Animals

How to milk a goat: basic rules, instructions for beginners

It is important for owners of a subsidiary farm that have a goat to know how to milk this pet. The milking by all the rules develops and maintains the delivery of milk at the maximum level. How to milk goats, which increases milk yield, what are the techniques of milking - about this article.

General rules

In order for a good milk return from the goat, during milking, the following rules are required:

prepare the animal for milking, conduct hygienic and caring procedures before and after milking;

carry out milking at the set time. How many times a day should be milked is influenced by the seasons. In winter, the goat is milked 2 times a day (at 8 and 20 hours). In the summer, milking is carried out three times a day (at 7, 14 and 22 hours);
it is recommended to milk young goats 3-4 times a day so that the udder develops better;
you need to give out everything to the last drop. Milking does not completely reduce milk yield and milk quality, since the last milk is the fattest and most valuable, and mastitis can also be caused;
noise, stress, rough handling reduce milk yield. Care must be taken to keep the animal calm during milking;
the first trickle is discharged onto the ground or in a separate vessel and poured out, since the first milk has no value and contains bacteria;
milking must be carried out quickly and non-stop.

Goat milking preparation

For a successful milking process, one must properly prepare and carry out the necessary procedures.

Udder preparation

Before milking, the udder is washed with warm water and wiped dry. You can use paper towels for this. For animals kept on the street, 1-2 times a week, it is recommended to use soap or household soap when washing. It is acceptable to replace the daily washing of the udder by wiping with odorless bactericidal napkins.

Important! The hands should have clean hands and short cropped nails. You can also use pharmacy gloves for greater sterility.

Massage technique

After washing, to improve the condition of the mammary glands and a better outflow of milk, the udder should be massaged. Massage is performed gently, with light movements in the following sequence:

take one share of the udder with your hands and rub it gently.
at the same time, the mass fraction should be slightly lifted and pressed.
Periodically, the udder must be returned to its normal position.
repeat the above steps 4-5 times with each share of the udder.

Video: goat udder massage technique

Such a massage takes about 1-2 minutes, improves blood flow and milk output, is a prevention of udder diseases.

What drugs improve the condition of the udder

For the care of the mammary glands of goats, special pharmaceutical preparations are available. It is effectively looked after by special means "Zorka", "Phytosept", which include substances that have not only softening, but also therapeutic effect. To mitigate and improve the health of the udder, pharmacy petroleum jelly, baby cream, and lanolin are often used.

Important! When preparing a goat's udder for milking, it should be well inspected for damage and illness. For small wounds or coarsening, it is recommended to change the usual remedy to a therapeutic one with the addition of antibiotics.

Combination with feeding

Beginners prefer to fix the goats on a special machine, and experienced owners prefer to milk them while eating. Consumption of compound feeds leads them to a more relaxed state. For some aggressive animals, the use of a machine tool and fixation of the legs is recommended. It is advisable to calm the animal, to speak with him kindly and gently.

Goat Milking Techniques

The milkmaid usually sits on the side of the goat, prepares it and milks it.

Methods for milking goats are different:

manually;
milking machine.

Important! If a goat kicked you during preparation or milking, you should not yell at it or punish it. This situation can completely stop the milk flow and lead to problems with the udder.

Manual

Manual milking has its advantages:
provides maximum comfort during milking;
takes into account the size of the nipples;
does not require investment;
It stimulates not only the udder, but also the “tanks”.

The disadvantages of milking goats manually include the following:
requires some skill;
difficult in the presence of a large herd.

Now there are several do-it-yourself milking techniques:

fist. Applied with well-developed nipples;
a pinch. Used for small nipples or for initial milking;
combined. In this case, the bulk of the milk is milked with a fist, and the remainder with tweezers. The most common milking method.

