Goat Milking 101

In case you aren't sick of hearing about the goats I thought I would show you how we milk.  Did you know that more people in the world drink goats milk than any other type of milk?  Here in the States we assume that the majority of people drink cows milk since that is what we are accustomed to. Not the case.  I can't imagine how much milk we would have if we had a cow.  I believe cows give upwards of 5 gallons a day.  I am stumped with just one gallon daily!

  Mocha is the first goat to be milked and she hops right up on the stand.  There is a moveable brace for her head so that once I lock her in, she can't pull her head out.  She has plenty of room to bend her head, I just don't have to worry about her going anywhere.  This is the most common and easiest way of milking.  Once a goat is trained on the stand, you can also trim their hooves and administer medications should they need them without stressing the animal too much.  I sit on a hay bale next to the stand. I milk by hand, usually one teat at a time.  Some people use both hands, one on either teat but I prefer to do one hand.  Then I can switch if and when my hand gets cramped.

After the teats are completely emptied of milk I will let the goat continue to eat while I strain the milk.  Straining is important because it ensures the cleanliness of the milk.  During milking, hairs from the goat, pieces of hay or whatever can fall into the milk pail therefore contaminating the milk.  By straining immediately after milking we are able to get any impurities out asap.  I usually strain Mocha's milk in the barn, and take Latte's up to the house before straining.

We store the milk either in quart mason jars, or half gallon glass milk jars in the fridge.  Glass is the easiest to clean and sterilize.  I don't recommend using plastic milk jugs as its hard to ensure the plastic is clean enough.  With milk you never can be too careful.  So there you have it!  The whole process should take 15-20 minutes.  More if you decide to sit and play with the baby goats...

A girl, A goat, and A glass of milk

Today I couldnt wait to get off work. I rushed home to Hubby. Together we went up to a nearby dairy goat farm. We went to see a breeder about buying a nubian goat. We left with so much more. the breeder and her husband enamored us with a two week old goat kid. They kindly let me bottle feed him. I would have took him home with me if allowed to. He was so cute! Next we met their 4 month old cow. The cow liked me only because I was covered in milk from the baby goat spilling everywhere. The breeder and her husband called the herd of goats and all came running. Bringing up the rear, was the very heavily pregnant doe. They guessed she would deliver tonight. yes, my friends, we got to inspect the mucus coming from you-know-where... The breeder showed us how to tell when the doe is close to kidding (giving birth). We got extremely personal with her goats :) We met Kisses, the goat that would leave there with us. Kisses is a 3 year old doe. We think she is (and hope she is) pregnant. The breeder said last year Kisses had twins. Imagine that! Since our whole reasoning for having goats here at Victory Garden Farm, is to get milk, eventually we will have to have a pregnant doe. Since Billy is not old enough or interested enough, we could either buy a pregnant one, or take ours to a stud. We thought we would add Kisses to our herd. We talked, and played with the animals, and talked some more. If ever there was a couple knowledgable about goats, it would be these two. The breeder asked if we wanted to milk one of the goats. Of course! Her husband asked if we had ever actually tasted goats milk. I sheepishly had to answer that I hadn't. At least not that I could remember. Into the milking room we went. John had built a milking stand (hint hint hubby...) that enables her to milk. Once the goat was in place on the stand the breeder explained how to do it. Contrary to what most people think, there is no pulling on the teat. They gave Hubby and I small cups to try the milk. Amazing. We drank it cool from the fridge. I could have drank way more, but didnt want to be rude. Once I was done with my glass, I got to try my hand at milking. The first few squirts were awkward, but then I got the hang of it. I am no where near fast, but I can do it. Hubby got to try too, and between the two of us, we got a small amount. Her husband strained it for us, and put it in a jar to take home. I am proud to say that the milk in the fridge is milk we milked ourselves! Thats a first for sure.

Eventually we made our way down towards the house. We got to meet, and play with the hogs. They are off to the butcher tomorrow. It might seem sad, but really its not. These three hogs have had an amazing life outdoors. They were allowed to root up the old garden plot, play in the mud and do what they were meant to do. Yes, they are going to end up as food. At least they have had a good life, and didnt grow up in a concrete pen like most hogs. The turkey is happy and fat. Chickens and ducks roam free, and are locked up at night for safety. The goats and cow happily graze in the pastures. No matter what the future is for any given animal, it should be allowed the chance for a good life.

After playing with the hogs, we gathered up our milk, and our new goat Kisses. Hubby and I needed a drink, so we stopped at McDonalds. On the way there, Kisses had peed and pooped in the car. Hubby, always thinking, had anticipated this, and laid a tarp down on the floor of the back. When we stopped, I took Kisses out so he could dump out the tarp. I know she is a goat, but we didnt want her laying in her filth, even just for the short car ride. Imagine, pulling into a McDonalds parking lot. There, acting like it is an everyday occurance, is this crazy girl with a goat on a leash. For once, I was that crazy person in the parking lot. Although, when its you, it doesnt seem so crazy. Armed with ice teas and a clean tarp we headed back home.

We are letting Kisses meet the herd slowly over the next week. We want everyone to get along, and eventually they will. For tonight they are seperate. Everyone got an extra ration of hay and no one is complaining.

This girl is going to have a glass of goats milk tonight before bed. Just a usual saturday at Victory Garden Farm, or not...