Machine Milking Nigerian Dwarf Goats

Tinker Bell Being Milked

The first time I saw a Nigerian Dwarf goat being milked using a machine, I was shocked.  We were just beginning to investigate them as a possible breed for Bramblestone Farm, and I’d assumed that they were too small for a milking machine.  But, lots of folks use a machine to milk Nigerian Dwarfs; it can be faster, easier, and more convenient than milking by hand.

As it turns out, it takes longer to write out the steps describing how to milk using a machine than it does to actually do it.  It’s an easy process that takes less than a ½ hour to complete (we’re currently milking four does); however, it is a time commitment and it has to be done every day.   Hopefully, with these instructions, we can convince others to do it for us occasionally when we’re away.

The steps we use for milking using a machine (our machine is similar to a DeLaval – any reputable brand should be similar) are:

1)      Wash your hands.  Fill a five gallon bucket with a gallon of warm rinse water, and another five gallon bucket with a gallon of warm water mixed with ½ cup of bleach.  Take these out to the milking area – these will be used to clean the machine when milking is done.

Rinse Buckets For Cleaning

2)      Get the milk bucket and place it next to the stanchion, position the silicone gasket in the milk bucket lid, place the milk bucket lid on the bucket, and pull the clamp up over the lid to clamp the two together.

Milk Bucket With Lid Clamped On

3)      Position the claw valve lever on the bottom of the claw (the assembly that gets attached to the teat) in the “up” position on the inflations and turn on the pump to make sure everything is working properly.  The vacuum gauge should read about 10 – 12″ and the inflations should start suctioning after a few seconds.  Occasionally, I don’t get the gasket properly seated in the milk bucket lid, don’t get a good seal, and don’t get enough “suction” going – so I have to reseat the gasket to make sure there’s a good seal and adequate suction.

Making Sure Everything Works Before Milking

4)      Put the first goat on the stanchion and provide her grain ration – this gives her something to do while she’s being milked and makes her look forward to being milked each time.

5)      Wash her udder (we use udder wipes) and express milk from each teat into a strip cup to assure there’s no issue with the milk (no blood, lumps, or anything unusual).  This step is important because you check that the milk is ok and it also strips out the milk that’s most likely to contain bacteria (from lying in dirt/straw/etc.).

6)     Start the pump, insert each teat into the inflation, and observe as milking starts (see photo of Tinker Bell above).  You should see milk coming through the inflations for about 3 to 4 minutes.  When milk is no longer coming out, break suction on each teat and remove the inflation.

7)      Clean each teat again, weigh the bucket to determine how much milk she gave, and return her to the goat stall.  We make sure they have fresh hay after milking so that they stand and eat for a while; this allows the wax plug to reform at the end of the teat before they lay down and minimizes bacteria.

8)      Repeat steps 4-7 for each goat that needs milking.

9)      Once everyone’s been milked, remove the lid from the milk bucket, place it on top of the rinse buckets, and take the milk bucket inside.

Storing the Lid/Inflations Prior to Cleaning

10)   Pour the milk through a funnel lined with a milk filter into sterilized glass jars, cap the jars, and refrigerate immediately.  We never put warm milk into milk that’s already been cooled – we always try to cool the milk as quickly as possible and don’t want to rewarm it.

11)   Return to the barn, put the lid back on the milk bucket, position the claw valve lever on the bottom of the claw in the “down” position on the inflations, place the inflations in the warm water rinse bucket, and turn the pump on.  Suction all the warm water from the bucket into the milk bucket, turn the machine off, remove the lid, and discard the warm rinse water.

12)   Repeat step 11 with the water-bleach mixture except after suctioning the water-bleach mixture through the machine and into the milk bucket, remove the lid, and hang it and the inflations to dry.  Remove the gasket from the lid and place it in the bleach-water mixture in the milk bucket.  Wipe down the inside of the lid with the water-bleach mixture, wipe down the top and inside of the milk bucket with the water-bleach mixture, and remove the gasket from the bucket and hang to dry.  Discard the water-bleach mixture and hang the milk bucket to dry.

Drying After Cleaning

13)   Clean-up the milking area as necessary – that’s it!