How To Milk A Goat

I have the most precious goats ever. I am milking two right now:

Daisy (the highest one) and her kid, Button who isn't old enough to milk yet. They are Saanens. They LOVE going up to the loft in the barn.

This is Tessa. She is half Nubian/half Alpine: Nupine.

These two girls are so incredibly sweet. And, smart. At milking time they know exactly what to do, where to go and when to go there.

I keep a jar of disinfectant that I make myself in a cabinet in the barn. I also keep clean cloths, small, small plastic cups, a roll of paper towels, herbs and a brush. I dampen a cloth and wipe off the entire udder area, inside legs and underbelly.

I squeeze out a few squirts of milk into a cup. This first milk has bacteria so I dispose of it.

I use stainless steel to milk into and NEVER EVER set it directly on the milking stanchion. I put a paper towel or clean cloth under it. When I'm done I cover the milk and set it in a sterile bucket and put a cloth over the top of that. So the milk is covered twice until I get it into the house to process.

Last I dip both teats into the disinfectant.

Usually Daisy is finished with her ration by this time and I let her out.

Tessa is a little slower to eat...she likes to lick the bowl..so I brush her while she finishes. Sometimes she takes so long I have time to brush Daisy, too!