[Barnes19]

Ok 1 week to kidding.

'Miss' is a cross between saanen and a boer/saanen.

She's sprung closer to the boer for udder. This is her first freshening.

I'm not anticipating high yields form her ... in fact shes on the replacement schedule ... but I'm wanting to milk her this year and see how she is.

I've never milked a goat before ... lots of cows though ... and I'm looking at her tiny (perhaps inch long but very skinny?) teats and wondering how the heck anyone milks these?

 

[Axykatt]

I milk my Pygmy and she has similar teats.

I use my thumb and two fingers. I lubricate the thumb with coconut oil and massage down with the thumb while pinching the teat against my first two fingers. Makes my hand cramp!

 

[MsScamp]

What Axykat said and be prepared for cramps and sore hands. You might have to use your thumb and one finger. I hope you have a milking stand, because sitting on the ground milking goats sucks!

 

[TDG-Farms]

*makes sucking and then spitting sounds....

 

[Barnes19]

Oh dear!! Ok shall look out some lubricant!

Yes I have a milking stand ... I made sure to build one of those!

 

[CAjerseychick]

There are little hand pumps you can buy, and my Nigerian Dwarf breeder showed me this set up she had of tubing and a mason jar that just sucked all the milk out (I didnt want to bother with cleaning all that though)-- We cheated, we use our 10yr olds little teeny hands for the milking (actually she volunteered)...

 

[Chopsgoats]

I have used udderly ez hand pumps In the past. The kit comes with adapters for different sized teats. Works great for small teats

The Udderly EZ ™ Goat & Nigerian Goat Milker #EZ002 is the safest and most effective hand held, trigger-operated vacuum pump available

 

[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

*makes sucking and then spitting sounds....

:ROFL: Oh dear God! :lol:

Yep, with your thumb and first two fingers. Or...freshen her again, let her bag up good and tight to help stretch her teats, and milk her on that freshening.

 

[toth boer goats]

Most first fresheners boers, can be hard to milk, I use the same technique as Axykatt.
I milk the colostrum for the kids and it is a chore getting it into the syringe to ensure they get colostrum. As time goes by, they are a bit easier, but still more difficult then a 2nd freshener, when it is time to dry off.
I wouldn't look into milking her for your own milk, until maybe the second freshening or after, when they expand and grow more in the teats/udder. It will make things a lot easier by then.
http://www.thegoatspot.net/members/axykatt

 

[Jessica84]

I'm a colostrum their...I'll admit it. I have Boers and if they have singles I take the side the kid doesn't use and I also use the udderly e z milker. Before that I did use the finger way lol....bit you work so dang hard at it and you look into the pail and say 'are you kidding me'

 

[ArborGoats]

Also something to consider, as you milk out a first freshener their teat shape will change. Our FF kidded with small teats that were very hard to milk, now she is the easiest to milk.

 

[sassykat6181]

My FF Nigerian dwarf had small teats at first. The kid nursing helped stretch them and I milk her with a three finger technique. Pinch with thumb and pointer finger and roll down with middle finger. I bought the Henry milker and its great for small goats, it's just a lot to clean for one goat IMO