Amount: 6 tons excreted per year per 1,000 lbs. live weight of
goats
Composition: Composition: 1.44 % nitrogen, 0.5 % phosphoric acid, 1.21 % potash
Click on this link to get a page of math formulas for area, perimeter and volume.
Here
are some Alpine goat measurements to give you some idea of sizes of
dairy goats at different ages. These figures come in handy when
planning equiment, making pens, or making goat coats.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Age |
Floor to mouth |
Floor to top of head |
Floor to top of shoulder |
Base of Neck to Tail head |
Heartgirth |
|
Newborn |
15" |
17" |
13" |
12" |
14 1/2" |
|
1 month |
21" |
24" |
17" |
14" |
15" |
|
2 months |
16" |
20" |
18" |
15" |
17" |
|
3 months |
12" |
23" |
18 1/2 " |
17" |
-- |
|
4 months |
17" |
29" |
23" |
21" |
27" |
|
Yearling |
26" |
29" |
26" |
29" |
33 |
|
Adult |
26" |
33" |
28" |
30" |
41" |
Milking Parlor Equipment for new producers
|
New producers sometimes find it hard
to deal with dairy
contractors because they are not familiar with the
equipment used
for milking. This section tells you what the equipment does and what it looks like. The examples are
not meant to favor one company over another, but merely to give you an idea of what the article looks like.
See the "Equipment Suppliers" list in the Reference section of this
website for addresses, phone numbers and links to equipment suppliers.
Complete milking unit
A complete milking unit consists of:
the milk hose (clear),
the vacuum hose (black)
the milking cluster
(claws, inflations, shells and small tubing.)
Hoses
Milk hose (clear) carries the milk from the milking cluster
to the pipeline. If they are getting rough inside and are collecting dirt,
or are falling off the milking cluster or the pipes, then replace them.
The hose should fit tightly. It is sold by the foot in farm supply
stores.
Vacuum hose (black) controls the vacuum pressure from the vacuum line to the milking cluster. Again, it should fit tightly. If it starts falling off, replace it.
Milking Clusters
Here are some examples of complete goat clusters:
Parts Dept) 62997 Silicone Goat Milking Cluster (2 sizes: Medium to Large does or Small to Medium Does--pygmy)
NuPulse Goat Cluster
(They have several models.)
These are DeLaval clusters
Handyflow SAC (Denmark) Cluster Components
The following items are cluster components which are sold
individually and can be assembled as you like:
1) Milking Claws
Milking claws come in many styles. Parts Department, NuPulse,
DeLaval, Boumatic, Coburn, and many other companies carry them.
DeLaval type goat claw (Parts Dept.
------------------------
Goat point claw (Parts Dept.)
------------------------
Auto-valve claw (Parts Dept.)
------------------------
Boumatic-style claw (Parts Depart.)
2) Liners (inflations)
Inflations expand and contract inside the shell
Hamby Dairy Supply
When to replace
inflations
Figures that companies give on how long you can use an
inflation before replacing them, are often based on milking cows, not
goats. Goats are milked at a higher pulsation rate, so the inflations
wear out faster. Be sure to ask the
equipment supplier how often to change the inflations you are buying. If they don't know, find out who the
manufacturer is and call them.
Parts Department recommends replacement of their goat
silicone inflations at 2000 to 2500 milkings.
We'll use that as an example.
How to figure out when to change inflations:
(1) How many goats are milked with one cluster, every time
the stand fills with goats?
(2) How many times do you fill your stands during a milking?
(3) How many times do you milk a day?
Take the answer to number (1), times number (2), times
number (3). Take that times 30 days in a month.
Take 2500 milkings per inflation, and divide by the number
you got above. That will tell you how many months you can use a set of
inflations before they have to be changed.
Example: You milk two goats with each cluster every time the
stand fills with goats. You fill your stands with goats 4 times during a
milking. You milk twice a day.
