There is a surprising lack of information online about goat milking supplies!
There is a surprising lack of information online about goat milking supplies!I can tell you’re shocked. When we first dove into the world of goats, we had absolutely NO clue what we were doing. There were some hard lessons learned in those first years, but I think we can safely say that we’ve got this down!
When it comes to milking goats, having the right supplies can make the difference between a quick, relaxing task and a “Oh my gosh this is a nightmare, goats are the worst” task, if you know what I mean. 😉
“What’s this lady talkin’ about? All you need to milk a goat is a pail! Why, when we were kids, we used a rusty coffee can and everything turned out just fine!”
Well, that may be true, Mr. Old Goat Expert. But this here is the 90’s, er wait, the 2015’s, and that’s just not how it’s done anymore!
Goat Milking Supplies
NOTE: I just want to say real quick that these are MY recommendations, but feel free to find something else that works for you.
- A Stainless Steel SEAMLESS milking pail | When you’re milking every single day (often twice a day), you’ll need a pail that is equipped to handle getting splashed with milk and is able to be washed clean. A good stainless steel bucket is what you need, and it MUST be seamless so small particles of milk don’t settle into those little grooves.  Some people like to use glass as well, but I find that glass is way too heavy to be lugging out to the goats each day. You can find seamless stainless steel buckets like this milking pail, but if you happen to be milking small goats (Nigerian Dwarfs), then you’ll need a short milking bucket like this one. It was the shortest stainless steel bucket we could find to fit under those adorable stubby legs. Note: I really like when the bucket is wide on the bottom. A narrow bottom of the pail means it’s more “topsy-turvy” and if your goat decides to be naughty and kick, then there’s more of a chance that bucket will get tipped over.
- Homemade Udder Wipes | When cleaning the udder and teats before milking, I’ve seen people use a rag and hot, soapy water and I’ve seen people use storebought udder wipes like these. No judgement from me on which one you decide to use, but let me say that I used to use the chemical udder wipes and they really dried out my goat’s udders as well as made me feel like we needed to step up our game since we strive to feed our goats organic and treat them with a holistic approach. My solution was to make our own homemade udder & teat wipes. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but these things rock, you guys. Everything just seems right in the world when you have a homemade udder wipe that’s “au naturale”.
- A stanchion | A stanchion is a device made to hold the goat in place while you milk. Oh you thought you could just tie the goat to a fence and happily milk her? Uh…yeah…no. Ain’t gonna happen. A stanchion also usually has something that you can attach a feeder to so your goat can munch away while you get busy with that udder. You can make your own with these goat stanchion plans here.
- A feeder (to attach to the stanchion) | You’ll definitely need a feeder to help keep your goat munching while you milk. We like to put an organic grain mixture in the feeder, but we also will sneak in some veggie scraps from the kitchen. A goat feeder like this one should do it.
- A goat hobble or dog leash | While part of me hesitated before placing this item here, I do think it’s important for new goat owners to be aware of. Here’s the thing…your goal should be to always train your goat to be able to stand and be milked without kicking. We have all of our goats trained to stand even when they don’t have anything to munch on. They know the drill and they know that we are going to milk whether they kick or not, so they decide it’s much easier to just be nice:) That being said, there are some times when you have a new untrained goat and there’s just no way to get them to stop kicking. Enter a goat hobble (or our homemade contraption below). A goat hobble basically keeps both back feet together so that your goat can’t kick because they can’t lift one leg without lifting both. The reason why we decided a simple dog leash works better is because we found that if you have a really strong goat, they can kick both feet at the same time. Here’s our solution. We tie ONLY ONE leg back to a fence or post. It’s not meant to be tight, the goal is just to make it so they can’t put weight on it. This foot should hover about 8 inches above the stand. They can’t kick if they can’t put weight on the other foot:)
In our experience, a goat only needs a hobble or tied leg for about a month or so. After that, they get used to the routine and tend to become non-kickers. - Glass Jars | In a previous post, How to keep Raw Goat’s Milk Fresh & Delicious, I share that it’s VITAL that you store your goat’s milk in glass containers. We like to use these half-gallon mason jars and mason jar plastic lids.
- Strainer & Filters | You’ll definitely want to strain your goat’s milk after each milking. We love this goat milk strainer and filters.
- Teat Dip | Teat dips are designed to clean and protect the teat between milking times. You can purchase chemical teat dips, but I like to just make my own with essential oils. I simply combine 1 cup of coconut oil, 10 drops of lavender & 10 drops of melaleuca. I keep this in a small pint mason jar and dip a bit on my fingers to rub on the teats when I’m done. Easy.Â
In our experience, a goat only needs a hobble or tied leg for about a month or so. After that, they get used to the routine and tend to become non-kickers.
