Goat Lactation

Nothing is ever as easy as it looks. A goat gets pregnant, gives birth and then you milk it.  I read all I could about milking goats. Watched YouTube videos of milking.  It seemed pretty straight forward. Yeah not so much. I planned on building a milking stand, which is pretty much just a short table with a stanchion that holds the goats head locked while milking (or hoof trimming or vaccinations). But of course this got pushed back as do so many projects around here. I thought I could just milk her without one until such time as I could build one (it was set for this weekend). Turns out you can't just tie a goat up and milk it (well at least not Dym). She did everything in her power to not be milked, including kicking over the milk bowl countless times, moving every time I attempted to milk and even turning around trying to drink the milk I had gotten out of her. After four days of trying this (and her udder becoming engorged and HUGE....think beach ball), I called in reinforcements. My friend Jessica is a milking pro. She milked her Jersey cows while growing up and worked at a dairy in college so she's informed on the lovely art of hand milking (cows at least). So yesterday was the day of reckoning. We tied Dym up short on a fence and I held her head while Jessica went to town on her udder. Dym once again danced around but we were able to get over a gallon out of her....and she still had more to give.

We discovered how much a milking stand was needed. So last night at 8 pm after the children went to bed I headed out to the shop to construct one. I used scrap lumber and 2.5 hours later I had built the ugliest milking stand ever. You know what though? It WORKS! Woo hoo! I just got in from milking her again today and it was 100% easier than yesterday. She stood there and let us empty her udder (Jessica was back to help, thank you Jessica!). Got another gallon and a half today. That is one high producing goat. Poor Dym feels so much better and can actually walk around (you try and walk with a beach ball between your legs). You might wonder what I'm doing with over a gallon of goat milk a day? I have no idea. I'm dumping it for now. That's another post though. Please learn from me though....if you plan to milk a goat build a goat stand before she gives birth.

Stunning isn't it?

Dym demonstrating it's functionality, Jessica demonstrating milking.

Dym: "Do. I. Know. You?"

I put the stand next to the kennel because I knew she'd be calm being next to her kids who were out soaking up the rays. Aren't they cute?