# Asking questions about milking for the 1st time



## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Hello everyone! I will start my kidding thread at the first of April, but until then I want to start asking some questions about milking my FF doe Poppy. 
A little background: She will be due sometime after April 22. She is some type of ND mix, maybe part Nubian. She was a bottle baby that was given to me about four years ago (making her about four years old). She is the only mix doe I have, the rest of the herd are all Boers. I'm VERY worried about her kidding since she is smaller than the Boer buck she's bred to. 
I am thinking about milking her, though I really don't have the set up for it. I have a stand but no special room for her so I'll be milking her in an extra stall or in the side of the barn. I don't know much about milking so I'm trying to gain as much knowledge as possible before she kids. 
Questions: 
What are the things I would need? Like buckets, disinfectants, etc. 
She is very sensitive around her udder and hates me touching it. I take her out every chance I get and put her on the stand and rub her udder. What else can I do pre-kidding? 
How do I disinfect her udder before and after milking? And what do I use to do that? 
How do I handle the milk afterwards? 
I don't want to bottle feed the kids, how do I milk mom and leave enough milk for the kids? 
Any other advice is greatly appreciated. I'll think of more questions later I'm sure!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I don't have any advice, but she sure is pretty and you've asked some great questions! (thumbup)


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## MissMiniNubian (Jan 20, 2021)

Hi! So first of all, you'll probably want all the supplies so that you are ready. Here is a site that will tell you what you need:
https://www.weedemandreap.com/goat-milking-supplies/
Before you milk, you can just use warm soapy water and a cloth.( I use a gentle shampoo to do the job.) And your hands need to be clean too before you start milking.
I like to use Fight Bac, a disinfectant, after milking to prevent mastitis.
While you milk, it's very important to keep it cold. Getting it cold as soon as possible will prevent the 'goaty' taste. You can either use an ice bath to put the jar in while you milk or just get it in the fridge or freezer ASAP.
After you are done milking, you need to filter it and store it in a glass jar, not plastic because it will absorb smells. You'll get more details on where to buy this stuff in the site above.
You don't really have to worry about taking too much milk from the kids because as long as the mama is getting grain, she'll just keep making more. Here's a tip, after your done milking as much as you want, massage her udder afterwards to help get some milk down for the kids. 
It took a while for my doe to get used to me touching her udder too but after a while she started to enjoy it and even brought up her cud! 
Good luck to you and the mama!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I found this video helpful:


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

I found this article helpful for learning about milking while also dam raising kids. I don't follow it exactly, but it's a good place to start. 
http://glimmercroft.com/Udder.html
Depending on your goat's milking capacity, she may not be able to provide much extra milk beyond what the kids will need. But it's certainly worth a try.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

You don't need to keep messing with her udder. It is very sensitive now. After she kids, most does are more tolerant, otherwise, the babies could never nurse. She understands the milk stand now, so after she kids, she should get on it with a little encouragement.


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## William E Flaherty (Mar 20, 2021)

Hello, I do not know if I am a goat lover or just searching for answers; I am an on-grid homesteader who is considering raising dairy goats for personal use. Over the years, I have heard stories of breeds that do not require twice daily milking and some breeds that do not require milking unless needed. Is this so, or fantasy?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Meat goats generally aren't milked. Poor quality dairy goats are the ones you can get away with not milking twice a day. It isn't the breed as much as the quality.


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## William E Flaherty (Mar 20, 2021)

Thanks Karen; I appreciate the info. I suppose dairy goats are not the direction I should be going.


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

William E Flaherty said:


> Thanks Karen; I appreciate the info. I suppose dairy goats are not the direction I should be going.


Dairy goats are a full-time commitment. Really, all animals are, but dairy are very demanding of time. It's not for everyone!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can milk meat goats. You just don't get the amount and length of time milking like you do dairy goats. But you don't have to milk them if you don't want to.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Boers4ever said:


> Hello everyone! I will start my kidding thread at the first of April, but until then I want to start asking some questions about milking my FF doe Poppy.
> A little background: She will be due sometime after April 22. She is some type of ND mix, maybe part Nubian. She was a bottle baby that was given to me about four years ago (making her about four years old). She is the only mix doe I have, the rest of the herd are all Boers. I'm VERY worried about her kidding since she is smaller than the Boer buck she's bred to.
> I am thinking about milking her, though I really don't have the set up for it. I have a stand but no special room for her so I'll be milking her in an extra stall or in the side of the barn. I don't know much about milking so I'm trying to gain as much knowledge as possible before she kids.
> Questions:
> ...