2 goats x 4 stand fills x 2 times/day milking x 30 days in a
month= 480 times per month the inflations are used.
2500 milkings per inflation divided by 480 milkings per month= 5.2 months per inflation.
3) Shells
The shell protects the liner. Replace shells when they are cracked or rough inside.
6583 Plastic Goat
Shell (Parts Dept. ) Milk Meters
Milk meters measure the amount of milk given by each goat so you can keep records.
63486 Waikato Milk
Meters for Goats (Parts Dept. )
Power Take-offs
Power take-offs automatically remove the milking clusters when the goat is done milking, in order to avoid teat damage. Most people don't use them, simply because they are an additional expense, but they are available if you want them.
63449 Power take-off (Parts Dept.)
910055 Board for regulating power take-offs (Parts Dept.)
You will find an
instruction manual for Waikato power take-offs at Waikato Take Off
Clean In Place (CIP)
CIP units wash the milk hose and clusters after milking,
without having to drag them back to the milk room to hook them to the pipeline
washer. It is highly recommended that you have these. It makes a
huge difference when you are milking twice a day, 7 days a week, but
especially during kidding season when you are exhausted.
Here are some examples:
CIP controller (DeLaval C125)
(Note: If you are using converted cow equipment you will need a
specific cup for your brand of milking unit.)
62622 Hang It all square front design (Parts Dept.)
Pulsators/
Pulsator Boards
Interpuls Pulsator Hoegger Supply
Super-puls II pulsator 47125 Schlueter Company
Pulsator board (for 12 or 16 units) Schlueter
Company
|
A note about using converted cow equipment: |
Vacuum
Gauge
Tells you what the vacuum pressure is. Check this
every day while you're milking to be sure your pressure is adequate.
Teat Dip Cups
Foaming teat dip cup (Caprine Supply)
Foaming dippers save a huge amount of teat dip, which is quite expensive.
Headstall units
Here's a goat Self-locking Feed-Through Panel (Made by a Wisconsin company) http://www.gardnerbarn.com/Goat.htm
These come in 10 foot sections ready made, or they can do custom work.
They offer several types of release levers, posts for mounting, and they have a
Barn Plan Information section that allows you to ask for quotes on equipment.
See also DeLaval movable and fixed stalls for sheep and goats at http://www.delaval.com/Products/Sheep_goat/Milking_stalls/default.htm
Milking Stands
For other plans, see Plans.
Cement Stands
Be aware that teat dip will stain the cement. Sometimes the cement also turns green. ( If anyone has more information on making cement goat milking stands, please send it to us. We would appreciate having photos that show the steps in building a stand with cement.)
Milking Parlor Arrangement Options
Stand
arrangement: single and double
The stand arrangement tells you how the stands are arranged in the milking parlor space.
A milking parlor with one stand is called a “single.”
With two stands it’s called a “double.”
When a producer refers to his stand arrangement, he also adds a
number to the name, to say how many goats fit on each stand.
For example:
A “double twelve” is two stands, with 12 goats each, for a total
of 24 goats on the stands at one time.
A “single 24” is one stand which holds 24 goats. Either way, you can milk 24 goats in these parlors.
Below you will see how one producer uses her double twelve stands.
Note the sliding doors at the beginning of each stand.
She slides the door open, and lets the goats come in. (When goats are new to the farm, they are let in one at a time and are lead to the farthest stanchion. That way they are trained so everyone can get on the stand in an orderly manor at milking time. ) When the stand is full, she slides the door shut. Then she does the same thing for the other stand. She flips over the metal headstall lock on each goat so they stay in their place, then she milks.
When all of the goats are done milking, she slides open the large sliding door at the other end of the milking parlor. The goats jump down, using the jump down box, and then go out the door to the hay feeding area.
These stanchions in the hay feeding area are homemade using old pallet boards. See Plans page for more information on the stands and the hay stanchions. (Red River Farm LLC)
Stanchion arrangements on the stand: herringbone, parallel, or
straight.
