Does anyone milk their goats by hand?

[CANDLE98]

Thanks helmsted! Do you home pasturize it at all? Or just chill it and drink?

 

[Granolamom]

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I totally love the whole idea of providing food (milk) for my family, by caring for and loving our animals, and then getting something in return. Handmilking sounds great to me, I'd love to learn it. I've had a chance to milk cows before, and there's something very basic and satisfying about doing it with your own 2 hands. Now, if I can only find someone to do the milking for me, on the 3 days I'm gone (actually, it would only be 4 milkings...), then I'll be all set. Maybe I'll put an ad on Craigslist...?

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
How long does it take you to milk one? And how much milk a day, on average, do you get from one goat?

I have very big goats. Larger than most people's it seems.

My herd queen gives about 2 gallons a day.

The next one gives about 1.5 gallons a day.

The nigi is bred I don't expect more than a quart out of her.

The other 2 have not kidded yet.

I can milk out my big doe in about 10 min maybe 15 if she is dancing and won't behave.

 

[helmstead]

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I just strain through a coffee filter (to catch the stray hair or two), chill and drink it raw.

When at peak production my Nigis produce about 2 lbs per milking, and they never take me more than 5-8 mins to milk out. I expect it will take longer to milk my Nubian, who is reported to produce about 1-1.5 gallons a day.

 

[CANDLE98]

That is a lot of milk! Do you sell any?

 

[MissPrissy]

In most states it is illegal to sell milk without a dairy license unless you sell it for animal consumption only.

 

[CANDLE98]

So do you drink that much milk every day?

 

[MissPrissy]

I make cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese and other products with it.

I make homemade goat milk soaps.

I also feed it to chickens and hogs and anything else that wants it.

 

[FunnyFarmer]

When I was a kid we had friends with cows and goats, so I've milked both by hand and had the fresh milk. IMHO the goat milk tasted *different* but not bad. Goats are much easier to milk by hand than cows!

 

[CANDLE98]

That rocks! I am so going to have to do that with my goats, well when I get them! We have to build a barn first then we are going to get some. I am not sure what breed we are going to get, I want to get the fainting ones because they are sooo funny!