So there you have it! Once you gather all of your goat milking supplies, you can dive right into your adventure of milking a goat. It’s an experience to remember, that’s for sure.
Want more information on goats? Read my other articles!
- Milk Showdown: Cow vs. Sheep vs. Goat – Which is best?
- Goat Pregnancy & Birthing Checklist
- Post-Partum Care for Goats
- How to Disbud & Dehorn a Baby Goat
- How to Keep Raw Goat’s Milk Fresh & Delicious
- How to Milk a Goat
- How to Milk a Goat: Taught by an adorable 8 year old
- A Simple Guide to Buying you first Goat
- What do Goats Really Eat?
Our funny goat adventures:
Hi,
I just received the Getting Started with Goats email and all the links are not working. I’d there anyway to update the links or receive a new email? Thanks a bunch!
Tracy
Hi Tracy-
Try this one: https://www.weedemandreap.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/GettingStartedwithGoats.pdf
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hello, We just purchased a Nigerian Dwarf herd and one of my does will not milk on the machine? I have searched all over the internet but can’t seem to find anything regarding this issue. The machine works fine, pulses and has a vacuum but she will not let any milk out. Is there anything I can do ?? We do get 2 cups by hand, but her teats are on the small side so its pretty hard for me to milk by hand. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Richard-
Sometimes machines will make does nervous and they won’t let down and may not work well with does with small teats.
Does will also hold up on milk if they are in new unfamiliar settings, which sounds like that could be the case since you mentioned you just purchased her.
Some things you can do are to allow her a bit a time to get used to the new situation. Also, before putting her on the milk machine, thoroughly massage the udder, this can improve let down. When you massage her you can also use a warm cloth to help with let down. If you still have her kid, try bringing it in and letting her be near it when you put her on the machine because some does relax and let down more when kids are present.
Best of luck with your doe. Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I have two great milkers, one is alpine and the other is lamancha. So I freeze a bunch of milk for when we need it. My question is what cream separator works the best? I’ve heard the russian ones are good but a bit hard to figure out. I do need an electric one. I really want to make my own butter and less fat in the milk I freeze would make it freeze better Any help would be great! Plus I have a third girl to start milking this year(baby girl to the alpine).
Hi Cindi-
DaNelle uses a Milky brand separator. It takes a bit to clean, but she really likes the job it does on separating the cream.
Good luck with your milkers and your butter making!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi, do you have a link for the new funnel strainer you are using in your videos? My family and I really are loving your videos. Thanks ?
Hi Krista-
Thank you so much for watching and posting!
Click on the stainless steel strainer link in this article: https://www.weedemandreap.com/goat-supplies-raising-milking-kidding/
It should take you to the amazon page for the strainer you are looking for. If that isn’t the one you are talking about just let me know. Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
That one is not available does danelle still use that one? If not which one does she
Hi Cate-
Try the one linked on DaNelle’s Resources page: https://www.weedemandreap.com/resources/
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Where did you get your stanchion? How much milk do your Nigerian Dwarf goats average per day?
Thank you for your great site!
Hi Leslie-
DaNelle had someone weld her stanchion for her. If you want to build your own here is a free download on how to construct a wooden one: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Milking-Stand-Foxhole-Homestead-ebook/dp/B006LNUM30/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1470700000&sr=8-1&keywords=milking+stand&linkCode=sl1&tag=resourcesweedreap-20&linkId=cc204d8d28e92fbb08d1b6234eff8181
The ND’s give about 1-2 quarts a day, depending on the goat and how recently they kidded. I hope this helps! Thank you for reading and posting! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi Bobbi, thank you so much!
I’m interested in your EO teat dip. Would you still use it if you had kids in their mom, sharing the milk? I mean, is it safe for them to nurse her with the EOs on? Thanks!
Hi Leigh-
Yep,it is safe for the kids to nurse. Thanks for reading and posting! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Do you have to boil Nigerian goat milk?
You don’t have to boil any milk, you can drink it raw like we do:)
On the MILK STRAINER Section of this article…
The LINK is NOT available to even SEE what Type of strainer you use.
I wanted a SEAMLESS SS strainer with NO seams….but can’t find one
WHAT do YOU use that is NOT being shown and …
WHERE can i find a milk strainer (goat milk), that does NOT need to be continually purchased,
such as the milking discs.?
Sorry about that, Barbara! Thanks for letting me know. I’ve updated all the links. Here’s the stainless steel strainer I use, and you can purchase milk filters that can fold inside it.