She looks like a ND/Pygmy mix! Do you have any pics of her face? Also you can do a test to know what she is!


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Lil Boogie said:


> She looks like a ND/Pygmy mix! Do you have any pics of her face? Also you can do a test to know what she is!


Sure here’s a pic of her face. I don’t have enough money for a test, maybe one day!


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)




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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Boers4ever said:


> View attachment 206113


She looks like a ND if you ask me. how tail is she?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

She is cute.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Thanks everyone for the responses! That helps a lot! She is due sometime after April 22 so I still have to wait a bit longer. 
I do have another question though. She doesn’t have very long hair on her udder, but there is still some longish hair there. Do I need to shave her udder before kidding?


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

I would wait till after she kids because it will get her udder all messy so if you wait till the kids are old enough to start being separated then you should shave her and clean her up.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

What’s the best filters? Will coffee filters work?


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

Boers4ever said:


> What’s the best filters? Will coffee filters work?


I've heard of people using coffee filters. I personally use milk filters. They aren't too expensive, and they are designed differently than coffee filters. I feel they probably do a better job.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I was recommended a reusable filter and funnel by @Feira426. I absolutely love it so far: Hausprofi Stainless Steel Funnel with Filter I used coffee filters at first before I got it and I didn't like how long it took to strain the milk through it. I felt like it took up too much of my time, but it certainly worked.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Caileigh Jane Smith said:


> I've heard of people using coffee filters. I personally use milk filters. They aren't too expensive, and they are designed differently than coffee filters. I feel they probably do a better job.





MellonFriend said:


> I was recommended a reusable filter and funnel by @Feira426. I absolutely love it so far: Hausprofi Stainless Steel Funnel with Filter I used coffee filters at first before I got it and I didn't like how long it took to strain the milk through it. I felt like it took up too much of my time, but it certainly worked.


Thanks y’all! I just found some on Amazon that looks good.


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Hows da baby mamas?


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

They are good. You can check out my kidding thread for pictures of all of them.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Well Poppy’s twin boys are three days old now. I wasn’t going to start milking her until they were about two weeks old. BUT this morning I noticed that the boys were favoring one side and the other side had gotten really big and painful. So I milked it out! She hated it but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did have to tie up a foot to keep her from kicking, and it worked really well! She gave me 2 pints. 
I wanted to share what I did to make sure I did it right: 
First I got her on the milk stand and tied her leg back. Then I washed her using warm water and a tad of baby shampoo. After getting all the loose hair and dirt off I started milking. After I finished I washed her off again. I didn’t use the mastitis prevention because as soon as I put her back into the pen the babies started nursing. 
I took the milk inside the house and ran it through the milk filters. I’m using half pint jars so as soon as a jar got filled I put it in a ice water bath to cool it down faster. 
After I put the milk in the fridge I threw away the filters and cleaned the pail. I hope I did everything right! Any suggestions? Please share any advise you have.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Sounds good to me! Just make sure you move the babies off the side they are favoring when you see them nursing it so that her udder can even out.


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Boers4ever said:


> Well Poppy’s twin boys are three days old now. I wasn’t going to start milking her until they were about two weeks old. BUT this morning I noticed that the boys were favoring one side and the other side had gotten really big and painful. So I milked it out! She hated it but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did have to tie up a foot to keep her from kicking, and it worked really well! She gave me 2 pints.
> I wanted to share what I did to make sure I did it right:
> First I got her on the milk stand and tied her leg back. Then I washed her using warm water and a tad of baby shampoo. After getting all the loose hair and dirt off I started milking. After I finished I washed her off again. I didn’t use the mastitis prevention because as soon as I put her back into the pen the babies started nursing.
> I took the milk inside the house and ran it through the milk filters. I’m using half pint jars so as soon as a jar got filled I put it in a ice water bath to cool it down faster.
> After I put the milk in the fridge I threw away the filters and cleaned the pail. I hope I did everything right! Any suggestions? Please share any advise you have.


WE NEED PICS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Lol here’s some! There are more on my kidding thread. The babies still won’t nurse from the left side. It looks like they are getting plenty to drink from the one side, but I need them to drink from both instead of battling over one. Do I keep milking her out every now and then on that side?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Too cute.

Yes, milk her as needed.
Still try to get a kid to nurse from it after you milk it down some.