Herringbone
Straight in
Parallel
Figuring stand space (parallel stand)
Milking Parlor Worksheet
Plans for a metal milking stand, parallel arrangement.
Plans for a metal milking stand, herringbone arrangement.
Pipeline arrangements: Low-line , Mid-line , High-line (standard or
swing)
(Note: 
= the milking pipeline)
Low line system This
is the best system for keeping a constant vacuum pressure.
Floor level
pit
Low line system
Mid line system This is commonly used in a flat barn (no
milking stand, no pit). Hard on the back!
High Line System ( 2 options: standard or swingline)
Standard
Swingline
TIn a highline system, the pipeline is raised overhead on a metal rack. It cannot be suspended from the ceiling because if hay is stored in a loft above, the weight of the hay can change the slope of the pipeline.)
In the swingline system, milk lines drop from the center and swing between the two stands. You drop a milk line every other goat. Milk 2 goats on one side with that, then take it across to the other stand and milk 2 goats there. There is a potential for fluctuations in vacuum pressure, but in our experience it works well.
Milk Room Equipment for new producers |
Bulk tanks
Example: Mueller bulk tank
Bulk tank temperatures
Bulk tank temperature should be 30 - 34 degrees if you have
a four-day pickup.
If the temperature is higher than that, bacteria will build
up in the top of the tank and drip into the milk.
If you see references to a higher temperature for bulk
tanks, they are assuming that you have an every other day milk pickup, like most farmers have for cow milk. (Schaub)
Bulk tank capacity
|
How
to figure what size bulk tank to buy for your herd:
1) Take the maximum # of goats you could be milking* and multiply that by the average milk production per goat each day**). ___goats x ___lbs./ goat /day =_____ total pounds of milk produced/day. 2) Take that number and multiply by the number of days in your longest milk truck pickup period: ____lbs/day x ___days = ___pounds per pickup. 3) Divide that number by by 8 lbs./ gallon:: ___lbs per pickup = _____ gallons / pickup 8 lbs per gallon That is the minimum size tank you should buy: _____ gallon bulk tank *(Make sure that you have carefully considered what your family can handle and how much building space you have available to house the milking does. Young stock, babies and bucks also need housing space and you need an area set aside as a sick room, milking parlor and milk room. See the “stocking rates” section below, and make sure you only measure OPEN space where a goat can stand. Also see “herd size” in the Quick Reference Guide.) ** An average milk production per day per goat is 5 lbs per day, but you should be looking for at least 8 lbs. per day for a commercial herd. (Coffee, Dairy Goats) You want to buy the recommended minimum herd of 150 goats. You have a large barn that can house 150 milking does (see stocking rates below), and you have other buildings that will hold the young stock, bucks and babies. You know that you will not be able to milk any more goats than that because you can’t house any more. You plan to work full time in this operation and your wife plans to work outside the farm full time to pay the bills. She will only be able to give a few hours a week to the farm work. You are young and healthy and feel you can handle milking 150 goats, plus chores, along with birthing and other duties as they come along. If you haven’t bought your herd yet, or you know where you will be buying your herd, but the herd owner doesn’t have a clue how much they give, then, how do you know how much milk you will have to store, and consequently, what size bulk tank to buy? In this case, you could start at the average amount of 5 lbs. of milk per day. 150 goats x 5 lbs. of milk/day/goat= 750 lbs. of milk per day. Now consider that the route you want to get on only picks up the milk every fourth day, so you need to store four times the amount of milk they give per day. 4 x 750 = 3,000 lbs. of milk per milk pick up Now divide 3,000 lbs for the total pickup period, by 8 lbs. of milk/gallon to find out how many gallons that is, because bulk tanks are sold by the gallon, not the pound. 3000 lb/pickup divided by 8 lb/gallon = 375 gallons per pickup. You need a 400 gallon bulk tank to store up the amount of milk you have in one pickup. But what if the milk truck can’t get through in a snowstorm, or what about holidays when the route drivers are not working? You may have to store the milk an extra day, so add a days worth of milk to your total pickup.. 3000 lb. + 750 lb= 3750 lbs. 3750 lbs/pickup divided by 8 lb/gallon= 468.75 lbs. per pickup Now you will need at least a 500 gallon tank to allow extra space for holidays and snow storms. We don’t have any more space for milking does and the bank won’t loan us any more money to build another building, so we pretty much know we are probably not going to get much bigger than the original 150 goats. In this scenario, with average goats, we would simply buy a minimum 500 gallon tank, or maybe buy a 600 gallon bulk tank because we know that, with good management, we can get the milk production up a little. What about the rich farmer who is buying a very high producing herd of 150 goats with DHI milk records showing an average of 10 lbs a day production per goat? |
|
150 goats x 10 lbs./ goat /day= 1500 total pounds of milk
produced/day.
