# How do you hand milkers do it?!?!



## Milk_Maid_5 (Feb 19, 2013)

My Saanen/Nubian kidded 3 weeks ago yesterday. I pull the boys from her at night and milk her once in the morning. So after a week of doing this I don't know how you hand milkers do it! You must look like Popeye! My shoulders, pecks, bi's, tri's, forearms and hand muscles ache when I'm done. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong. She milks 2 quarts. My Alpine Mae is due to kid in the next 2 weeks. I'm going to look like a bodybuilder by the time all is said and done! I'll be farm girl strong!

One question...When can I start milking her twice a day?


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Lol Yep, I've got some pretty impressive muscles if I do say so myself. Don't feel bad though, just a few weeks ago I had ALL the animals in production and was milking seven goats and a Jersey milk cow twice a day, every day, by hand. Boy did that take awhile! Lol I usually don't start milking twice a day until the kids are weaned at three months, but I know a lot of people start much earlier.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

It's hard, but I guess we just have to do it. Three of us here take turns milking our three goats right now, so we don't have it bad at all. For a long time it was just me and my sister, and we would do two goats twice a day, every other day. My hand and arms pretty much always hurt a bit, but if you take breaks and shake it out of your hands once in a while, it helps a lot. And you don't have to go as fast as possible (unless your on a tight schedule) going slow is easier as well. Milking twice a day is up to when you want to start bottle feeding, I guess.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

your muscles will adapt....we call it farmasize lol..we do as much by hand as we can..helps build strong bodies..
We pull babies from mom at 2 weeks at night..milk mom in the Am and then lether have babies the rest of the day...we dont ween our buck kids until 3 months unless they are too frisky, then 2 1/2 months if need be..we leave Does on mom for as long as she wants to nurse them..but if you need the milk you can ween at 3 months, I wouldnt rush weening, you want thekids to have a strong start..unless as NDlover said, you want to bottle feed, then I would do that ASAP..the sooner you get them on the bottle they easier it is..


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## Milk_Maid_5 (Feb 19, 2013)

We're not going to bottle feed these 2. 

I'm assuming that 2 quarts is a good family milker. Do I assume correct? 

I won't say I'll always hand milk but I will for as long as I can. I'm a stay at home mom and unless my kids are misbehaving I'm not in a rush. I like that I'm getting toned and definition off hard work not pumping iron at the gym. It's much more satisfying! 

It takes me 40 mins to milk her out. Am I a slow poke or is that about average? I talked to one lady that hand milks 3 Saneen goats and she said it takes her 30 mins total


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Well...your a bit slow... I milk 5 and it takes under 2 minutes per goat. But have no fear, I've been doing it for over 20 years! I was milking 26 back in the day! Got REALLY fast at it!


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Once you get some practice you'll be able to milk a lot faster. I timed myself on my does one time, and I was averaging about 8 minutes per. I took a lot longer when I first started though...  If two quarts feeds your family, then two quarts is great IMO!


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Wow, you're fast little bits !! How much milk do you get from each of your does in a milking may I ask?

It usually takes me around 5 minutes per goat, but it depends on how much they're giving and which goat it is (aka large or small teats).


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Lol @ farmasize!  

I milk my nubian in about 10 minutes in the am...she gives 2 quarts every morning and gets baby (was 2 until 2 days ago I sold one)back for the day. Evenings I have been "emptying her out" from whatever is left and get a few ounces then.

You will get stronger....but I haven't noticed as much since I was a CNA for 16 years....LOTS of heavy work there!!

Keep up the good work


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I wouldn't milk twice a day until they are weaned.

You get used to it and your muscles don't get to the body builder looking type.


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## Milk_Maid_5 (Feb 19, 2013)

This is Jaz's third kidding but her first time milking. She moves the whole time even in stanctions and with grain. So I don't milk into a bucket. I milk one teat at a time and I milk into a 2 cup glass measuring cup. I alternate hands. I don't want to waste a single drop of milk. She is normally so engorged that at about 5 mins of milking I've finally released enough milk that I can handle her teats enough to get long drags of milk from them.

