consistantly don't bother with the goats.

1. not being milked out can cause mastitis.

2. not being milked out will cause the milk to dry up.

You can't milk when you feel like it. Doesn't work that way.

When the cells make the milk and the milk isn't used those cell stop making milk and won't make milk again until the goat is freshened.

 

[Chatychick]

I agree with Miss Prissy there...and if you wait for the kids to be weaned then she will be on her way to drying up also...as she will not let them nurse as much and she will dry up....You can pen the kids up at night and milk in the mornings and then let the babies run with her during the day if you cant milk 2x a day. I have done this if I am going to be gone or something comes up. It helps the doe as they can get miserable really fast...

 

[CANDLE98]

Yeah I know how the does feel, I breatfed for a year with both of my daughter! ha!

 

[ksacres]

I hand milk until I have more than four to milk, then I switch to my machine.

Once you develope the hand strenght, milking is easy and relaxing. Getting there can be a pain.