1500 lbs/day x 5 day pickup (4 day pickup plus one day extra) = a potential of 7500 pounds per pickup. 7500 lb/pickup divided by 8 lb/gallon = 937.5 gallons of milk per pickup. He would need to buy at least a 1000 gallon bulk tank. To be safe when figuring bulk tank size, use the highest number of goats you REASONABLY think you might we able to milk in your existing buildings. It is important that you do not assume you will be building new buildings in a year or two unless your rich uncle is dying and you know ahead of time you are his sole heir. It takes years to understand how to increase your income in this business and you may not be making a profit for many years, especially if you have to get a large bank loan to open your business. Most goat milk producers have big plans at the beginning, but find they cannot afford to build new buildings, and end up with exactly as much space as they started with. Be reasonable in your expectations, because you have to pay for the electricity to cool that big tank no matter how much milk is in it. Ask other producers what size they use and how many goats they milk. Ask them whether they would still buy the same size. Learn from their mistakes. After you’ve moved a bulk tank into your milk room, you’ll never want to have to do it again. |
Bulk tank washer
Automatically washes the bulk tank
after pickups. The field man for Kolb-Lena cheese says that every
producer should have this in order to keep plate counts
low.
Here are some examples of bulk tank washers:
DelavalSinks
Equipment washing sinks
The gallon capacity of the tank is roughly equal to the
length of the tank in inches. For
example: A 43" tank holds approximately 43 Gallons. These attach to
the wall or are put on legs.
|
18” |
23” |
29” |
37” |
43” |
49” |
55” |
61” |
73” |
85” |
97” |
Wall brackets for equipment sinks (Parts Dept)
Handwashing sinks
Coburn Company (metal) 
Coburn (plastic) Hose chute
67170 Telescopic Hose Chute (Parts Dept. $32.95) Width 6"
Length extends from 5" to 9"
Perfect for 8" concrete block.
Cooling compressor
The compressor cools the milk in the bulk tank. It
should have a timer on it so you can get the new milk cooled as fast as
possible.
The compressor creates a lot of heat, which can help heat the
milk room in the winter, but which must be excluded in the summer. You
can control this two ways. 1) the compressor cover, and 2) the compressor
box.
The compressor is mounted through a hole in the wall, with a screen
on the outside of the hole. There is a panel that slides into
channels on the outside of that screen to seal the opening in the wall in the
winter. Remove that panel in the summer to let the heat out.
If you
have an old compressor, it may not be enclosed. If so, you may need to
build an airtight box around the compressor, inside the milk room.
The box should be removable, or have a section that is removable, to allow the
warm air to heat the milk room in the winter, and then close it off in the
summer, so the heat stays outside.
