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The beauty about milking a Nigerian dwarf goat is its excitement. Despite the fact that it’s far less complicated than it may seem, it is still important to have a clear understanding. It is indeed one of the greatest experiences for a dairy farm owner. From identifying its freshening stage until its next breeding time, it all adds to an unmatched experience. With our step-by-step guide in how to milk a Nigerian dwarf goat, you will be guided through to the core.
You can milk a Nigerian dwarf goat quite easily with the manual method of milking. This will only involve a few easy steps such as deciding on a convenient pumping method without involving any kind of tugging and managing with a well-practiced finger technique like the one we have discussed.
A mistake many make is feeling over-excited about the whole process of milking and yet taking it for granted at the same time. It’s not all about putting goats on the milk stand, pouring some grains in the feeder, and starting to tug. This will both get you and your goat frustrated with a teaspoon of milk. With our simple guide, you will know exactly what to do!
How to milk a Nigerian dwarf goat
Depending on your availability of resources and individual preference, you can choose between manual milking or machine milking your Nigerian dwarf dairy goats.
Manual Milking
Provided the goats are all set and ready for milking, the following are a few easy steps to follow in milking your dwarf goats manually.
Step 1 – Decide on a convenient method as a breast pump
With a convenient idea like an old breast pump, extracting milk out of your goats would be something less frustrating and add up to a great experience. Without a supportive measure, it can get quite time-consuming with unfavorable results. Thus planning on a suitable measure before the process could save you from all the trouble.
Step 2 – Do not tug at all
Make sure never to tug your goats while milking as you should aim at trapping the milk in the teat. Again, tugging will give you unfavorable or sometimes zero results.
Step 3 – Finger management
It is very important to follow the simple finger rule. Pinch your thumb along with the first finger. Next, put pressure on the teat with the rest of your fingers while holding the pinch.
Manual milking is quite the challenge and initially, it may take around 30-40 minutes to milk your Nigerian dwarf goat. With much practice, you will get to the point easily and be faster and manage to milk a goat within 5 minutes.
Machine Milking
Most might be shocked to even think of machine milking a Nigerian Dwarf goat simply due to their small build. Somehow it turns out that machine milking is the most effective and the easiest method of the two. The steps below actually take a longer time than it actually does to milk a goat. Learn and identify which method best suits your farm.
Step 1 – Assembling the milk bucket
First, Get the milk can or bucket and place it close to the stanchion, position the silicone gasket in the milk pail top, place the milk can cover on the can or bucket you intend on using, and pull the brace up over the cover to clip the two together.
Step 2 – Testing the milking set up
Next, you will have to verify the functioning of the milk setup you just created. For this, you will have to position the paw valve switch on the lower part of the hook (the gathering that gets connected to the teat) in the “up” position on the swellings and turn on the siphon to ensure everything is working appropriately. The vacuum measure should find out around 10 – 12″ and the pump should begin suctioning following a couple of moments.
Step 3 – Feeding the first goat in the stanchion
Put the goat on the stanchion and give her the grain apportion. This way it gives her something to do during the process of milking and prepares her for each time. It is important to remember that goats prefer the same milking routine every day.
Step 4 – Cleaning and washing the udder
This important step of washing and cleaning her udder with an udder wipe or any effective method is in other words a risk-free measure. Upon wiping her udder you will then express milk into a cup to identify any alarming concerns as blood or unusualities. This way, you can check if the milk is good enough and also get rid of any bacterias that may come out initially.
Step 4 – Commence the milking process
Start the extract, place teats into the inflation, and look into it as milking begins. Milk will get through the expansions for nearly 3 to 4 minutes. At the point when milk is done coming out, break pull on every teat and eliminate the expansion.
Step 5 – Spray clean the udder and teats
Cleaning teats and udder again and spraying with Fightbac is extremely vital as it will prevent harmful bacteria from entering. Gauge the can to decide how much milk she gives (weighing is discretionary), and place her back in the stall. Remember to make sure the goats enjoy fresh hay upon milking. This permits the wax fitting to change toward the end of the teat.
Step 6 – Disassembling the milking set up
Upon milking all the goats, you can then eliminate the cover from the milk container, place it on top of the rinse cans, and take the milk pail inside.
Step 7 -Refrigerating the bottled milk
Pour the milk through a funnel with a milk filter into cleaned glass containers, cap the containers, and refrigerate right away. It’s advisable never to put warm milk into milk that has already been cooled. Generally cooling the milk as fast as possible is ideal as well as avoid any rewarming plans.
Step 8 – Rinsing milk machine with warm water and bleach
This is another most important step to follow without fail in order to maintain hygiene standards that also add quality to your work. First, place the expansions in the warm water rinse can, and turn the siphon on. Transfer all the warm water from the container into the milk can, turn the machine off, eliminate the cover, and dispose of the warm rinse water.
Next, repeat the same procedure with the water-bleach mixture. You can then remove the gasket in front of the pail and hang it to dry. Upon disposing of the water-bleach solution you can hang the bucket to dry until the next time of use.
Do you have to milk Nigerian dwarf goats?
It is extremely important to know that a doe or a female Nigerian dwarf goat requires to be milked every day. Despite the many aspects that affect milking a doe, it is wise and you will be responsible to keep a tab of these does in terms of what they eat since giving birth and how to care for them the right way.
As a doe starts feeding or nursing its kids, you will have the opportunity to extract the excess milk with ease. This means you will not need to milk the doe with much pressure.
The ideal time to take over milking a doe is when its kids start weaning naturally as they reach the age of four months.
How often do you have to milk Nigerian dwarf goats?
Nigerian dwarf goats have to be milked daily. These goats prefer if they are milked at the same time every day. By maintaining a pattern and a routine to milk your goats would ensure they are at ease and prepared. This way it may permit you one quart of milk per day.
Usually, the Nigerian dwarf goat milk amounts to more butterfat content in comparison to other forms of dairy. On average it amounts to 6.5%.
How long do Nigerian dwarf goats stay in milk?
If you are concerned about how long a Nigerian dwarf goat will stay in milk, the answer depends on various factors. If you have had the goats under your care, then you obviously know about it. If you intend on buying a goat for milking purposes, then you would need to know if the particular female goat had recently given birth or is pregnant, because that’s the only factor affecting milk production.
With that in mind, a Nigerian dwarf goat can stay in milk for months post giving birth. As their owner, you should know the exact time to take over as their kids start weaning. This way you will have an opportunity to milk your dwarf goat for months provided that she’s taken proper care of.
Depending on your motive, you can have 2-3 goats with different birthing cycles to obtain year-round milk.
In conclusion, Nigerian Dwarf goats can be an excellent addition to any family. Their fun-loving energy and interesting nature mean there will never be a dull second. Apart from using them for milking, they are also popular for being great companions and provide social support especially for those with anxiety issues.