Response to Another Goat question

You should feed them 1 pound of grain plus 1 pound for each 2 lbs of milk she is producing. A pint= a pound of milk. So if your goat is giving a gallon a day she should be eating 5 lbs of grain a day.You will want to weigh the grain in the scoop you will be using- I use a gallon vinegar jug that has the bottom cut out at an angle. Then when you give her a scoop of grain you will know how many lbs of grain are in that scoop. Build a milking stand that has a built on seat, and if you can, put it in an area that is away from the mud and manure and flies but under a roof.Most good stands will have a head stanchion to hold them in there that locks.A chain is too flimsy for some goats- they will move around and make you mad.The routine is done twice a day,twelve hours apart, with half the grain fed per milking while the doe is being milked. You should brush her first and wash her udder after she hops onto the stand and has her head locked in.Then pour the feed into the feed tray on the stand and milk her.Do you know how to milk? If not you will want to get another goatkeeper to teach you. Do not yank on the teats like they do in the movies and cartoons- it will hurt them and damage the udder.Also resist the temptation to grab part of the udder if the teats are short or small- only grab the teat, not any other part of the udder. If you are gentle and patient with them they shouldn't kick much. If they do, keep milking and talk quietly to them in a soothing voice. Try not to get mad at them- you want them to get the idea that being milked is a pleasure not an ordeal that they have to endure or struggle against. If you train a first time milker right she will settle down and be your friend for the rest of her life. If you scare her or force her,etc, she will dread being milked, will not produce as much as she would if relaxed, and will get more difficult as she matures. It will not hurt you if they kick, mainly it is annoying or messy if they kick the bucket over. On a new goat or a first freshener,I hold the rear leg nearest to me with my left hand and milk with my right if they act like they are going to kick. Often it is only needed when you first grab the teats and then they are fine and you can milk with both hands. If you have more questions feel free to e-mail me.

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