This homemade goat milking stand makes milking easy for the milker and the goat.
If you get dairy goats, you’ll probably want to
build this nifty goat milking stanchion to make milking easy for both
the milker and the milkee. This homemade goat milking stand features an
adjustable seat for the milker, a platform to raise the
goat to a comfortable height and a feed box to keep her
content while you milk.
To make the stanchion, you’ll need a skill saw, jigsaw,
electric drill, Phillips screwdriver for the drill, a 1/16 inch
drill bit to bore pilot holes for screws and 1 1/2 inch wood
screws.
If you want, you can add a chain neck restraint, which will
come in handy when introducing a new goat to milking.
The Milking Stanchion
Materials
A. Two 44 inch 1 by 12s for front
B. Two 48 inch
1 by 12s for bottom
C. Two 23 inch1 by 6s for leg supports
D. One 36 inch 1 by 8 for seat slide
E. Four 10 1/2 inch 2 by 4s for legs
F. Two 23 inch
2 by 4s for slide support
G. One 36 inch 2 by 4 cut 45 degrees on each end (for brace)
H. One 23 inch 1 by 4 (top connector)
I. Two 8 inch L-brackets
J. One 6 inch piece of light chain
K. One screw eye, one screw book
Front: Begin with the two 44 inch 1 by 12s (A).
Lay one on top of the other. Using a jigsaw cut out one
half of the keyhole. Start the bottom of the keyhole at 19 inches
with the top ending at 39 inches. (See illustration for the
shape in the image gallery, which may need to be enlarged to accommodate a goat
with horns.) Lay the two boards (A) side by side and screw
the top connector (H) flush with the top. Use four 1/2 inch
screws. Mount the L-brackets (I) flush with the bottom of
front (A) on each outside edge, again using the 1 1/2 inch
screws.
Floor: Position the two bottom boards (B)
side by side. As pictured, position the slide supports (F)
under the bottom boards (B) and screw down from the top
using 12 1 1/2 inch screws, six per support. Attach the seat
slide (D) across the bottom and flush with the outside edge
of the slide support (F).
Bracing: Screw the leg supports (C) to the
slide supports (F) using six 1 1/2 inch screws in each. Attach the
legs (E) to the leg supports (C) and to the bottom (B) on
all four corners. Attach each leg using four 1 1/2 inch screws,
two in the top and two in the side.
To Attach Front to Floor: Attach the front
(A) to the bottom (B) using the L-brackets previously
installed on the front (A). Position brace (G) as shown in
the diagram and screw to the front (A) and the bottom (B)
flush with the far side of the stanchion.
If you’d like a restraint to confine your goat loosely to
the stanchion, attach screw eye (K) to the right side near
the bottom of the keyhole. Attach chain (J) to the screw
eye (K). Attach the screw hook on the left side of the
keyhole so you can fasten the chain loosely.
The Goat Milking Seat
Materials
A. One 36 inch 1 by 12 (adjustable slide)
B. Two 16 inch 1 by 12s (sides)
C. One 16 inch 1 by 12 (top)
Mark and cut the two sides (B) as indicated on the diagram.
Attach adjustable slide (A) onto sides (B) 8 1/2 inch from the
bottom. Use three W screws on each side. Attach the top (C)
across the top of the sidepieces allowing 2 inches of overhang on
each. Attach with six 1 1/2 inch screws, three on each
side.
The Goat Milking Feed Box
Materials
A. Two 13 1/2 inch 1 by 4s (front and back)
B. Two 12 inch 1 by 4s (sides)
C. One 15 inch 1 by 12 (bottom)
Two 4 inch L-brackets
Screw together the front and back (A) to the sides (B). Use
two 1 1/2 inch screws in each corner. Attach bottom (C) using
three 1 1/2 inch screws per side. Attach L-brackets to the
bottom of the box, flush with outside edge. These will
later attach the feed box to the stanchion.
Mark and Janet homestead in northeastern Missouri where
Janet is a freelance writer and Mark works for the Missouri
Department of Transportation.
