If you’d have told me 10 years ago my favorite part of each day was waking up to milk a goat – I’d have laughed in your face.
I’ve always loved the idea of having a garden and a handful of chickens, but milking an animal or raising them for meat seemed outlandish – barbaric, even.
But as with many things, the older I’ve gotten, the more I have been drawn to the simplicity of it all.
There’s something therapeutic about the quietness of each morning, the simple and rhythmic of milk going into the pail and the occasional clucking conversations of the chickens nearby.
Reducing the travel miles of our food when we can is becoming more and more important to us (especially now that prices of everything are increasing). The peace of mind knowing our food isn’t sprayed or treated chemically is also incredibly important.
Between pesticide, herbicides, GMOs, and now lab created foods AND the extent that goes into hiding information about them to consumers – I have a hard time trusting anything at the grocery stores are suitable for consumption.
All of this and a few other things along the way have lead us to where we are now.
Starting seeds on the dining room table for this year’s garden, milking supplies constantly being washed, and baskets of eggs on the counter. Our house is overwhelmed with daily tasks, but each with a specific purpose and need throughout the day.
Arwen (our lamancha dairy goat) has been giving us about 2 1/2-3 quarts every morning. We share with her buckling. He’s allowed to nurse freely during the day, and sleeps in a kennel during the nights, allowing us to collect milk each morning.
We consume her milk raw, for the extra benefits that provides for our bodies. Great care is taken before, during, and after milking to reduce the chances of contamination. Once the milk is strained inside (and my oldest two boys have been supplicated with their daily cup of warm milk – arguably, their favorite part of the day.)
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What Are We Doing With All This Milk?
All. The. Things.
We use it the same way anyone would use store bought cow milk.
I’ve been making farmer’s cheese (a cheese made without rennet and only takes 20 minutes), yogurt in the Instant Pot, milk kefir, in oatmeal, coffee, baking, etc.
How Often Do I Milk?
We kid-share with Arwen’s buckling Gandalf. So he gets free access to nurse all day long, and is separated at night (but kept in the same pen to reduce any distress). We use a large dog crate to keep them separate.
I milk her every morning between 7:30 and 8:00. During that time she gets a home mixed ration of organic grains and seeds.
After she is with her baby the rest of the day with alfalfa hay and fresh grass.
In the evenings, I have her back on the milking stand but this is mainly just to get her into the routine for when her baby stops nursing. She’s given the same grain ration. I usually use this time to brush her down and check her hooves, and spend some one on one time with Gandalf.
Milking Supplies
There’s really not much needed to milk. We use two stainless steel pails, one for milking into, and another as a soap and warm water bucket for washing her teats and udder prior to milking. I also use a microfiber cloth and Ecover dish soap for this. I’ve found the Ecover dish soap does a good job removing any dried dirt that might have accumulated and is still gentle on her skin. A brush to clean away debris from her udder and belly has been very useful!
I keep a stainless steel storage tank with a lid nearby while milking as well. This is used to prevent any debris from getting in the milk during transportation to the house, and any cats from trying to sneak a taste if I turn my head for a moment!
All of the containers used for milking are washed after use, and then are ran through the dishwasher over night so they are clean and ready for milking in the morning. (I also use the Ecover dishwasher detergent.)
We do use a milking stand, although she was trained well before we brought her home. It definitely makes milking easier, but if your goat is trained well isn’t COMPLETELY necessary.
Some goats are a little more strong willed, and hobbles are needed to keep them from kicking the milk over (or you!) I don’t need them for Arwen, but with our last set of goats, I need them for a time.
A sturdy feeder for the milking stand is definitely recommended. We have several of these with the clips for the stand and for inside their pen. They’re great for offering free choice minerals as well.
Many people choose to use a spray or teat dip after milking to prevent infection, but I haven’t found that necessary. Their pen is cleaned regularly with fresh bedding and there are protective enzyme’s in the baby’s saliva, as soon as I’ve finished milking, she is reunited with her baby so that’s really not something I feel is needed right now.
I do use coconut oil with a few drops of lavender essential oil to keep her udder and teats from becoming too dry.
After Milking
It’s almost as crucial as cleanliness to chill the milk as fast as possible post milking to prevent any bacterial growth. I bring the milk directly into the house, strain it using a stainless steel funnel and a reusable coffee filter into quart sized Ball jars, date them, and put the in the back of the fridge farthest from the door so they will cool quicker. (We use a nylon reusable coffee strainer, but I did recently see they are making a stainless steel one. I would definitely like to try the stainless out!)
If we start accumulating too many quarts of milk over a few days, then they are either poured together in a freezer container for use this winter or used for other goodies (cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc.)
Supplements and Herbal Remedies
We choose to care for our goats on a strict herbal regimen for gut health and parasite management. I’ve found Land of Havilah has worked well for our goats so far. We use their Parasite Formula, GI Back on Track, and sometimes their herbamins.
When using an herbal deworming regimen, it’s important to do it weekly, and monthly. Each full moon, we do a 3 day dosing of herbs for morning and night time feedings. Our weekly routine falls under “Worming Wednesdays” where she is given a dusting of the herbs on her feed.
Keeping free choice options for kelp and a loose mineral available for them as well.