Goat breeding is becoming a popular area of livestock farming. These animals are kept both in large farms and in private farmsteads. They do this, first of all, for the sake of tasty, nutritious, healthy milk and products made from it. Beginning goat breeders do not always know how to milk a domestic goat correctly. But the amount of milk and the well-being of the animal depend on compliance with the basic rules of milking.
General rules
In order to maintain the health of a dairy goat and get the maximum amount of milk, you need to adhere to the general rules of milking:
- the first time the goat is milked not before lambing, but immediately after it, one and a half to two hours;
- 3-4 weeks before birth, prepare the udder for milking;
- they start a goat that has previously given birth;
- if an animal is milked until birth, then you should not milk every drop of milk before giving birth;
- During milking, rough handling of the goat is unacceptable;
- milking is organized at the same time;
- all procedures are carried out in a place familiar to the animal;
- in the first week after lambing, the animal is milked up to 5 times a day;
- Manual milking is carried out with clean and warm hands.
Important! If you are late with milking by one and a half to two hours, then the milk yield decreases by at least 0.5 liters.
Preparing the animal for milking
In order for the goat to be calm about the milking procedure, one cannot do without preparatory manipulations.
Udder preparation
To ensure the shelf life of the milk and protect the udder from the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms, it must be washed with warm water. Washing the udder increases milk yield. Once a week it is washed using baby or laundry soap.
For modern pet owners, devices are available to produce foam that can be used to treat teats. With their help, special preparations, for example, “Bioform”, are foamed. The nipples are immersed in the foam for just a few seconds. This type of udder cleaning is very convenient for treating several animals.
Massage technique with video
To prepare goats for milking, immediately after hygiene procedures you need to massage the udder. This procedure takes no more than 2-3 minutes. Even a novice livestock breeder can master the simplest massage technique.A goat's udder, unlike a cow's, consists of two lobes. To perform a massage, you need to first lift one lobe with both hands. Make several gentle squeezing movements. After this, repeat the procedure with the second share.
What drugs improve the condition of the udder?
The udder of a dairy goat needs to be treated with special means. Their action is aimed at protecting tissues from damage, accelerating wound healing, and preventing infections. The most popular:
- “Zorka” cream, the active ingredient floralizin, is used for manual and mechanical milking, has no analogues in the last few decades;
- Fitolit concentrated product, contains aloe vera, used to prepare a solution;
- “EloMix” detergent contains natural soap, is used diluted, can be used as a spray.
Combination with feeding
Typically goats are not fed during milking. This technique distracts the animal and reduces milk yield. However, each animal has its own character. Some individuals are so excitable that they do not allow humans to approach them; it is simply impossible to milk them calmly. In this case, you can combine the feeding process with milking.
How to milk a goat correctly
If the farm contains no more than 2-4 heads, then it is easy to milk them manually. When the number of animals exceeds 5, it is advisable for the owner to purchase a machine for mechanical milking.
Manual milking
Several hand milking techniques are suitable for beginners and experienced milkers:
- With a fist - this method is convenient to use for animals with a voluminous udder and rather long nipples.First, take the nipple at the base with your thumb and forefinger and milk a small portion of milk, which may contain pathogenic microbes. After which the nipple is grasped in a fist, squeezing it rhythmically, and milking is carried out.
- Pinch - this method is used for small udders and short nipples. Milk is milked with your hands, squeezing the nipple with your fingers. You can use your thumb, index and middle fingers for this.
- Mixed is the most popular method; most of the milk is milked with a fist, and the rest with a pinch.
Some milkers sit behind the animal, which is not very correct. Almost all experienced goat owners advise sitting on the side of the animal and always doing it on one side.
Using the machine
Hand milking becomes tedious for owners of herds larger than five animals. In this case, it is better to carry out the process with a milking machine. The first portions of milk are squeezed by hand, after which the cups of the milking machine are placed on the nipples.
The principle of mechanical milking is to create a vacuum. As soon as, under its influence, milk stops flowing into a special can, the device is turned off.
Household machines are most often designed for milking one animal. With its help, if you have the skill and a little experience, you can milk up to 10 heads in an hour. The purchase of one device will require about 20,000-30,000 rubles. However, taking into account the high cost of goat milk, cottage cheese, and cheese, it will pay for itself in a few months.
A modern manufacturer sells convenient, reliable and relatively inexpensive models:
- “Leader 20.2” is a mobile device for one goat, the volume of the can is 20 liters.
- “Leader 20.4” is a mobile model for two animals.
- “Farmer” is a convenient and relatively light mobile model with soft running, for one animal.
- “AID-2-04” is a device for two goats, equipped with a dry pump.
- “Melasti” - the device meets European standards and has a couple of configurations.
When choosing a milking machine, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the cups and pumping power. Machine milking of one head takes about 6 minutes. For convenience, you can make a stand for the animal 30-40 cm above the floor level.
What to do after?
After finishing manual or mechanical milking, you need to check whether there is any milk left in the udder. After which you can start processing it. For this purpose, special antibacterial agents are used. They soak napkins and gently wipe the udder and nipples.
You can pet the animal and reward it with a cracker. Stroking a goat will help establish a trusting relationship with it.
Useful tips
To milk a goat by hand, you need to make up to 70-75 movements per minute.
You can learn this from a more experienced milker. When an animal is kept for milk production, it is advisable to buy a dairy breed. Such goats get used to milking more easily, they can be milked immediately after giving birth, and they are highly productive.
Many animals like to lie down immediately after milking. To avoid this, you can put attractive food in the feeder. For example, some clover or alfalfa hay. This technique will protect the udder from infection.
