I built my own milk stand because I wanted a project and like to work with wood. I looked and looked online for milking stand plans, but ended up creating my own and then winging it as I built it. By the time I was done, there were a few things that did not really work well. I've modified a bit over the years, but I never get around to prioritizing the big changes that need to be made. It is very functional, but if I could go back, I would likely purchase a metal, lightweight stand designed specifically for Nigerian dwarf goats. 

I do not actually use a milk pail. The traditional goat milk pail with the half-moon lid is designed for standard milking goats and will no fit under the belly/udder area of a Nigerian dwarf. I looked for a while for a really nice stainless steel bowl or pot that could be a family goat milking heirloom (I am a bit of a dreamer like that). After what probably turned out to be a few hours and some time considering a $50+ stainless steel pot, I could not find what I really wanted. I ended up stopping by an Ocean State Job Lot and purchasing a small 1.5 qt. stainless steel bowl for $4.75. I've had it since 2015 and have used it every day that I've milked. I've probably washed it several hundred times and it is still in great shape - no rust, no major scratches.

I've seen videos of people milking into large glass measuring cups, mason jars, and tin cups. I believe that as long as it is stainless steel or glass, will not rust, and can be cleaned well, it will work if you want it to.

I use a soap and warm water solution to wash my goats udders' before milking. There are many commercially available udder washes out there - including disposable udder wipes. One of my major goals as a farmer is to decrease my environmental impact, so I cannot justify using a single, disposable wipe every time I milk a goat. With the small number in my herd, I use wash clothes for washing and cloth dish towels for drying. I wash these after every use and regularly soak them in a weak bleach solution. When they become worn, I toss them, but by then I've used them somewhere on the order of 100 times. If I ever size up my herd and am milking more than three or four does at a time, then I will need to figure out another udder wash routine. But for now, this works well.

After washing and before starting to actually milk, you should strip two or three squeezes of milk out of each teat. In between milkings or nursings, the goat's teat will form a small plug to prevent bacteria from entering the udder. This plug needs to be removed before you start milking. This should be done over a strip cup or seperate bowl and the milk you pull when stripping should be observed closely. This helps you to monitor for stringy-ness or other abnormalities in the milk that might mean something is amiss or that the doe is developing mastitis. I purchased a 'strip cup' from a goat supply store years ago and received a very large (quart sized) stainless steal pitcher with an ill-fitting bowl shaped strainer on the top. It barely fit under my does and regularly fell apart. It was, frankly, a waste of money. I purchased a small, stainless steel confectioners sugar dusting cup with a flat mesh top. This fits in my milking tote, is small and easy to use, and works beautifully for this purpose. 

Although I milk into a small bowl in my milk room, I transfer the milk from the milk room to my kitchen in a small stainless steel milk can. I used to pour it into large canning jars and walk them (along with my other milking supplies) back and forth from the barn in a plastic tote with a handle. When I started getting a gallon or more of milk at a time, this became cumbersome (and my milking tote became very heavy). I decided to invest in a gallon-sized stainless steel milk can and I LOVE IT! I purchased it from Caprine Supply and it is very well made. The top fits snuggly and it is a nice weight - not cheap feeling. It also has an opening big enough and has no funky corners or edges that need hand washing or scrubbing, so I am able to wash it in my dishwasher. Plus, it is beautiful.

I strain the milk before chilling it to remove  any little bits of stuff (hair, skin, etc.) that might make it into the milk bowl while milking. I use a very small strainer intended for those who milk only one or two goats. I works well for even when I'm straining a gallon of milk at a time - I get about a gallon of milk at a single milking of four goats at the height of their lactation curve. If I ever scale up my herd, I'll need to scale up my strainer setup also. This strainer uses 2 1/4" single-use filters. Some brands of filters work better than others. I've found the ones carried by Caprine Supply work better than some others I've tried.

Chilling the milk is so important! From the time I milk the goat, strain it, and get it  chilling, less than an hour has passed. Chilling the milk quickly is important for two reasons. First, chilling it prevents it from developing a strong favor. Second, chilling it decreases the chance for dangerous bacteria to grow. Milk is a perfect environment for growing bacteria, which makes it perfect for culturing beneifical bacteria to turn the milk into delicious yogurt and cheese. However, given the opportunity, harmful bacteria can get in there first and create spoiled milk. 

What I have found works best is to strain the milk into glass jars, then I submerge these jars into a tub or cooler filled with water and a bunch of frozen water bottles. I use cheapy, one-use bottles that I scavenge from a family member, wash really well, then fill with water and put in my kitchen freezer. I use them after each milking, then wipe them off, and throw them back into the freezer for the next milking. This process cools my milk down in less than an hour, but stays very cold for longer in case I get distracted by, say, children, or dogs, or something boiling over on the stove, and do not get back to transfer the milk jugs into the fridge as quickly as I intend to.

Keeping clean equipment is imporant for preventing the introduction of harmful bacteria to your milk. Because of the structure of the proteins in milk, all equipment that has come in contact with milk should be rinsed with cool/cold water first. If rinsed with warm or hot water, these proteins attach to the equipment and are difficult to remove. These bits of milk left behind can be a breeding ground for bacteria. After a cold water rinse, all equipment should be washed well in hot, soapy water or run through a dishwasher. Stainless steel and glass equipment should be used to ensure that milk proteins can get thoroughly cleaned away. Plastic - even high quality plastic - is porous and can encourage the growth of bacteria.