No 2 quarts isn't enough for my family. We have 5 kids and 2 adults. My husband and I are both milk drinkers and consume a quart each with our dinner. Our family goes through 4-5 gallons a week. With Jaz and Mae milking I'm hoping that we will be able to get a gallon a day, more would be GREAT! I'm going to get a Nubian and use her milk solely for cheese.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

NDlover said:


> Wow, you're fast little bits !! How much milk do you get from each of your does in a milking may I ask?
> 
> It usually takes me around 5 minutes per goat, but it depends on how much they're giving and which goat it is (aka large or small teats).


15 pounds per doe, on average. Takes me a little bit longer if they have itty bitty teats.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

^^ that's some serious milk coming out of those girls of yours! my girl gives just over 2 lbs....


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## Milk_Maid_5 (Feb 19, 2013)

nchen7 said:


> ^^ that's some serious milk coming out of those girls of yours! my girl gives just over 2 lbs....


I get 4lbs on average from Jaz once a day


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

i would get that too....I get just over 2 lbs in the morning. baby gets her the rest of the day.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> 15 pounds per doe, on average. Takes me a little bit longer if they have itty bitty teats.


Aha! So that's how you do it! Ours have tiny teats.  I'm guessing most of your beautiful, confomationally correct does have decent sized teats.
We usually get a bit less per milking, though.

I'm feeling rather ignorant here about production though. I've just heard here and there that generally it's considered average for a good dairy animal to give a gallon or so a day, milking twice. Our does' dams (we were told) had champion bloodlines of some kind (not sure what) and they gave over two gallons a day. But I have no idea what age they were when they were giving that much. 
We were newbies, and were impressed.
Now ours give around 2 gallons a day or more milking twice, and this is their 4th freshening. Is that even "a lot", or is it just fair?


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

NDlover said:


> Aha! So that's how you do it! Ours have tiny teats.  I'm guessing most of your beautiful, confomationally correct does have decent sized teats
> 
> Now ours give around 2 gallons a day or more milking twice, and this is their 4th freshening. Is that even "a lot", or is it just fair?


My does have palm size teats. 15lbs a day is normal for my FF's.

Normally age isn't too much of a factor. Their production does go up with more freshening, but not too much.

2 gallons is good. I normally don't keep them if they are much less than that.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Now peeps was milking at almost 24lbs, and my older does milk at 18 lbs.
I have 1 FF this year at 15lbs. And one second freshener at 18lbs. A few older ones at 12lbs, the others are dried up.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

IDK if it was what we were feeding or what, but ours have gone up quite a bit in production since their first time. First year it was around 3/4 gallon a day, now we're up to over 2 most of the time. :shrug:


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

three of our ladies (2 saanen and one lamancha) give a gallon her milking...we milk them twice a day..Most my other lamancha give 3/4 gallon a milking and my Nubian give considerably less at a 1/2 gallon per milking....I can milk one out in about 3-5 minutes..depends who it is..( Daisy, Saanen, has one tight orphus..so takes a bit longer)...I enjoy th ehand milking..the quiet time spent with the girls...I take forever in thebarn because everyone gets brushed out lol..sometimes one of my kids will come looking for me lol..Most days now my girls do the milking..but I still get to do all the brushings : )


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

Little Bits, what do you do with all that milk??? you could fill a small swimming pool with that much milk in a day!


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## Milk_Maid_5 (Feb 19, 2013)

happybleats said:


> three of our ladies (2 saanen and one lamancha) give a gallon her milking...we milk them twice a day..Most my other lamancha give 3/4 gallon a milking and my Nubian give considerably less at a 1/2 gallon per milking....I can milk one out in about 3-5 minutes..depends who it is..( Daisy, Saanen, has one tight orphus..so takes a bit longer)...I enjoy th ehand milking..the quiet time spent with the girls...I take forever in thebarn because everyone gets brushed out lol..sometimes one of my kids will come looking for me lol..Most days now my girls do the milking..but I still get to do all the brushings : )


When I said 40mins milking that's the whole time I'm in the barn. That's brushing cleaning, the strip cup and all. I thought that's what everyone was saying. I guess tomorrow I'm going to time myself actually milking. It might be more like 25 mins


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

nchen7 said:


> Little Bits, what do you do with all that milk??? you could fill a small swimming pool with that much milk in a day!


