The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Polyanya on September 24, 2016, 10:01:25 pm
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:wave: Hi folks - how important is to have a milking stand? Individual preferences here I know but as a novice in milking terms how important are they? I am toying with not bothering at all and just building individual stalls with a feed bucket and tethering ring at one end and me at the other (in a clean and sanitised stall of course) ready with my milk pail and possibly hand pump (not sure about that one yet|) I intend to make cheese and use the milk and if any leftover could be made into soap etc |I'd be happy. Trying to remember if grandfather used any such item in Heidi???
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My goats are kept communally and when I feed/ milk them twice a day I tie them up( steeple nailed to wall with short old dog lead or homemade plaited tow with springhook) I have a homemade milking stand and usually use it but recently I am adatping it and trialing it to make a mini feed barrier. So I just move round with my stool( step than came with old caravan) where each goat is tied up to milk. I find it just as easy to sit on stool with goat on floor as on the milking bench with the added bonus of not having to unclip and clip goats -they run o the bench or their tie up spot themselves (usually!) I have found no need for stalls / pens -only set up a pen with sheep hurdles for a few days at kidding or an under the weather goat. It is really up to your preference try different options to see what works best for you.
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I use a homemade bench but I am tall so it wouldn't be easy to milk on the floor. The person I shared my first goat with is a lot shorter than me and she was happy to have the goat standing on the ground. I never bother to tie mine as they are happy to just stand and be milked.
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I find my back hurts bending over to milk with a stool. My bench is much better as it sits me at the perfect angle. I have three tie spots around it so I can swap them around easily.
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Ok, well thats something I didn't consider, my height and I am tall as well with back issues from time to time. So that will have to be taken into account. I suppose if one has nice and placid goats it might be quite easy to just milk on the floor as it were. Both mine will be maiden milkers and I haven't a clue either which isn't the best combination. Nice idea about hurdles for a few days after kidding Talana rather than building stalls. My fear is that the queen might be quite aggressive to any kids which aren't her own? Thanks ladies for your input :thumbsup:
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I used old pallets to make a milking stand.
It was raised up, with a space for them to put their head through (and reach the bucket on the other side) a diagonal bar on the opposite side from where I milked to stop them thinking about trying to make an escape (I had a GG who had never been handled or milked and was a bit skittish) and it worked really well. I'm also tall and it really helped - especially with the smaller goats.
HTH
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I may be wrong (I often am!) but I believe wooden milking stands would prevent you from selling to the public. You would have to have a concrete one, Heaven knows why.
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I also know of someone who had a separate corner of the shed for milking and built a ramp up to a higher bench so she could milk standing up! I think the most comfortable angle for milking is when your elbow to your hand is straight rather than at an angle so if you can imagine where that is whether if you sit on the side of milking bench which I did or use a stool (I found that to far away with my bench but it was wide and has room for me to sit) A separate corner for milking is usually cleaner and you can have shelves or something to keep milking stuff to hand out of goats reach. I once put the tub of udder wipes on the shelf in goat shed it was as high as my arm would reach - next morning the goats had taken down and opened the dispenser lid and pulled out all the wipes all over the shed! You can only laugh!
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I have a milking stand which I love but every now and then Rosie, my best milker, just will not get on it! This is almost invariably when I am in a rush and just need to get milking done and out. So I have done the milking sat on the floor and it is a pain!
My vote is definitely for a stand!
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Bribery always gets my girls up. They know that they are given two sweeties (horse treats) as soon as they are up there and then food.
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I use a stand, i cant get down to my GGs otherwise. Made it from pallets based on a design on Utube
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Thanks for all the replies people, it does seem to be pointing to making a bespoke stand and I think Talana you mentioned a wide stand that has enough room to sit on - I've been admiring pics on pinterest where the maid is sitting right next to the goaties front legs and shoulders and arm extended underneath the belly. I shall have a think, thanks again :)
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Thats how I milk. I find it the most comfotable position :)
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I have a stand hand made by sbom on here, it's well thought out, was easily delivered, and easy for me to set up on arrival.
Now I don't milk, but helps with all my goat husbandry, would highly recommend :thumbsup:
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Thanks I'll check these out :thumbsup: