A Guide to Maintaining Good Farming Hygiene

If you’ve already begun your journey into goat ownership, chances are you’re familiar with the essentials - nutrition, housing, and basic healthcare. 

However, one often-overlooked area of successful goat farming is hygiene. Cleanliness isn’t just about aesthetics - it directly impacts herd health, milk quality, and the longevity of your equipment. From sanitising milking equipment to practising proper udder care, maintaining high hygiene standards is vital for a thriving and productive dairy operation.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into practical steps for maintaining hygiene on a goat farm, particularly focused on milking procedures and equipment cleanliness. Whether you run a smallholding or a commercial goat dairy, these practices can make a real difference to your farm’s success.

Why Is Farming Hygiene Important?

Proper farming hygiene underpins every aspect of successful goat management. It affects not only your goats’ health but also the safety and value of the milk they produce.

Healthy and Happy Herd

Clean living environments reduce the risk of infections, parasites, and stress, contributing to improved wellbeing and higher productivity among your goats.

High-Quality, Safe Milk

Goat milk is highly sensitive to contamination. Even small lapses in hygiene can introduce harmful bacteria, compromising taste, shelf life, and safety - especially if you sell or consume raw milk.

Preventing Mastitis and Udder Infections

Mastitis is a painful and costly condition for dairy goats. Poor hygiene during milking significantly increases the risk of this and other udder-related issues. Consistent cleanliness helps reduce incidences and improves udder health overall. Use a Mastitis testing kit regularly to monitor mastitis in your herd.

Prolonging Equipment Life

Residues of milk proteins, fats, and minerals can cause damage over time. Regular cleaning extends the life of milking equipment, saving you money and improving operational efficiency.

Pre-Milking Preparation

Creating a hygienic environment before milking is essential. This stage sets the tone for both milk quality and animal comfort.

Clean Milking Area

The milking parlour or designated area should always be clean, dry, and free of manure, straw, and debris. Regular sweeping, washing down of surfaces, and periodic disinfection are key.

Personal Cleanliness

As a milker, your hygiene matters. Always wear clean clothing and boots. Wash your hands thoroughly before milking or use a suitable hand sanitiser. Disposable gloves are highly recommended and should be changed regularly to prevent cross-contamination.

Udder Cleanliness

Before milking, ensure each goat’s udder is clean. Trim excess hair around the udder to reduce the build-up of dirt and debris. Use the following pre-milking udder care procedure:

1. Sanitise the udder and teats using approved cleaning agents—iodine-based sprays or Udder wipes are both effective.
   
   

2. Wipe the teats gently but thoroughly, removing all visible dirt.
   
   

3. Dry each teat with a single-use paper towel to avoid spreading bacteria between animals.

4. After milking, apply an udder cream to the udder. This helps prevent the skin from cracking and drying out, whilst assisting with the natural healing of cuts and abrasions.
   This routine ensures the milk starts off as clean as possible - straight from the source.

Preventing Contamination During Milking

Even the cleanest setup can lead to contamination if caution isn’t maintained throughout the milking process.

Equipment Awareness

Avoid any contact between the milking equipment (teat cups, hoses, etc.) and the floor or any other unclean surfaces. If equipment is accidentally dropped, it must be thoroughly sanitised before reuse. Using clean mats as temporary placement surfaces can reduce risks.

Milking Order Matters

To prevent disease transmission, always follow a strict milking sequence:

1. Healthy does with no udder issues should be milked first.
   
   

2. Fresh does, newly in milk, come next.
   
   

3. Infected or suspect animals, especially those with signs of mastitis, should be milked last - ideally using separate equipment if available.
   
   

Always wash your hands or change gloves after handling a goat with suspected health issues.

Post-Milking Equipment Sanitation

Once milking is complete, the cleanliness of your equipment becomes the top priority. Proper post-milking sanitation ensures your next milking starts with safe, sterile tools.

Step-by-Step Equipment Cleaning Process:

1. Cold Rinse
Rinse all milk-contact surfaces with clean, cold water immediately after use. This removes most milk residue and prevents proteins and fats from drying onto the surfaces.

2. Alkaline Wash
Use an approved alkaline detergent at the correct temperature (between 50–60°C). This helps break down milk fats and proteins that may still be present.

3. Acid Rinse
Every day, or at least several times a week, follow up with an acid rinse - commonly nitric or phosphoric acid - to eliminate milkstone (mineral deposits) and sanitise equipment thoroughly.

4. Final Sanitisation
Use a chemical sanitiser, such as an iodine based sanitiser, or apply a hot water rinse at a temperature of 77°C or higher. This kills any remaining bacteria.

5. Air Dry Completely
Avoid towel-drying, as cloth can reintroduce bacteria. Allow all parts of your equipment to air dry fully before storing.

6. Clean Storage
Store equipment in a clean, dust-free, and secure environment - ideally away from the animal areas to prevent contamination. Regularly inspect for signs of mould, residue build-up, or wear and tear.

General Farming Equipment Hygiene

While milking equipment demands special care, other tools and facilities on the farm also require attention.

Feeding and Watering Equipment

Clean feed troughs, hay racks, and water containers daily to prevent mould, bacteria, and the risk of cross-contamination. Dirty or mouldy feed is not only unappetising for your goats - it can also be dangerous.

Feed Storage

Ensure all feed is kept in clean, dry, and rodent-proof containers or storage rooms. Pests can easily spoil or contaminate expensive feed.

Tools and Implements

Clean tools such as shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows regularly- especially if they are used in the goat housing or manure areas. Disinfect tools weekly or more often if disease is present in the herd.

The Results: A Clean, Productive, and Profitable Farm

By implementing and maintaining proper hygiene practices across your farm, the benefits are wide-reaching and long-lasting.

• Your goats remain healthy, comfortable, and productive.
  
  

• Your milk remains clean, safe, and high in nutritional value.
  
  

• Your equipment lasts longer and performs better.
  
  

• Your farm becomes a reliable source of quality products - building trust and reputation with your customers.
  
  

More importantly, good hygiene translates directly to profitability. Preventing disease, improving milk yield, and reducing equipment replacements all contribute to your bottom line. 

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you have any questions about goat hygiene, milking routines, or equipment sanitation, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to provide guidance or recommend trusted products and procedures tailored to your setup.

Contact us for advice or support - we’re here to help you build a cleaner, healthier, and more productive goat farm.