Vacuum Pump
Parts Dept.-DeLaval pump
Parts Dept-Surge pump
Milk Jar
Milk pipe filter (sock) box
Milk pipe filters are put over the pipe that goes into the bulk tank. Their purpose is to filter out any debris in the milk before it is stored. They have to be stored in a box in order to pass inspection. Some people just keep them in the box they bought them in, but you can buy a metal box if you want to. Note: If you buy your milk socks from the guy who sets up your milk room, they sometimes will give you a milk sock box free of charge. If you switch brands of socks, make sure the box matches the size of the milk socks, as they come in different sizes
Milk filter box (Parts Dept.)
Paper towel holder
Paper towels must also be stored in a box in order to pass inspection.
Parts Dept. Paper Towel Holder
Self-closing doors
Doors must have a closing unit on them, so they
automatically close when you enter or leave the room. the door must fit tight all the way around.
Milk Room Setup |
In the meantime, take a look at the Dairy Practices Council's Guidelines For The Design, Installation, and Cleaning of Small Ruminant Milking Systems. This group of dairy experts sets up the "best practices" for the industry, providing information to the state governments so they create regulations that make sense. Their information is the most current and most accurate material you will find on setting up the milking system on your farm. Here's a quick summary of the most essential material from their 2006 manual.
Avg. peak pounds of milk per day per commercial dairy goat :
Milkout time
Stray voltage between equipment and ground:
Minimum air flow requirements to milk on a pipeline system:
Minimum
air flow to wash per loop of pipeline
- 1.5" line requires 25 CFM
- 2.0" line requires 40 CFM
- 2.5" line requires 60 CFM
- (For each additional loop add approximately 50% more airflow)
Regulators and Safety
Valves
-Capacity of regulators (vacuum
controllers) should equal the full capacity of the vacuum pumps at the
operating vacuum.
-Normal loading of the system should not reduce the
operating vacuum level more than 0.6 inches of mercury.
-Overshooting the vacuum set point after a major air influx
should not exceed 0.25 inches.
-Install regulators on the mail supply line at or near the
distribution tanks, or close to the sanitary trap, but not on the milk or
pulsator lines.
Vacuum Level
-Follow
manufacturer's recommendations. If none,
use the following
-high line
system 13-14 inches of mercury
-mid line
system12 to 13.5 inches of mercury
Vacuum Lines
Materials:
cleaning fluids. Support well.
Main vacuum line between the vacuum pump and the
distribution tank:
On systems up to 50 CFM, and a maximum of 100 ft. long, use
2" lines.
On systems at 50 CFM, and less than 60 feet long, use 2" lines.
On systems of 50 to 125 CFM, regardless of length, use
3" lines.
On systems of 50 to 125 CFM, regardless of length, use
3" lines.
Note: Vacuum pumps must be adjusted for elevations over 1000
ft (305 meters) above sea level. Check with the pump manufacturer for exact
changes. The adjustment factor is
approximately 3% pe 1000 ft (305 meters).
Traplines
-If the vacuum regulator is on the trapline, the size should
be the same as that of the main vacuum line.
-If the pulsator is not on the trap line, then the trap line
only needs to be large enough to carry the recommended effective reserve air
flow:
-For effective reserve vacuum of up to 50 CFM, use 2"
line.
-For effective reserve vacuum of at 50 CFM, and less than 60
feet long, use 2" lines.
Pulsation lines
-Should be 2" in diameter. If using more than 36 units, then use
3".
-The looped configuration is preferred, but if a single feed
line is used, the header should be one size larger than the
pulsator line recommendation.
-Vacuum taps or stall cocks should be installed in the top
half of the air or pulsation lines for complete drainage.
