Dimensions and drawings of milking machines for goats and how to do it yourself
Keeping livestock in general, and goats in particular, is accompanied by hard constant work - distributing feed several times a day, cleaning wool, cleaning the premises from manure. One of the devices to make farming work easier is the fixed goat milking machine. At the moment of milking, the animal is reliably held by the head and neck fixation mechanism. If desired, the legs are fixed with ropes or straps. The milk will be whole and the hostess will not get tired.
What is the machine for?
Goats, especially young ones, often behave actively during milking: they shift from foot to foot, beat with their hooves, and spin. This can cause the bucket to tip over and valuable milk is lost. The main thing for which the machine is needed is to securely hold the milking goats during the milking process. In addition, the machine helps to solve a number of other tasks:
- prevent sudden movements during hoof trimming, hair clipping, treatment and washing of animals;
- makes it possible to connect the milking machine when mechanizing work on the farm;
- helps to reduce the labor costs of the milkmaid and the time for milking.
Making a goat milking machine is easy, there are different models and designs. You can use improvised materials and tools, which, for sure, are stored in any farm.
Positive and negative sides
Experienced goat breeders may think that the pen is a superfluous thing on the farm and when used for milking, there are more negative aspects, for example, the stress of the animal and a waste of time to corral the goat inside the pen. However, for novice housewives, this really makes milking easier, especially when there is not one goat in the farm, but several. In addition, it has been proven that when milking in a stall, when the animal is stationary, the udder is emptied more completely, there are no stagnation and the development of diseases of the dairy and reproductive spheres.
Basic requirements for equipment
The main element of the machine is a cage or stall. It is made according to the size of a goat or slightly larger. Adjacent to the stall is a head clamp equipped with a feeder into which the animal's favorite food, such as barley, is poured. The brace should securely hold the neck, preventing the cattle from quickly removing their head. The bottom of the stall - a floor or a stand - must be strong enough to have a ladder or ladder for lifting.
Review of popular models
Goat crates vary slightly.The adaptation is simple, here are the modifications common in backyards:
- The simplest wooden stand (pedestal) without a ladder and side retaining strips with fixing strips for the neck. This option is suitable for adult, calm goats. Otherwise, there is a danger that the animal will slip off the stand, and since the neck is fixed, suffocation may occur.
- Wooden stand with cage, neck rails and gangway. This is the most suitable option for novice housewives. If desired, you can tie the goat additionally by the legs.
- Wooden stand with ladder and neck restraint in the form of doors with a shutter. Since the goats do not like to move backward, and it is difficult for them to turn around in the pen, the opening doors allow the animal to come forward after milking.
- Wooden stand with one-sided lattice. One of the sides of the machine, as a rule, the right side, is left without a guard. The milkmaid can sit next to the goat, on one level.
- Metal frame welded structure with wooden support.
In all models, you can use materials at hand - bars, trim boards, planks, furniture doors, iron bed racks.
Selection recommendations
The size of the cage depends on the breed and size of the animal. On average, a meter long wooden stand and a cage height are sufficient. If the goats are very large, with a large head and horns, the length of the frame is increased to 1 meter 20 centimeters and the same height of the cage is made. Sliding rails are sufficient as a locking mechanism. For small goats that do not have horns, the preferred cage height is 1 meter and a neck-holding device in the form of swing doors.
In this case, the hole for the neck and head is made oval, with a diameter of 10-11 centimeters in width and 39-40 centimeters in length.
The height of the stand above the ground for large goats is 20-30 centimeters, for small goats - 30-40 centimeters. The optimal cage width is 55 centimeters. Metal structures are the most durable, do not loosen.
How to make a do-it-yourself milking machine
In order to carefully think over the design of the machine, visually present and, if necessary, make changes, it is recommended to first execute the drawing or use the ready-made one offered below.
Machine assembly steps:
- Knock down the frame of the stall from bars or risers, as shown in the drawing. When assembling the frame from the bars, you will need to saw out the ends in order to achieve the same level. When assembling the frame from the rails, additional cutting is not required.
- Knock down the boards of the stand together using two or three transverse boards or slats. Do the same with the ladder boards, only the crossbars from above will act as steps.
- Attach the stand to the frame, the ladder to the stand.
- Start assembling the holding device and its locking mechanism; attach a feeding container or shelf for it.
Nuances of performance
Depending on the model selected, there may be differences in the assembly regarding the following:
- fastening the stand can be done by knocking it off the frame, on special supporting rails or bolted to the metal frame;
- the holding mechanism can be part of a frame supported on the ground, or it can be attached directly to the stand;
- one of the rails of the holding mechanism can be movable in a vertical or horizontal plane;
- if the machine stand is not high above the ground, the ladder can be omitted;
- if the animal is very mobile, the ladder can be attached to the hinged stand, and the machine can be closed by raising the ladder and closing it on the latch;
- the edges of the stand can be left free or strips can be nailed to protect the feet from slipping with a gap of 4-5 centimeters between the “floor” and the bar;
- a milking hole in the cage wall for right-handers is made from the right side of the goat, for left-handers - from the left;
- if you plan to use the machine on the street, it can be painted with paint that is resistant to external influences, or treated with wood-protective products, cover the floor of the stand with flooring;
- it is better to make the feeding container removable so that you can wash it inside.
So milking a goat will be much easier using a do-it-yourself machine. Be kind to animals, they will definitely respond with mutual affection and high milk yield!
