# How long does it take to milk a goat?



## goat luver 101 (Jul 19, 2011)

Hi, I am researching dairy goats and I have really grown to like Nubians. I was wondering how long it takes to milk them and how many times a day you have to :whatgoat: . I would also like to know that about Nigerian Dwarfs...Thanks! :stars:


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

When my ND does freshen I allow them to raise their kids...always have even before I had them teseted for CAE(all neg)

Once the kids are 3-4 weeks old, I separate at night and milk my does in the morning...with 2 ND does and an 8 hour filll, it takes me less than 10 minutes for both. A larger breed would have a larger capacity, mine give anywhere from a pint to just under a quart, a large breed doe would have twice that amount so it would really depend on the does teats and orifice size as well as your experience as to how fast you can empty an udder.
Once kids leave here, I milk every 12 hours or 2x a day....it's the general goat related stuff that takes the longest with me..feeding, filling buckets, hay racks and of course the attention I give my goats.


----------



## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

It also depends on how comfortable the doe is with you, and her orifice size. A doe with small teat openings is going to have a thinner stream, therefore less milk in the pail at a time. It took a long time for my FF Saanen to get used to me fondling her udder, but soon I became her best friend and I could just set the pail under her and milk both teats at the same time, which made it so much faster! I certainly miss milking her, because I dried her up due to a hectic schedule. I plan on milking her all the way through her lactation next year, and charting her production.


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

When you're learning it takes a LONG time, but once you've got it, it's about 5-10 minutes or so for each doe. If you hurry it's shorter - 2-3 minutes. But like the others are saying, it does depend on lots of things. I milk slowly just 'cause I enjoy it so much.


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I have a Saanen I milk . She has a lopsided udder as last year she had a single who drank off only one side and she wasn't milked, this year she had twins who drink both sides. I am new to this milking thing, so it takes me awhile. I also have arthritis. Now that my girl and I have gotten used to this it takes less time.

On her smaller side the stream is good and it takes me maybe 10 mins. The larger side is my head ache! The stream starts out small until I get about half way through. Once the stream is coming good it doesn't take that much longer. On that side I would gues it takes me 20-25 mins. Plus that is the second side I do and my hands start cramping, so I stop alot!

I just got a bigger pail so I am going to try using both hands at the same time. Hopefully that will take less time!

My friend who had 100 milking goats at one time, when she was much younger , said it took her two hours to milk all of them. Some she could milk faster than others. So it depends on you and the goat!


----------



## concobabe5 (Jul 12, 2011)

At our house it depends on who is milking. We only have one in milk this year and my husband has her milked in about 2 minutes, it takes me more like 10 minutes. I don't know if it is my long fingers or what, I just don't do it right, LOL.


----------



## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

We take kids away at birth, so we milk our Nigerian Dwarf does 2 times a day. It takes about 2 or 3 minutes to milk a Nigie doe out. Nubians are a bigger breed so it may take about 5 to 7 minutes. That's just hand milking, if you get a milking machine than it is about 2 minutes to milk out a Nubian. :hi5:


----------



## Tolers Boers (Jul 4, 2011)

It don't take no time if she don't want too. lmao. My husband says just like me if i'm in the mood maybe 20 or 30 minutes...lmao.


? duh ? Also he said one to two times a week if he gets lucky. Silly.

It prob take about 15 min avg most goats don't know bout them dwarfers tho.
cut time in 1/2 i guess they 1/2 size of a Nubian.

let me know how it goes u grap and push up pause squeeze and bring down firmly.

I say as long as it takes to get your bucket full honey. Now I silly.


----------



## goat luver 101 (Jul 19, 2011)

Thanks! This is really helpful.....


----------

