Interactive lesson

Milking goats, step by step

Interactive lesson: milking area and stand, equipment, the first squirts, whole-hand milking, chilling to 4 °C, washing up, the CMT and safe milk.

Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Milking goats module. Already bought? Unlock

This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.

The whole lesson as text

1. Milking area and stand

Good goat milk doesn't smell. The difference isn't in the goat, it's in the milking.

A clean place — A small space separate from the shed; 1.5 × 2 m is enough. Floor and walls can be washed, the window has a fly screen, and the buck is nowhere near.
Milking stand — A platform 40–50 cm (16–20 in) high, 100–120 cm long, 45–55 cm wide. Hardwood or metal, smooth so it can be washed.
Head yoke and feed bowl — A head yoke of sliding slats, with a bowl for concentrates in front of it. A goat soon learns to jump onto the stand, because that's where she gets fed.
Seat and calm — The seat is at the side, so the udder is in front of your chest. No shouting and no dogs around the stand: a frightened goat holds back her milk.

Why: Milk “tastes of billy goat” when you milk in the shed, when the buck is close by and when the milk is chilled slowly. Dust from hay carries bacteria that spoil milk and cheese.

If you have no separate room, screen off part of the shed passage with a board or curtain, and don't touch bedding or hay for at least half an hour before milking.
Milk twice a day, roughly 12 hours apart, always in the same order and at the same times.

2. Equipment

Equipment must be easy to wash completely, otherwise bacteria live in it.

Stainless steel bucket — A hooded bucket with a narrower opening catches less dirt. No scratched plastic and no painted buckets.
Strip cup with a dark bottom — For the first squirts. Clots show up well against the dark bottom.
Strainer and containers — A strainer with disposable filters. Keep milk in stainless steel or glass containers with a lid.
Apron and towels — An apron and a cap or scarf for milking only. Paper towels or cloths: one per goat, and cloths are boiled.

Why: Bacteria live in scratches in plastic and can't be washed out. Copper, aluminium and galvanised containers give milk a metallic taste.

A cloth strainer only if you boil it after every use. Don't wash filters, throw them away.
Use teat dip as recommended by your vet.