# Milking without a stand



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

Hello. Would those of you who milk without a stand mind sharing your setups? I currently have no stand and am curious to see how other people do it. 

This is my first milk goat so I'm a newbie but Lulu has had four milking seasons already and knows how this is supposed to go. Lulu is, I wouldn't say bad but she isn't perfect at milking by a long shot. She stands perfectly still for about the first 15 squirts on her near side and then it's like she's tired of being milked and she will try to walk away. She will kick a bit, I milk into a small cup because I got tired of her stepping in the bucket, but if i persist she stops kicking, the main problem I have is with her trying to walk away. How do you solve this problem? Do you tie to a fence and hobble? Or...?


----------



## elchivito (Apr 18, 2010)

She does that because she knows she can. With her head in a stand she'll have no place to go. Get or build a stand. Milking without a milk stand is about as much fun as trying to change a tire without a jack.


----------



## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

Why not just build a milking stand?

Before my first goats freshened I built one. The plans are on the internet. All you need is some 2x4's and 6's, a bit of decking and a few hinges.

Take you only a couple hours or less and its way better than milking on the floor. Your back will thank you.


----------



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

I'm trading her doeling for a milkstand, I'm just waiting for it to be built. 

I was told not to expect babies until December so when I found that she had twins, well I was a little surprised and a lot unprepared. I thought I still had a couple months to get my setup together.


----------



## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

I put my milk stand together after I bought my first doe but only about 1 hour after I just had a second one built with a built on seat and I love it. Never tried milking without a stand.


----------



## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

Kupla said:


> I'm trading her doeling for a milkstand, I'm just waiting for it to be built.
> 
> I was told not to expect babies until December so when I found that she had twins, well I was a little surprised and a lot unprepared. I thought I still had a couple months to get my setup together.


Got ya. My only suggestion then is put an eyelet on a wall and clip the collar to it. bolt a short section of 2x4 setting on top of 2 shorter sections to the wall so you can slip a feeder in it. Then if she moves around you can push her into the wall.onder:


----------



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

Hollowdweller said:


> Got ya. My only suggestion then is put an eyelet on a wall and clip the collar to it. bolt a short section of 2x4 setting on top of 2 shorter sections to the wall so you can slip a feeder in it. Then if she moves around you can push her into the wall.onder:


Hmm...That could work....I'll give it a shot and let you know how it goes.


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Yes, tie her to something so she can't move. If you can even set up a panel that you can put her between the panel and wall and still reach under to milk that would stop her moving even more.


----------



## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Hollowdweller said:


> Got ya. My only suggestion then is put an eyelet on a wall and clip the collar to it. bolt a short section of 2x4 setting on top of 2 shorter sections to the wall so you can slip a feeder in it. Then if she moves around you can push her into the wall.onder:


Yep. I agree.. I've milked without a stand once when we had a hurricane and the goats were all in my basement lol! Tied my milkers to a table leg and gave them plenty of grain and milked them.. Other times was at a show.. Not so easy! Tied them to the fence and did the best I could but it didn't go over well! And I left some in there and just milked them all the way out when I got home...
If you don't need the milk and still have the kid, why not let her 'help' you and let her nurse?


----------



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

She has twins who are still nursing so I don't plan to milk her out, but as it was I wasn't even able to get a half a cup a DAY. The previous owner was able to get a half gallon a day while she nursed her last set of twins. 


I had her tied this morning and was able to get almost three cups, that still left plenty for the kids, they both ate and had full bellies. I do need to make some adjustments though so she doesn't have as much room to dance.


----------



## wintergreen (Apr 4, 2013)

I used to cross-tie my does to milk them. One cross-tie was short and right next to the wall. The other cross-tie was longer. I had a sturdy foam pad to sit on while I milked.

Not ideal but it worked well enough. Just keep that grain bucket full while you're milking!


----------



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

Update: I'm tying her to my stairs, the setup is very similar to a stand and through the use of carrots as a reward she is now standing perfectly still for milking!


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Does she get grain while you are milking her? I had to do something similar with a scared doe. I just clipped her to the fence then also clipped her grain bucket to it, then on my knees I would milk here, when she got to dancing around I just would lean up and into her against the fence while I milked, pretty soon she got over all that, then when she was calm about the milking I was able to get her on my stand, which is tall because I like to milk standing up.


----------



## BoulderOaks (Sep 24, 2014)

I had to milk all season without a stand with my first dairy goat. I always just tied her to the fence, but both she and I dreaded milking and she never got over the whole dancing and kicking bit. I'd guess over half the milk she produced that year ended up on the ground... I have a stand now and it's probably the best thing I own lol! 

Glad to hear that worked! I couldn't imagine trying to milk without restraining the doe at all. Mine totally wouldn't stand still even a second


----------



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

She doesn't get grain during milking yet, she's refused it everytime it's offered or spilled it across the ground. She gets the grain after milking and seems to regard it as a reward.


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Mine will not be happy without grain while milking. I can do all kinds of things to them when grain is involved, if she is a little hungry when you go to milk she may calm down and eat her grain. I clipped mine to the fence and she couldn't spill it that way.


----------



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

She's hungry, she eats quickly when she gets her grain, but she won't touch it when she's tied. I haven't had any problems with just using carrots right now.


----------



## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

Lol wow, wish I could milk mine on carrots! One of my does has to be tied at the neck as well as back haunches or if she is out of grain she will just ly down on the stantion. Thank goodness there is only one like her but she also gives me three ltrs per day!


----------



## LewisFamily (Mar 10, 2013)

This may be a hard picture to visualize, but it working great for us, since our milk stand isn't built yet, due to other reasons lol!

However, I will have my son with a bowl of feed, they will eat from his lap. Then I will stand over them, but behind them and pinch their hips between my legs. I will then milk from above with both hands. Works great for us, weird visual, I'm sorry. But it allows me to fully squeeze her udder dry.


----------



## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

I'm very lucky, she does great unless the kids start making a fuss, then she wants to start holding back milk and getting fussy. If the kids are quiet she is wonderful. There's something to be said for starting off with a seasoned doe who knows her job.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have milked without a stand off and on. What I do is hook the doe to a lead rope attached to a stall or some other solid item. I put grain in a bucket, usually attached to the same eye bolt as the lead rope, and let the doe eat while I milk her. I sit on a milk crate when I milk on the floor. I need the solid wall to pull my butt up off the crate after milking.

If the doe decides to try and walk away, I add another lead rope on the opposite side, making a set of cross ties. This keeps her from moving around much.

As for the foot in the pail or her knocking the pail over, if my does do that at any time, I first try holding the foot in the air, making them stand on 3 feet. If she persists, I put hobbles on her rear legs. If she continues to act out, I will pull the leg out from under her, making her fall to the ground. One or two times of that and they usually stand like angels.


----------

