GETTING STARTED WITH GOATS

Home-grown goat milk, cheese and yogurt can be a money-saver for you and your family in these years of tough times. Those of you who would like to be more self-sufficient and are fortunate enough to have some land to raise a few milk goats or meat goats on, please do so. Here are some hints for those of you starting to raise milking goats.

In the Barn

The first thing you will need in your barn is a feeding trough. I found one at a yard sale and it really keeps the alfalfa up in the bin and off the floor so you aren’t wasting their food at $17.00 a bale. My goat friend told me to switch to oat or wheat hay which is cheaper and actually more healthy for them. I give them a handful each of oats as it is November and they need grain this time of the year. Make sure they always have clean water. You will need a milking stand and you can build your own. It is not difficult. I found a book in the library with instructions on how to build one or look on the net. The one utensil you will need when out in the barn milking will be a stainless steel 4-5 quart pan with a lid so you won’t get dust or hair in the milk. Once you have your milk you need to filter it. This will also keep dust and hair out of the milk. You can use disposable filters (store or catalog). Or you can use sheets cut into 12” squares but be sure to wash and dry them as you want everything clean for a good flavored and clean milk. Filter your milk as soon as possible after milking and then get it into the fridge. Grow and Make provides resources for your Off-Grid and Sustainable Lifestyle needs.

In Your Home

Have a large glass jar ready to put the filtered milk into. A clean pickle jar works great for this. The milk can also be frozen or made into yogurt, cheese or butter. Check out our home dairy and cheesemaking kit. We also have a yogurt-making tutorial. Make sure everything (utensils) are kept clean, washed, rinsed and dried to keep it free of bacteria. These animals are fun, sweet and a great way to be resourceful and sustainable. Happy goat milking!