milk stand dimensions

[ksalvagno]

I found someone to make a milk stand but they need the dimensions for a Nigerian Dwarf. What dimensions do I give them for the Nigi's? Also what would be the size I need for a Nubian in case I decide to get one of those too? Thank goodness I won't be milking till next year but I want to get started on this stuff now. Thanks.

 

[freemotion]

Can't you use a full-size stand for the little ones, just make the stanchion adjustable for their smaller heads? Maybe have two stools to adjust your height when milking the two different sizes of goats? Just thinking, no experience here....I only milk my full-size dairy doe, not my pygmies. But I think my stand would work for both, I'd just want a shorter stool than the bucket I sit on now.

 

[bheila]

I made my stanchion from the directions on www.fiascofarm.com They have Lamanchas so wouldn't that work for Nubians? I have Nigerian/Pygmies and MiniNubians and it works great. I also have a 14" 30lb Pygmy wether that fits in it. We just ended up make him a stool/platform that was 4" high to stand on. Good luck!! You'll love having a stanchion and you'll use it for everything.

 

[Laney]

We just built the regular size staunchion for our pygmies and it worked just fine. The only thing I wish is that it was taller. I say that because we use it for things other than milking.

When you want to trim hooves, look at udders, worm, give injections etc you might want them restrained and sometimes reaching down that low while standing is a PITA.

If you're going to be sitting while milking a regular size will work just fine. Build it so your comfortable on your choice of seating height wise and then to regular dimensions. (Unless a dwarf has that much smaller a head than a pygmy?)

One lesson we also learned, don't build it with a permanently attached feed stand. The goats just always mess with it, always look for the food etc. Our goats took about a week to break it off. If you're building your own, build it so that you can get one of those hook on feed buckets to put on and tempt them through with/feed while you milk and remove when you leave.

Laney

 

[RedStickLA]

Are they building you a metal stand or wooden? My husband built me this stand for my Nigerians...

He took some pictures and the measurements of a regular stand at a goat show and built it. I don't know if you can tell in the picture but the head stanchion moves up and down so you can change the height and it moves in and out so you can change the width that way you can use it for any size goats. If this is what you want I will give you the measurements we have. I am pretty sure he still has them somewhere in his shop. Just let me know and I will ask him to find them.

Mitzi

***Edited to add...I LOVE it! and it works GREAT!

 

[lupinfarm]

Gorgeous milking stand!

 

[broke down ranch]

Are they building you a metal stand or wooden? My husband built me this stand for my Nigerians...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t128/MMCowart/DSC_0439.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t128/MMCowart/DSC_0434.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t128/MMCowart/DSC_0401-1.jpg

He took some pictures and the measurements of a regular stand at a goat show and built it. I don't know if you can tell in the picture but the head stanchion moves up and down so you can change the height and it moves in and out so you can change the width that way you can use it for any size goats. If this is what you want I will give you the measurements we have. I am pretty sure he still has them somewhere in his shop. Just let me know and I will ask him to find them.

Mitzi

***Edited to add...I LOVE it! and it works GREAT!

That IS a nice stand. I would love to have the measurements so my DH can build one for me....

 

[ksalvagno]

Thanks for the replies. That goat stand is HEAVEN! If you could get the measurements for that stand, that would be great. Maybe I could find a welder who could make me one. The person that I talked to was going to make a wooden stand but that metal one is sure nice. I REALLY like the idea of the stanchion moving up and down.

 

[cmjust0]

Two stanchions are handy.. I'm about to build us a second before too long.

I built the wooden stanchion we're using now a few years ago.. I didn't really have dimensions, per se, so I was mostly just wingin' it. It's too short and way heavy, but it works. I'm thinking it'll be our meds & working stanchion...worming, shots, hoof trimming, injury evaluation/repair, etc..

The reason I think two would be handy is because, after working the herd yesterday, our stanchion looked like hell.. Plenty of goat blood, more human blood than I've turned loose of in a long time, green Kopertox, hoof shavings, dis-impacted mud and goat shizzle, splatters of B-Complex... It was looking pretty rough and I thought....now, do we really wanna be collecting milk with that stand come Spring?!?

I think not...

 

[goat lady]

That is a great looking stand.