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One of the main reasons we got goats was to milk them. We chose Nigerian Dwarfs for their extra sweet butterfat milk. Their butterfat is 6-10% and is also higher in protein than most of the other dairy goats. Our family is able to enjoy the benefits of drinking the milk without any of the ill side effects some of us get from cows milk. The other benefit of Nigerian Dwarfs is their extra sweet personalities. They tend to be calmer, quieter, and friendlier than some of the bigger breeds. It's a perfect choice for us to have in our smaller backyard.
Here is how we hand milk our goats:
Start by setting your goat up on a milking stanchion and secure/latch her in place with a bucket of feed to keep her occupied.
Clean her udder and teats thoroughly before you begin milking. You don't want any dirt or bacteria of any kind getting into your pail of milk.
Milk out a couple of squirts onto your wipe or washcloth before you begin in order to clean out any dirt that might be at the tip of her orifices.
Grab your pail and begin milking. You will want to start at the top by the udder and work your way down with your hand, squeezing from top to bottom. Watch this video to see how.
Once you have completely milked out your doe, make sure to clean her teats again with the spray.
Bring your milk in and filter it, I use this filter. Refrigerate immediately or pasteurize and then refrigerate. We enjoy our milk raw but take extra precaution to make sure it's extra clean by filtering it 2 to 3 times and getting it to 40 degrees as quickly as possible. We enjoy the milk within a few days or freeze it for future us to make products such as soap.
ENJOY!