It's always got a use at my house. I feed pigs with it, calves, baby goats, puppies, cats and kittens. It all gets used the same day. I don't drink it because I actually don't like goats milk


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I bought a milker in January because I thought I wouldn't be able to milk since I broke two bones in my hand in November. Well if you count the surgery to re-break them and put pins in you could say December 4th. I used the machine a few times but late January I said what the heck and tore off my own cast. I started hand milking two does once a day in late February. I didn't have full movement in my hand so it was hard and sometimes painful but I like it better then the machine. At one point I was milking two does once a day and one twice a day. It has defiantly helped my hand heal but I still don't have full movement, still very little feeling in the top of my hand and can't pick heavy things up. Many people say it keeps arthritis from hurting as much. I sure hope so because I know when I get older it's not gonna be pretty. 

Before I broke my hand I could milk each doe in under three minuets.


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## julieq (Feb 25, 2013)

I'm in my early 50's, have had dairy goats since 1998 and never have been able to milk by hand. I get carpal tunnel syndrome super easy it seems, which gets excruciating real quick up into the shoulder and neck. I have a little hand vacuum pump bottle in case the power goes out (or my hubby will milk by hand), but otherwise I totally rely on my vintage Surge milking machine.

My hat's totally off to those of you who hand milk, especially a good number of does.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> It's always got a use at my house. I feed pigs with it, calves, baby goats, puppies, cats and kittens. It all gets used the same day. I don't drink it because I actually don't like goats milk


 What, not like goat milk!!!  How sad!


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## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

Wow, I am just really impressed with all of you who can milk a goat in 2-5 minutes! If I milk by hand, it takes me about 20 minutes per goat LOL!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

ksalvagno said:


> I wouldn't milk twice a day until they are weaned.
> 
> You get used to it and your muscles don't get to the body builder looking type.


Should have mentioned...I milk the one side the baby doesn't use because I am afraid she will get lopsided...


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## VincekFarm (Jun 27, 2011)

I'm milking 5 does by hand daily right now, it will be 7 in two weeks. It took me a very long time to milk 2 does earlier this year. It's gotten easier now so that I can milk 5 in the time it took me to milk 2. 

I've grown used to it so it doesn't bother my hands any more. I used to have to switch hands off and milk one side at a time. Now I milk both sides with no problem.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I get carpel tunnel pretty bad too, this year I could hardly move my thumbs, but I had to keep milking the does, can't just leave them bagged up like that, and mine actually got better. I can fully use my hands this year 
But oh my gosh, when I was milking tonight I must have somehow moved my pointer finger wrong, because it felt like a tore a tendon in the tip of my finger! That hurt really bad, I have no idea how that happened. 

I used to milk 26 does twice a day back in the 90's THAT was a pain! I now only milk enough does to fit bottle baby needs for the year, all the others are dried off at weaning. So every year I'm never really milking more than 4. I will milk my FF's to see what their production is, but if I don't need the milk, I won't milk them all every year


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> Wow, I am just really impressed with all of you who can milk a goat in 2-5 minutes! If I milk by hand, it takes me about 20 minutes per goat LOL!


You get faster after a while. At first it took me at least 30 minutes to milk one goat! lol..you go through the aches and pains of using muscle you dont normally use...then as those build so does your speed as your hands seem to learn what to do without us thinking about it....


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> I used to milk 26 does twice a day back in the 90's THAT was a pain!


Were you milking 26 does, twice a day every day, ALONE?? That would be some kind of feat!


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

NDlover said:


> Were you milking 26 does, twice a day every day, ALONE?? That would be some kind of feat!


Sure was, my kids were too young to help much back then. I had over 60 dairy goats back then


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Wow.


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## OakHollowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

I have been milking a little over three months, and it takes me about 10 minutes now for our 1 Nubian doe. It used to take me much longer! Next year I will have 2 does in milk.


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