Hello I am really new to trending goats, that being said I have a pregnant goat who is filling up with milk only in one teat. I have tried milking her but it is obstructed and puts her in pain when I apply pressure. what do I need to do to fix this problem? Any help will be greatly appreciated, Thank you
Hi Jason,
Has she given birth yet?
I don’t have goats yet but plan to get some soon, I was wondering if I plan to sell the raw goat milk should I sell it in glass or plastic jars? I would like to keep costs at a minimum so if there are any links to inexpensive jars that would also be very helpful. Thanks!
Hi Harley,
Definitely always glass. Most people purchase their own (or buy them from you) and bring their own jars back.
I’m about to get nigerian dwarfs this weekend and will need a milking pail. The one that you suggested, is it the 1 qt or the 3 qt?
Thanks!
Definitely the 3 quart!
I’m a newbie and I learn something new every day. Thought I’d share my way of milking. I’m in hot, HOT country so I’ve devised an odd milking system. I have Nigerian Dwarfs. I bought several stainless steel, pressed (no seams) grease saver cans. They are 6 cup, with stainless steel strainers and lid. I put a coffee filter in the can, press the strainer down over it to hold it and put the lid on. I set this in a plastic bowl and add ice cubes to the bowl. After washing my goat I set the whole contraption under the goat and milk directly into the strainer, put the lid back on, dip the teats and go about anything that needs doing. When I get back to the house the milk is strained, filtered and ice cold. I remove the strainer and filter and put the milk in the fridge until it is properly cold enough to add to my milk jar or into a “fresh” jar if I’ve been “collecting” for more than two days. I find the 6 cup is large enough for each milking when one milks twice a day. I want to move on to Mini-Nubians because my husband and I could live on goat milk 🙂 Wish I could find cans like I’m using now with larger capacity. Anyone got any suggestions? Thanks
I’ve heard people do this:) We live in 120 degree summers and still use our same method, we just strain when we get in the house and put in our cold milking fridge that we keep at 38 degrees.
Are the essential oils safe for the kids to ingest?
Hi Alexis,
Are you talking about goat kids or regular kids? 😉 I normally don’t let my kids ingest oils unless they need more intense support. For goat babies, I’d apply to their abdomen or neck:)
Thank you so much for all this information! I am getting goats this Summer. I was wondering where to get many of the items I need.
Is the lavender oil bad for the milking kids
Not at all, it’s very therapeutic and safe for baby goats.
Thank you for this Pin. I’m new with goats and I should getting the first set of kids next month. I was wondering where I was going to get jugs or jars to put the the milk in to sell. The canning jars are a great idea.
We purchased our first goats around 10 years ago after researching for several years. I had a goat “mentor” lady who helped quite a bit, but I was very fortunate to be able to find a wealth of information on the internet by perusing goat forums and looking at websites like fiascofarm. The Hoeggers, who sell supplies and have a print catalog as well as a website, are very helpful and are happy to chat over the phone and give advice when you’re not sure what you need. The first thing that I realized when researching the internet and talking to goat owners is that there are as many ways to raise goats as there are goat owners. Everyone has their own way and we had to figure out what works for us.
For instance, some people feed on the stand while milking, but we were once given the advice not to do this and our ladies are so much better behaved on the stand now! There was an adjustment period, but wow…what a difference it made in their attitude. Now, being milked is their reward and they look forward to a hand-fed grain treat when they are finished, so they are much more patient. Might not work for everybody…like you noted at the top of your post…have to figure out what works for you!
Great advice on making your own teat/udder wash….lots of ways to do this without using harsh chemicals.
For new goat owners with no goat “mentor” person to help you….check out the different forums online…read what they have to say and ask questions if you need to…there are many seasoned goat owners online and they have tons of great info!
Do you have any links to making butter from your goats milk (if you do) and the supplies you use to separate the fat?
Thanks!
We were buying goat milk for a while from some lady. The goats changed hands and things got fishy (and and sour) and we no longer buy from them. But one thing the new owners were trying to say ways that they needed a new strainer for the goat milk, that they were really pricey and hard to find, and that the cost of our milk was going to go up $1/half gallon because of this. I kind of smelled a turd. I mean, I don’t mind them for raising their prices, but it seemed like an unlikely reason. Do you have any thoughts on this? I took a look at the strainer you use, and it wasn’t overly pricey. I want to be an informed customer. Thanks!
It could be that they have an electric milker and there is a strainer or something attached to it that cost more, but if they milk by hand, then yes strainers aren’t expensive at all:)