Milk Goat - crash course needed!

[Wildsky]

Well the exciting news is we'll be getting a milk goat on Friday.

THe goat in question has two babies on her right now, and they're plenty old enough to be separated, so our neighbor asked if we wanted her to milk.

I've never milked a goat before, so the neighbor lady will come over and show me how to do it.

We have a Male Boer (weather) and a horse that lives in the back yard, I'm hoping they'll all get on well together and not have any disagreements. She currently lives with a cow and other horses, I dont' think they have any goats other than her and the babies.
Any tips to introduce them?

ALso, our horse and goat get two scoops of Horse Senior feed every evening, will that be ok to give the new goat if we're milking her or should we get something else for her and separate her out at dinner time?
ANything else she shouldn't eat (I know not to let a goat near chicken feed) but anything else as far as veggies or fruit treats etc...?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

ha ha! another goat convert!

this is everything i know about goats, including how to milk and whatcha need:

http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/p/what-i-know-about-goats.html

remember, you ARE the boss goat!

then go over to the fiascofarm site and read everything she knows about how to milk a goat. basically, get a good stainless/seamless bucket and get out there and milk that goat!

and its ok to cry.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Woo hoo!!
No clue about that feed, I feed wheat sprouts, alfafa pellets, BOSS, a bit of noble goat & use whole feed corn for bribes. I only give the wether & the baby a handfull each. The milker (Dixie) gets all the veggies she wants, as she is used to them and actually likes the taste of broccoli leaves & cabbage cores. She'll trample you for a bruised peach.

The rest of the time, I use OFG's stance. Get out there & graze because its freeeee!

Yeah, its okay to cry. And kick stuff, and pout.
I did it just a few days ago.

Anything new, introduce slowly. A few too many zuchinis could cause clumpy poo.

Got a milk filter? Lots of glass jars? Funnels? Wipers? Wormer? Room in the fridge? Cheese recipes?

The folks at Hoegger have been helpful to me too.

I would introduce them through a fence if you can and maybe mingle one at a time with the new goats.

 

[Wildsky]

I was over on the fiasco site checking out how to make feta, I can hardly wait!

I can introduce through the fence, we have a main area for the horse and goat with a huge barn, and then another area where I have a gate to keep them out to let the grass grow a bit. I can put the girlie in that area for the day on Friday and they'll have plenty of time to check each other out. I don't want to leave her out there alone all night, so when my hubby gets home we'll open up and see what happens. The horse I'm not worried about, she's very easy going, its the live wire goat we have that worries me, but he might be taken by a pretty girl!

I have to scratch around for equipment, I have NOTHING! I don't want to spend any money either (job lost) but I will buy small things or emergency type things as needed. I have a few stainless steel bowls and such I might be able to use.

The goat girlie needs some manners, apparently she does walk on a rope but tends to pull, so I'll have to take her out walking regularly so she can be handled by the kids if needed.
(our goat HATES a rope, so we didnt' even bother with him, we should have tired harder)

I am a little worried about the taste of the milk being different, but will make cheese if we don't like it, I'm sure my kids will drink it, they'll love it I'm sure. I'm not really a milk person as much as the rest of my crowd is. But say CHEESE and I'm there in a flash!

 

[Wildsky]

What are your thoughts on this contraption for someone who's never milked before I'm a little nervous:

http://www.maggidans.com/milker.htm

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Honestly, I'd go over to her current home & give it a shot before I ordered one. See what routine the owner uses & make any changes semi-gradually. Results in a less stressed goat & human. That's the mistake I made, not spending enough time with them before I took them home. But you live & learn.

Its really not that hard, once you build up hand & forearm strength. Pinch & squeeze. Release. Repeat.

Something I have DD doing (who is absolutely panting to milk!) is squeezing water from a heavy duty glove finger. I poked a tiny embroidery needle through the fingertip of the glove & filled the glove with water. Used a rubber band to close the wrist & have her squeezing the finger to get the water to come out. That way, by the time she gets the hand strength, she'll already have the motion down

 

[Rebbetzin]

After checking the prices on Milking supplies... I used my imagination and came up with a milk flitering system that I think works just as good if not better than the milk filter I was going to buy.

I bought a stainless steel canning funnel, then I got an inexpensive coffee filter that has a plastic frame and sections of very fine screen. I put a paper coffee filter between the coffee filter and the canning funnel. And Voila! I have a quite good strainer for the milk.

Top view

My friend Robin has her milk jars on ice so the milk begins to chill as soon as it is milked. I found some flexible gel packs that fit around the 1/2 gal. glass jars perfectly. I made a quilted cover that closes with velcro to hold the gel pack next the the jar. Works great!

Here it is on the Jar with the filter in place

 

[Wildsky]

Oh great idea, I can find a coffee filter thingie, and I have a bunch of paper filters in the cupboard that I no longer use!

I have those smallish ice packs used for helping bumps and bruises for the kids, I could easily make a little pouch or something with a velcro closure - I have all that on hand (due to my fabric hoarding problem!)

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

What are your thoughts on this contraption for someone who's never milked before I'm a little nervous:

http://www.maggidans.com/milker.htm

nah... march out there boldly and do it by hand. you'll be just fine. you can use those stainless bowls that come with your mixer... or check the dogfood aisle and get one of those bowls on the cheap. if all else fails then use glass - but NOT plastic (nope not even once - plastic is too porous and will never be clean enough).

i strain my milk into wide mouthed quart jars (easier to clean than standard jars) then put into the freezer to chill..then transfer to the fridge.

the only thing i dont like goat milk in in coffee -- unless i make a "goat-puccino" and have it cold. but really - Nibbles' milk isnt bad in hot coffee.... but goat milk is heaven to cook with.

and its ok if they fight it out. you can intro thru the fence but honestly, all of the breeders we know (all with 20+ goats) just throw the new one out there and make them work it out. there will be pushing and shoving.. if they are about the same size i wouldnt worry. if the new one is much smaller they might not even pay any attention to her.

you're gonna do great!

 

[Henrietta23]

What are your thoughts on this contraption for someone who's never milked before I'm a little nervous:

http://www.maggidans.com/milker.htm

nah... march out there boldly and do it by hand. you'll be just fine. you can use those stainless bowls that come with your mixer... or check the dogfood aisle and get one of those bowls on the cheap. if all else fails then use glass - but NOT plastic (nope not even once - plastic is too porous and will never be clean enough).

i strain my milk into wide mouthed quart jars (easier to clean than standard jars) then put into the freezer to chill..then transfer to the fridge.

the only thing i dont like goat milk in in coffee -- unless i make a "goat-puccino" and have it cold. but really - Nibbles' milk isnt bad in hot coffee.... but goat milk is heaven to cook with.

and its ok if they fight it out. you can intro thru the fence but honestly, all of the breeders we know (all with 20+ goats) just throw the new one out there and make them work it out. there will be pushing and shoving.. if they are about the same size i wouldnt worry. if the new one is much smaller they might not even pay any attention to her.

you're gonna do great!

I found a seamless stainless steel bucket in the pet dish aisle at TSC. I got two so one is always ready to go.
I was nervous about learning to milk by hand but I love it! Quality time with my goat. Such a satisfying feeling!