milking how to

Goat milk is liquid gold, but you have to get milking right to get it.

- LESA WILKE

The ultimate goal of most dairy goat owners is to produce fresh, healthy, delicious milk. Typically, goat-keepers quickly learn the physical fundamentals of getting that milk. However, there are subtle details associated with milking a goat that such procedures might miss. Stressed goats, poor hygiene, mishandled milk and producing off-flavor milk are four areas where mistakes often occur. Goat-keepers can avoid these mistakes by following the practices described here.

DE-STRESS

It takes a healthy, well-managed and content goat to reach her potential for milk production. Thus does should be milked in safe, stress-free environments. Milking areas should be quiet, peaceful, clean and dry. Goats love a schedule and prefer to be milked in the same order every day. Milking twice a day, 12 hours apart is considered optimal for maximum milk production. But it's fine to milk once a day or on other schedules as long as it's consistent from day to day.