# For all experienced milkers



## Jdyson (Jul 20, 2011)

I will soon be getting my first milk goat and I am really excited about it. My question is, what am I going to need for it to be successful? I have never done this before


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## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

Well before you get the goats you need to educate yourself.

Internet forums are good in a pinch but they do not replace educating yourself.

I would suggest you go to the library and check out books on goats.

Here are some I'd reccomend

http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Milk-...F8&qid=1412282660&sr=8-6&keywords=dairy+goats

http://www.amazon.com/Aids-Goatkeep...2724&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=aids+to+goakeeping

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/16...pf_rd_p=1912906162&pf_rd_i=aids to goakeeping

This one is very expensive but I've probably got more out of it than any although it would be less a "Beginner" and more an intermediate book:
http://www.amazon.com/Goat-Medicine...&qid=1412282806&sr=8-1&keywords=goat+medicine


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

I'd recommend finding someone to be your mentor, learn from them, and buy your goats from them.


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## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

For milking alone, you will need a stainless steel pail, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and a chlorhexidine-based teat spray.

I mix: 2 tablespoons of a 2% chlorhexidine liquid, half a tablespoon of glycerine, and 16 ounces of water, all into a small water spray pump bottle, and use this for spraying teats before and after milking.

I buy the chlorhexidine from Jeffers, the small 16 ounce bottles; and I buy the glycerine from Walmart, in the bandaid and rubbing alcohol aisle.

Make sure you spray teats pointing straight up into orifice first then all around teat.
Wait at least 30 seconds to sanitize, and wipe dry, making sure you rub at orifice as well.
Rub hand sanitizer into your hands and wait until hands are dry before milking. You can also use unpowdered disposable nylon gloves to milk if you don't mind throwing gloves away after every milking.
After milking, repeat the spraying process but leave the spray on and release the goat.
Clean hands after each doe.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

If you can have someone show you how to milk, then do the actual milking, you will be much better off. 
They can point out what you may be doing wrong. 

One note of advice- if possible, milk the goat that you are interested in getting. If her teats are too big, too small,
the orifices are too small (making it too hard to milk), pass on that goat. No matter how pretty, good background, etc.
It is no fun to get a new goat and have major trouble trying to milk her. You will dread milking and the entire experience will
be miserable, for you and her!


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Well, I started from scratch on my own... It would have been nice to have someone show me how to milk... There just wasn't anyone that I knew! I got a lot of coaching from TGS and searching online, but mostly it took practice! Both the goat and I had to learn together. Good luck!


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

yeah I started from scratch on my own too and figured out the milking okay.  Youtube is awesome for that.


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## mayia97420 (Apr 22, 2014)

Just my opinion but it sounds like you are only getting one goat. goats are herd animals and need a pal. Do you know about caring for goats?


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I'll say again that we don't do things the way many do. So....we use baby wipes to clean the udder before and after milking. That's it....nothing more. We don't have a stainless steel bucket...we milk into a quart jar and pour into a plastic gallon pitcher. Take it to the house, strain and put in clean plastic gallon pitcher in fridge. We don't rush to cool it down either (suppose to help with taste?)

I would suggest making sure you have a milking stand. It will make your life easier and your back will thank you. Find someone to show you how to milk so you aren't fighting that. Get a doe that you KNOW is broke to milk....again...it will make your life easier. You will need to get some milk filters. We get ours at Hamby Dairy Supply (best price I've found...) 

Finding a mentor is a fantastic idea....if you can.


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

in addition to all the good suggestions I recommend... patience. For yourself, and for your goat. After education before bringing my goats home, patience was THE most important thing in my supply list, lol.


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## Jdyson (Jul 20, 2011)

I should have said that she will not be my first goat, lol. I have three wethers and have had them for 3 years, she will be my first girl, lol. I wanted to make sure that I could handle the boys before I ever got a female because I knew I would be adding more work to load. Now that I feel ready I'm getting 2 girls. I am going to have them show me how they do it before I bring her home so that I'm not completely clueless to what I'm doing. Is there any type of specific food or additives that I will need to give her? If I'm milking her am I able to deworm her if the need arises? Is there any problems that she could have that I would need to look for? How many months should I milk her for before I breed her? Any other question I might not know to ask, please fill in the blanks for me. I really appreciate y'all


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

You'll most likely need to give some grain of some kind to keep them producing well. There are a lot of opinions out there on what kind of grain to give. We give free choice for as long as they are on the stand....helps them stand still. When you first get them, get some of whatever they are being fed so you can start mixing and slowly wean on them onto your feed. 

We found a pelleted wormer that we can add to the feed and it has no withdrawal time for milking. That's the one we use. Found it at Orschelns.


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## Jdyson (Jul 20, 2011)

Is noble goat good?


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

There are some on here that use it. I dunno cause we get a custom mix


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## takethelead (Dec 18, 2013)

I just started using noble I was using all grain from tractor supply and it was really good for my girls in milk. I always added boss and beet pulp. I get both at my tractor supply. It might be cheaper to get boss at your local birdwatching store.


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## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

Noble goat is fine.
I would not suggest free feeding while on the stand.
Over feeding grain can lead to acidosis, founder, hypocalcemia, and other health problems.
If you want the goat to keep eating while you are milking, add beet pulp to their grain , or put a big rock in their feeder to slow them down.
You don't really need a stainless steel pail, and you don't need to buy special milk filters, I use two paper towels layered together to filter milk.


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## ProvidenceHill (Sep 9, 2013)

I use paper coffee filters -- my husband can buy them in bulk at Sam's Club or Costco. You can also use a fine gold mesh coffee filter if you want something reuseable, just put it in the dishwasher when you are done. Although I do pasteurize, in case that makes a difference to anyone.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

In my experience, the paper towels tend to fall apart and the coffee filters take FOREVER to strain. If you're doing much straining....a filter is easier. I don't know much about the cost difference but where I buy...we can purchase a years worth of filters for about $35. You don't need to buy special filters, but they sure are easier to use.


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## ProvidenceHill (Sep 9, 2013)

Yes, the coffee filters do take a long time, it's true. I milk directly into the strainer so it's filtering while I milk and usually it's done by the time I've finished watering, giving hay, etc., but if there's some left unstrained I dump it through the gold mesh filter when I'm back in the kitchen. But "real" milk filters are probably a lot faster.


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

Coffee filters or panty hose. We will be getting a pasteurizer soon though. 


Owner/operator
J-T Ranch Dairy Goats
NW KS
Facebook Fan Page


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## takethelead (Dec 18, 2013)

I use a coffee strainer like this. I put it in my jars and milk into it. (I use one with a shorter length for that) then I pour it back through a longer one into a pan. I got mine from my neighbor so I'm not sure where you would get one at.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

^^That is a cool strainer! Where do you find those?


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## takethelead (Dec 18, 2013)

I know this is expensive but it comes with 48. I got mine from my neighbor and he gets everything from the flea market so when he sees something I could use he gets it lol. I'm sure you can find them on Amazon or eBay cheaper but they work well for me.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I found them on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...x=aps&hvadid=4967903560&ref=pd_sl_tw4kvk976_b


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