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Boers4ever said:


> View attachment 207545
> View attachment 207546
> 
> 
> Lol here’s some! There are more on my kidding thread. The babies still won’t nurse from the left side. It looks like they are getting plenty to drink from the one side, but I need them to drink from both instead of battling over one. Do I keep milking her out every now and then on that side?


Absolutely adorable! I had that happen with two baby Lamanchas. I just pulled the babies from mom and milked her out and made her babies bottle babies


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Babies still refuse to drink from the left side. Every day I have to tie her up so that she’ll feed them, but they won’t drink from that side at all. They’re not hungry either, their bellies are always round and warm. So I’m assuming that they are getting plenty of milk from just the one side.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

You could weigh them to be sure.
But if you feel full tummies they should be fine.

You will have to milk her from the ignored side. 
Do you try to put them onto that teat after or before milking her?

It is a shame they don’t want to latch on. Is the teat overly big? 
Have something stuck on it or a scab?


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Boers4ever said:


> Babies still refuse to drink from the left side. Every day I have to tie her up so that she’ll feed them, but they won’t drink from that side at all. They’re not hungry either, their bellies are always round and warm. So I’m assuming that they are getting plenty of milk from just the one side.


1 you can pull them and milk mom to feed them as bottle babies. 2 you can separate them and bring mom in several times a day to know for sure if they are eating off that side. 3 go to mom hold her still and hold onto the teat they are eating off of to see if they will eat off of the other side.


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

All those things i have done and they all worked for me to know what was going on.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I feel like I've heard that you can tape the side they are drinking off of and this will force them to learn to drink off the full side. This of course is only possible if there is in fact nothing wrong with the udder like Toth suggested. 

For my doe's lopsided udder all it took was milking out that one side once a day and then switching the kids to that side whenever I saw them drinking.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Thanks everyone. They are still not drinking from that side. I did tie up mom and help the babies latch on a couple times and they’ll take a few sips and then leave. So I guess there’re not hungry. They are acting like all the other bouncy babies so I’m still milking out the full side every other day. 
There is nothing wrong with the test that I can see and I’ve been looking at it a lot for milking. It is the same size as the other one so I have no idea why they are not using that side.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Ok so I milked out her one side on Thursday and today the kids are nursing both sides! Yay I think they finally figured it out!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

So glad they got it!


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

I separated all the kids last night for feeding (except for the last two, if you’ve been following my kidding thread, they’re too young). They have been fighting their mothers over feed. I milked Poppy this morning on a 12 hour fill and got a pint and a half.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Ok I have been saving cream for making butter. I lot of it is 16 days old. It’s been in the fridge the whole time and never taken out. Is it still good?


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Boers4ever said:


> Ok I have been saving cream for making butter. I lot of it is 16 days old. It’s been in the fridge the whole time and never taken out. Is it still good?


Also I just got home and opened the cream I was going to use and it has clumps! I’m guessing it’s not good anymore?


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I doubt it's still good if it is lumpy. I am doing what I call a "cream bank" I have a jar that I add my cream to that I keep in the freezer so that it won't go bad by the time I have enough. Of course that is if I can manage to get it in the jar before eating it all 🤤. You'd just want to make sure your cream is cold before adding it to your jar.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

MellonFriend said:


> I doubt it's still good if it is lumpy. I am doing what I call a "cream bank" I have a jar that I add my cream to that I keep in the freezer so that it won't go bad by the time I have enough. Of course that is if I can manage to get it in the jar before eating it all 🤤. You'd just want to make sure your cream is cold before adding it to your jar.


Thank you so much. I took the older milk and compared the color to the fresher and it definitely was yellow. So I threw it out. I started a cream bank too so maybe in another week I’ll have enough to make butter!


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Finally have enough cream to make butter!! A whole pint. The only problem is that it is frozen. What is the best way to thaw it out?


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Boers4ever said:


> Finally have enough cream to make butter!! A whole pint. The only problem is that it is frozen. What is the best way to thaw it out?


Slowly in the fridge works well, shake it up as it defrosts to stop it from getting too clumpy.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

GoofyGoat said:


> Slowly in the fridge works well, shake it up as it defrosts to stop it from getting too clumpy.


Ok thanks!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Awesome! Let us know how making butter goes. 👍


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

I will! I’m so excited!


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

I'm excited for you!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

The cream has been in the fridge for 3 days and is just now reaching the “tough pudding” consistency. Can I go ahead and set it on the counter for a bit to see if it’ll go ahead and thaw a bit more? Or will that sour it?


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