Fist

The step-by-step milking technique looks like this:

grab the udder with a brush and clamp it into a fist. The little finger must fall on the sphincter;
the nearest nipple is captured with two fingers (index and thumb), and they milk milk from the nipple;
then the remaining three fingers are joined to them in stages, and the milk in the “tanks” is dispensed;
milking with a fist is carried out continuously with the adjustment of the pressure on the nipple;
the udder must be completely empty.

Video: fist milking a goat

Pinch

This milking is carried out only with your fingers:

the nipple is gripped by three fingers;
soft rhythmic movements are made, issuing milk;
the degree of pressure is accurately regulated.

In a combined way

It is considered the most optimal and gentle for milking goats, often used for milking. This method develops the mammary glands well and consists of the following steps:

first, the udder is taken and milked with a fist;
milk is taken from the nipples, as in the pinch method - with three fingers;
During such milking, circular movements and light pressure are pressed gently with a downward force.

Milking takes a little longer than milking with a fist, but it allows you to milk the animal as much as possible. Not suitable for goats with small nipples.

Find out how much an average goat produces per day.

Milking machine

Using the milking machine is also a priority because:
quickly and effectively cope with milking;
helps to get cream;
more hygienic;
stimulates the udder.

There are few disadvantages of machine milking:
requires material costs and does not pay for itself with a small number of goats;
it is necessary to monitor the device - constantly wash and check operability;
if you do not turn off the device in time, which has milked all the milk, then it can cause mastitis.

When machine milking, all basic milking rules should be followed:

before connecting, the cleanliness of the device and its operability, the presence of vacuum in the containers for the nipples are checked;
the first jet is manually a little handed over to clean the nipples, and only then the device is connected;
milking glasses are attached and fixed to the nipples of an already prepared goat;
turning on the device and milking itself;
when milk is stopped, the device turns off and disconnects;
after turning off the equipment, the udder is massaged, and the remaining milk is manually dispensed;
wash well after milking.

Read more about the goat milking machine.

Actions after milking

After milking, wipe the nipples dry and make a gentle relaxing massage with a care product.

It is important to quickly prepare the milk for further storage:

strain through 5-10 layers of gauze;
place in a cold place (at least 10–15 ° C). If the milk is quickly cooled in a cold bath and placed in a cold place, then it will absorb less odors and can be stored for a long time - up to 14 days.

Did you know? Milking machines at a frequency of up to 60 cycles / min. They stimulate the udder well, which helps to avoid spasmodic reflexes.

Distributing goats after lambing

Dairy goats can be bred immediately after the birth of the offspring. But the representatives of the meat breed can get milk after 2-3 months. Individuals bred for the production of wool begin to produce milk after 4 months.

In order to properly milk an animal, the following should be considered:

the amount of milk will depend on the number of babies born and the weight of the female;
milk breed after lambing is milked immediately, and only in order to feed the kids;
if animals are bred in order to obtain milk, then the cubs are not allowed to feed on their own. They are placed in a separate paddock so that they can see mom. Kids feeding independently can cause damage to the goat’s horns and teeth. Therefore, they are fed from a bottle with a nipple;
after giving birth, the goat’s mother has a very high milk level, so milking should be done at least 5 times a day. The milking process is carried out at the same time. The kids are eaten 4 times a day, and excess milk can be used at your discretion;
the first 30 days, babies consume pure milk, and from 40 days it can be diluted with boiled water. By 3 months they are already eating food for adults, and the goat is transferred to milking 3 times a day, and the transition to normal mode is being made.

Did you know? Goat milk has bactericidal properties, is easily digested, contains many useful and nutritious substances. It can be given to people of different age groups, used for cosmetic and medical purposes. It is useful for colds, tuberculosis, cancer, insomnia, improves regeneration and potency.

During the period of gestation, the female gives them many necessary nutrients from her body. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the amount of milk during milk production so that the body of the pregnant goat is not depleted, as this can lead to the loss of milk, miscarriage and death of the animal. Milking is gradually reduced so that the goat has the opportunity to bear and feed the babies.

