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10 DIY Goat Milking Stand Ideas You Can Easily Make Yourself

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This article is part of our Producing Dairy on the Homestead series.

We dewormed our entire herd of 13 goats a couple of days ago, and I still can’t move my arms without wincing! Trying to catch these fleet-footed creatures is exhausting and holding onto the short horns of the youngsters is like trying to wrestle with Satan himself.

After our last fiasco, I’ve decided that even though I don’t milk my goats regularly, our homestead needs a goat milking stand – period! A goat stanchion or milking stand is, as its name suggests, primarily designed to keep a dairy goat still during milking.

Milking stands have a variety of other purposes, too!

Milking stands can help control a grumpy nanny goat while you’re trimming her hooves and prevent young bucks from impaling you with their sharp little horns whenever you try to medicate them.

You can find purpose-built livestock trimming stands around designed to “handle larger animals like breeding sheep and goats,” but they’re big, heavy, and expensive, so I’ve decided to go the DIY route instead. 

Before I invade my husband’s workshop, however, I need a plan of what I’m trying to create. With that goal in mind, I consumed a good few hours browsing the internet and watching at least one too many YouTube videos.

The following 10 DIY milking stand plans are the fruits of my labor!

My Top 10 Pick Of Free DIY Goat Stanchion Plans 

# 1 – The Pallet Milking Stand by A Life of Heritage

01 Goat Milking Stand - A Life of Heritage
Goat milking stand plans from A Life of Heritage

I estimate half the structures on our small-holding come from wooden pallets – because wooden pallets are affordable and widely available!

This simple (and smart) design from A Life of Heritage uses a pallet with a pivoting board for the headpiece and the stanchion base. Some boards are left longer so the dairy goat owners can take a seat while milking. Nice!

# 2 – The PVC Piping Approach by Pholia Farm

02 Goat Milking Stand - Pholia Farm 02
Goat milking stand plans from Pholia Farm

While I like the simplicity of this design from Pholia Farm and the fact that it’s easy to move around, I’m not sure if it would withstand the abuse it would get from larger breeds of goats.

Made of offcuts of PVC piping, this stand costs less than $50 and takes under four hours to construct.

# 3 – The Nigerian Dwarf Goat Milking Stand by DIYDanielle

03 Goat Milking Stand - DIYDanielle
Goat milking stand plans from DIYDanielle

This beautiful goat stanchion is probably a little too advanced for my humble DIY skill level and is designed specifically for smaller-sized goats.

As well as a few intermediate woodworking skills, this homesteading project requires some scrap wood, a few screws or nails, sanding supplies, an eye hook for the closure, and a couple of fence posts for the step legs and sides.

# 4 – The DIY Goat Milking Stand by A Butterfly House

04 Goat Milking Stand - A Butterfly House
Goat milking stand plans from A Butterfly House

I love this cedar goat milking stand!

Although this is a simple stand to make, it requires a fair amount of financial investment unless you happen to have a selection of cedar fence pickets, shelf brackets, vertical supports, and bungee cord lying around.

There are some nifty design tips in its step-by-step instructions that make it well worth a look.

# 5 – The Gang Stanchion by Cabochon Farm

05 Goat Milking Stand - Cabochon Farm
Goat milking stand plans from Cabochon Farm

Here’s is a brilliant design for goat keepers who are serious about their fresh goat milk. Capable of holding up to six adult goats simultaneously, this complicated design has a separate goat headgate and feed bucket for each animal.

Although you’re unlikely to find enough variety of lumber lying around to construct this, it is the perfect size for a larger dairy herd – so it’s worth the additional cost.

# 6 – The Six-Step Goat Stand by Instructables

06 Goat Milking Stand - Instructables
Goat milking stand plans from Instructables

This affordable milking stand project is quick to complete and requires few financial resources. A piece of plywood makes up the rectangular base, which stays in place with a few exterior decking screws.

The movable section of the head bolt comes from a piece of wood secured to the stand’s base with a carriage bolt.

Fast and easy!

# 7 – The Adjustable Goat Stanchion by Little Missouri Homestead

07 Goat Milking Stand - Little Missouri Homestead
Goat milking stand plans from Little Missouri Homestead

Here’s another one of my favorites!

While I fear this design is a little too complicated for my experience level, it would be ideal for our selection of Boer goats and Dwarf Nigerians.

The feed box is adjustable so, can be moved to accommodate different goat breeds, and its sturdy legs can easily support the weight of a 100kg doe.

I don’t think I’ll add castors to the legs, just in case my young bucks decide to use it as a type of skateboard! 

# 8 – The Easy DIY Goat Stanchion by Homesteady

Although this milking stand uses a simple design, the finished project is suitable for both trimming the hooves of the smaller boy goats and getting raw goat milk from the larger goats.

A plastic feeder fits into a plywood piece at the front of the stand. And, there’s a hinged ramp at the back to make it easier for the goats to climb aboard.

# 9 – The $4 Milking Stand by Big Family Homestead

Here’s another pallet-based design that makes it both affordable and so simple to construct that the instructions say just half a brain “might do.”

The only other things you’ll need are a couple of pallets, a handful of assorted screws, and a couple of power tools.

If you stay organized and stick to your original plan, you could have this project completed in under an hour! 

# 10 – The Durable Milk Stand Plan by Fias Co Farm

10 Goat Milking Stand - Fias Co Farm
Goat milking stand plans from Fias Co Farm

This stand was built way back in 1995 and is a durable piece of milking equipment that’s withstood the test of time. The goat head gate closes with a simple eye latch, and the attached feeder easily unclips for fast cleaning.

Our favorite feed buckets!

If you’re going through all the trouble of building a DIY goat milking stand, then don’t forget about the Hook-n-Feeds feeder buckets! These buckets hang just about anywhere.

They also have strong rims and are durable so you’re not dealing with a flimsy performance when milking your goats!

DIY Goat Milking Stands – Done Right!

Everywhere I look on our homestead, there’s another piece of plywood or piece of wood just waiting to play a part in my DIY goat milking stand.

I may need to get a couple of additional items like a handful of screws and a few new drill bits for my husband’s electric drill – however, I’m hoping I can complete this project. Without incurring too much extra cost or unforeseen medical expenses!

If all goes according to plan, I might even try milking one or two of our older goats. After all, if I can get a cup of farm-fresh milk every morning without dislocating a shoulder, it might just be worth my efforts! 

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