Milking a goat by hand is a fairly simple chore once you get the hang of it. Whether your dairy operation is large or small, excellent sanitation is essential. Keep your milk equipment, milking area and the goats’ udder clean. This will help prevent the milk from being contaminated and will ward off mastitis.
Once you have cleaned your goat’s udder and teats with udder wash and dried with a paper towel, circle the teat with thumb and index finger at the base of the udder. Clamp tight to trap the milk in the teat. Then squeeze the teat from top to bottom with your other fingers forcing the milk stream downwards and into your pail. Milk three streams of milk from each teat into a strip cup, checking for signs of mastitis, such as flakes, clots or discoloration.
Milk your goat and finish by dipping her teats in an iodine-based teat dip.
If pasteurization is needed, strain and heat the milk slowly in a double boiler to 145 degrees and simmer it there for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool quickly in an ice water bath and place in refrigerator. To flash pasteurize the milk, heat the milk in a double boiler to 165 degrees in about three minutes and then cool quickly in an ice bath and place in refrigerator.
If no pasteurization is wanted, just strain your raw milk in glass jars, cool quickly in an ice bath and place in refrigerator. The milk will keep for approximately two weeks unpasteurized.