Each time the animal is not thoroughly milked and reduced 3-time milking to 2 times a day, then to 1 time per day, and then even less often. The amount of succulent feed in the diet decreases until the cessation of lactation. Then they can be returned, but several days before the birth they again restrict it. A goat with a large body weight can reduce the amount of milk yield per month before lambing, and for animals with low weight - in two months.

How to increase milk yield

To increase the yield of goats, experts give a lot of advice. The highlight is feeding. In order for the goats to give more milk, such foods and drinks should be included in their diet:

branches of bushes and trees. Positively affect the taste of milk. They should be dried in the form of brooms and given not only in the warm, but also in the winter;
vegetables. Potatoes and their peeling, carrots, beets, cabbage are well suited;
turnip (feed turnip);
a camomile. Goats adore this plant and will surely please with milk yield. It is important to give a decoction of chamomile in the winter and after lambing;
the required amount of clean water. It should be ensured that the goat always has a drink;
grain (wheat, barley, oats);
vitamin and mineral complexes;
compound feed. Give no higher than the norm, so as not to cause excess weight gain in the animal, which will significantly reduce productivity;
lick (pieces of salt);
probiotics. They increase immunity, regulate the gastrointestinal tract well, and have a general strengthening effect on the whole organism. Able to increase milk yield by 20%.

Did you know? It has been observed that goats that graze on a free range give more milk than individuals are on a leash. Fresh air and activity have a positive effect on them.

Another important factor affecting the increase in milk yield is compliance with milking rules. Do not lose sight of the individual approach to each animal. Be sure to come up with a name for goats. Before the milking process, set the goat in a good mood - call her affectionately by name, stroke her. Provide the goats with sufficient space so that they have the opportunity to frolic (this will increase the appetite). If you are interested in getting milk from a goat, then you should initially purchase goats with a milk orientation.

What to do if a goat is not given

Sometimes it happens that a goat does not allow itself to be milked and begins to rest. There are always different reasons for this. What, and what are the solutions to this problem, are described below:

cracks, sharp nails can scratch the udder, which can cause pain to the animal. Watch your hands and check them before milking. When cracks appear, the udder must be coated with a special agent. The udder needs regular care. Inspect, treat wounds and injuries;
there are small hairs on the udder, which, if pressed down by hand, cause pain. In this case, it is necessary to carefully remove them with scissors, as well as remove six around the udder and legs;
goats are very jealous, and if they treat one kindly and not the other, they start to worry, they do not stand still. Show attention and affection to all individuals;
unaccustomed youngsters are often nervous. It is necessary to train goats to stand calmly from 2–2.5 months. To do this, they are given bread to lure, and also addressed by name affectionately. An excellent technique would be to combine milking with your favorite food. If a young goat from a habit is still not allowed to milk and hits with its hind legs, it can be tied for the first time;
the udder of the goat needs to be prepared for future milking while still young. To do this, massage the nipples, stretching them a little. This will also teach them to stand upright while milking;
sometimes goats who recently became mothers get nervous. To calm the female, a kid is driven to her;
untimely milking can also cause the animal nervousness. Therefore, milking should be in a strictly allotted time;
wrong milking. Strong pressing and other actions can cause pain. Carry out the process carefully and, if necessary, contact specialists and those who know how to milk properly;
They recommend milking in one place reserved for this, so that the animal gets used to the situation.

Did you know? Some avoid using goat's milk because of its specific taste and smell. But there are breeds of dairy goats that do not have it (for example, Alpine, Gorky, dwarf, Nubian, Russian). But even in these goats, milk can get an unpleasant aftertaste if they ate onions or garlic, were next to an adult goat. Violations of the hygiene of milking and milk storage technology can also spoil the product.

What will happen if the goat is not milked

If the goat is not milked in a timely manner, then mastitis occurs, that is, seals form in the udder. Such an individual will not be able to please the owners with milk yield. Even if there is no inflammation of the mammary glands, the amount of milk will definitely decrease.