-Pulsation speed should be 60-90 PPM. (85 is used most often)
-Pulsation ratio should be 50-70% milk (60% is used most often)
-Pulsation line slope should be 1/2" per 10 ft. or more toward the distribution tank and in the direction of airflow from the milking units
|
Number
of milking units and amount of slope per 10 foot section of specific sized
pipes: |
||
|
Diameter
of Pipe |
Slope
of Pipe every10 feet |
Number
of goats you can milk per 10 ft. of pipeline |
|
1.5" |
1" |
3 |
|
1.5” |
1.25" |
4 |
|
1.5” |
1.50" |
4 |
|
1.5” |
1.75" |
5 |
|
2.0" |
1" |
6 |
|
2.0" |
1.25" |
8 |
|
2.0" |
1.50" |
10 |
|
2.0" |
1.75" |
12 |
|
2.5" |
1" |
12 |
|
2.5" |
1.25" |
14 |
|
2.5" |
1.50" |
16 |
|
2.5" |
1.75" |
18 |
Sanitary Trap
-Should be located 12" or less above the milk receiver,
with sanitary piping sloping toward the trap
Milk Lines
-Pipe should be sloped a minimum of 1" per 10 lineal
feet
-Pipe diameter and slope determine how many goats you can
milk per 10 feet of linear space
-For more units per slope use a 3" line.
-If you have several people milking, and they attach at a
very rapid rate (greater than 1 every 15 seconds), less units per slope should
be used.
-Estimated flow rate for goats: 4.5 lbs. per minute.
-Care must be taken to minimize air loss during attachment
and removal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Summarized from The Dairy Practices Council’s Guidelines
for The Design, Installation, and Cleaning of Small Ruminant Milking
Systems. You can order a copy of this
manual for about $7.00 by calling (732) 203-1947, or order on their website http://www.dairypc.org or at Dairy
Practices Council, 51 E. Front Street, Suite 2, Keyport, NJ 07735, phone/fax
732-203-1947, e-mail dairypc@dairypc.org .
If you are building your own system, this manual is full of digrams and very specific information that you will need. If
you are having a dairy contractor build your system, you may want to
give him a copy of the manual to make sure he sets up a system that
will maximize your milk production and minimize teat injury. Many
dairy contractors buiild only cow
systems, and they may not realize that goat systems have to be set up
differently.
Producer's Tip: Your dairy contractor should be present for the first milking to make sure the equipment is working properly. You may want to put this in the contract you make with him before you hire him, otherwise he might just be "busy" and you will be stranded if something goes wrong. Let him know the date and time of your first milking ahead of time so he has someone ready to help you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milk Room Instruction Sheet |
Sample milk room instruction sheet (This one uses an acid sanitizer.)
Sample milk room instruction sheet. (This one uses a regular sanitizer).
It might also be helpful to visit http://www.partsdeptonline.com/maximizing_the_milk_harvest.htm A Guide for Milking Systems and Procedures, (cow system), so you understand how the entire process works. This will teach you about other equipment not covered here, tells you how a milking system works and how to keep it clean.
Milk truck pad |
The milk truck has to back up to the hose chute area of the
milk room in order to run the milk hose into the milk room.
You must put in a thick cement slab, at least 4' x 4' in size,
directly below the hose chute. Keep this area free of snow and ice.
The driveway area and the area where the truck approaches and turns to
backup near the barn must be tarred, cemented or packed gravel.
It is a good idea to have a looped driveway, so the truck can get in without having to backup somewhere, especially when the ground is saturated with rain. If you do not have a looped driveway, make sure that you have provided a solid place for the truck to turn around, and space enough to do it easily.
Make sure there are no low-hanging electric wires in the area the truck has to pass through.
The driveway must be cleared of ice and snow by the time the truck arrives, or the truck will not come in. Remember how much milk your bulk tank can hold. If it is not large enough to hold all of the additional milk until the next pickup, your tank will overflow all over the milk room, so make sure that driveway is clear.
Producer's tip:
We have a tarred circular driveway, with a packed gravel approach to
the milk room area. You can see the cement slab below the hose chute
(just to the left of the back of the truck in the picture.) Within a
year, the weight of this truck totally demolished the edge of the
tarred driveway. It would have been nice to have a sloped section
of tar from the driveway to this packed dirt area to avoid this
damage.(Interview, M. Flores, 2007)
