Calliopy Ranch

Goat milk is a very popular source of refreshment because of its creamy taste and nutritional value, and its popularity is growing like never before. Many people are acquiring their own dairy goat or goats so they will always have a fresh supply of milk on hand. Milking a goat, like milking a cow, takes a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be regularly squeezing out healthy and delicious milk for you and your family whenever you like.

Milking Your Goat

The first thing you will want to do is put your goat on a milk stand (stanchion), or have her stand on a flat surface. You can get your goat to hop onto the stand by herself through training, which can be as simple as rewarding her with grain. We always milk when we do chores so the goats always know when feeding time has arrived and are ready to be milked. Regularity in a daily routine is key for most animals. Generally it is better to have a more quiet place to milk your goat as she will be more calm and relaxed and without distraction, making for an easier milking process. A dedicated milk room is ideal, but not necessary. We bought a 12′ x 14′ prefab barn when we moved to the area and it has been indispensable for everything from grain and hay storage to milking goats. Remember to use a stainless steel pail and strainer when milking your goat as these surfaces will not harbor bacteria the way plastic might. Before getting started you will want to wipe down her udder to make sure she is clean. You may want to consider purchasing commercially available udder wipes that also kill bacteria.

Some caution that the first few squeezes of milk should be discarded as this milk could contain bacteria. This is also a good time to look for a pink or red tinting to the milk, which is a sign that your goat may have mastitis. To milk out a goat you will simply place both your thumb and forefinger around the teat, right up against the udder. Now squeeze firmly, but not hard. This is important because it will keep the milk from flowing back into the udder. Now you squeeze your middle, ring, and pinky finger together against the teat, sequentially, from top to bottom, in a rapid movement. You’ll know you’ve got it right when a full stream of milk shoots out with every squeeze. It’s important that you do not pull down on the teat, but bring your fingers together in a downward motion from the top to the bottom of your hand as you squeeze. It may be difficult to get out the habit of pulling down on the teat at first since we all grew up watching those silly cartoon characters incorrectly milking (pumping) a cow on our TV sets. Release your fingers to let milk fill the teat again and repeat the process.

It’s much more efficient to milk two teats at a time, and when you get good at it you’ll establish a rhythm, doing one teat first and then the other. You’ll want to keep squeezing until the udder is (mostly) depleted. Remove the pail and wipe off any dampness that remains on the udder and apply udder cream if necessary.

We drink the milk straight from the pail, but some people prefer filtering and Pasteurizing the milk first as a guarantee against contamination. Home Pasteurizers can be found from online sources such as Caprine Supply and eBay. Be sure to discard the milk if your goat accidentally steps into the pail during milking, which does occasionally happen.

Benefits of Drinking Goat Milk

Goat’s milk has long been consumed by those who cannot drink cow’s milk due to lactose intolerance. While goat’s milk also has lactose in it, it is better tolerated by those with milk sensitivities. The fats in goat milk are small-chain fatty acids. Their small size makes them easier to break down and digest as compared to the much larger, long-chain cow’s milk fatty acids. Other people like goat’s milk because it is a better source of calcium, having as much as 13% more than cow’s milk per serving. In addition it has 25% more vitamin B-6, 47% more vitamin A, 134% more potassium, and 350% more niacin, making it a more nutritious diary product across the board. In addition, goat’s milk does not contain any of the hotly disputed Bovine Growth Hormone found in cow’s milk.

So now that you know how to milk a goat, you may also want to consider making one of the most delectable foodstuffs known to man–goat cheese!