Another hand milking device

DocM · #1 12/26/06, 02:19 PM

This one is much cheaper, $45 and looks like it's more suited to smaller goats, and especially first freshners. For $2 she'll include a larger teat cup for normal sized dairy goats. It was in one of my listserve mails today.

http://www.maggidans.com/milker.htm

PygmyLover · #2 12/26/06, 02:27 PM

someone alerted me to this one as well. Looks cool.

DocM · #3 12/26/06, 03:34 PM

I'm glad I didn't shell out $100 plus for the other one - I do want one "just in case" and I'm going to order this set up. You just never know... I'm thinking more of my sheep - I've never had cause to milk one yet, and mine are kind of field-wild. If I have this thingy, I'll probably never need it. Isn't prevention known as the best cure? Seems like the more prepared I am, the more gadgets I buy "just in case", the less I have need for them!

lphlady · #4 12/26/06, 03:59 PM

My question about these milking devices is that they both work on a vaccum. Doesn't seem like it would be good for the teats to be "forced" open for that long at a time. Most cow dairy milkers are surge milkers and of course hand milking is surging. Just a concern I have. Guess it wouldn't matter short term, but what about using one all the time?

Jan in CO · #5 12/26/06, 04:45 PM

After watching the video for this one, I can see the difference. You wouldn't gain anything by using this one if your reason is carpal tunnel or arthritis, as you have to continually pump it. Looks like it would be great for sheep or first fresheners with tiny teats, tho. My friend's father is a plumber, and when he first saw the EZ milker, he said it needed some type of tube as this one has, so you could milk right into a larger container. The ez milker starts the flow of milk, and you only have to squeeze the handle occaisionally after that. Or, so the instructions say! Ken, the EZ milker would work fine for a cow with smaller teats, as the large flange or whatever it is called is pretty good sized, and has clearance when I put my finger into it, and my fingers aren't small and dainty! I had to chuckle when I saw the tiny container the woman is using to put the milk in--my girls all give about half a gallon at a milking. Jan in CO

DocM · #6 12/26/06, 05:25 PM

Personally, I wouldn't use anything on a regular basis that was plastic. Plastic and milk just don't mix well. Stainless, glass, that's fine... So who wants to show me how to milk a wild sheep? I had to bottle feed a few lambs last year, and my sheep are due before my goats - sheep starting lambing any time now. Did I mention they're wild? Hobble them? I keep envisioning the wild cow milking contests at the rodeo.

homebirtha · #7 12/26/06, 06:23 PM

That is a much cheaper one if you're just looking for something for wild goats or sheep or ones with teats too small to milk comfortably. But the EZ one seems like it would also be good for people with hand problems, as you do a lot less pumping, squeezing, etc. With the Maddi one, you still have to squeeze a lot.

I'm wondering the same thing though about the constant vacuum and leaving the teat orrifice open for so long.

manygoatsnmore · #8 12/26/06, 07:26 PM

The $2 teat cup looks like iit is just a larger syringe without a needle, which costs less than $2 at the feed store. I would question how clean you could get that thin tubing with just pumping soapy water through it. My main reason for using an EZ Milker is for the reduced amount of pumping, and the ease of clean up. If there is another milker out there that is as easy to use and less espensive, I'm open to it. I'm just not sure this particular one will do that for me.

Doc, let me know how it works for you. I got a good grin picturing you rodeo milking a sheep. Will it be a success, or a case of Sheep 1, Doc 0, I wonder.

It does seem that the more prepared I am for something, the less likely it is to happen...but the one thing I overlook will be the one item I need or situation I come up against!

**mygoat** · #9 12/26/06, 07:32 PM

On the case of milking wild sheep, why cant you put them in a goat stand?

Jan in CO · #10 12/26/06, 07:45 PM

Ok, a few thoughts on milking wild sheep. Been there, done that. I had/have some that are large girls, Rambouillet cross. Hubby had built me two nice wooden milking stands, so I sawed the legs shorter on one and TRIED to use it for milking the ewes when there was a problem. Had one that had HUGE teats, as large as any goat I have, and the lambs cannot nurse on them at first. Let me tell you, as sturdy as that stand was, the sheep nearly ripped the thing apart. Plus, the stantion part wasn't large enough for a wooly sheep head. Change of plans. Now have one of the metal, wind up types for grooming, which works well and holds them securely. Doc, I think that MAYBE if you assist with the lambing and get some of the birthing 'goop' on your hand, then let the ewe smell and lick your hand, she will be more receptive to letting you milk her. Might have to tie her to a fence post if you can't get her in a stand of some type. That worked for me. Works for goats, too, thanks to Marilyn for that tip! I wouldn't recommend chasing the poor ewe in labor around to do this, but if you happen to be there at the right time and can just observe when she is popping the lambs out, you can do the goop thing and try it.

I tried the EZ milker on a first freshener with twin does this afternoon, as they were just using one side, and the other teat was pretty large and engorged. As soon as the bottle filled, and I released the vacuum, milk continued to stream from the orfice of the teat, and NOTHING would stop it for about five minutes, although the stream diminshed a bit. That worried me a bit. She did let the kids nurse a bit better after I used it to collect colostrum yesterday, tho. I think I'll just use it for that, and see how it goes. Plastic is hard to wash and get all the milk residue out of it.

Jan in Co

DocM · #11 12/26/06, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

On the case of milking wild sheep, why cant you put them in a goat stand?

My rombouillettes won't physically fit on my (alpine sized) milking stand. One of my big girls weighs roughly 250 lbs. These are BIG commercial cross (columbia, dorset, rombouillette, hampshire) sheep. Rounding up to shear is one thing - you can rope 'em and flip them over and lay on them to get them sheared. Milking, well, that's a whole nuther story I think. Woo hoo! I smell a kodak moment. Should be nice and muddy too.

I just had them in to shear their rears and udder areas - they were so freakin' wild we put every one of them in a squeeze and flip pen. Took hours, let's just hope they all lamb and nurse like the troopers they should be!

trob1 · #12 12/26/06, 08:52 PM

I ordered my maggidan's milker 2 days ago and will only be using it if my pygmies need milking out for reasons such as baby too weak to suck and needs colustrum asap. Last year boy did my hand cramp trying to milk out those small teats to get very little milk for the weak baby. I was going to order the EZ milker but this on fits my needs better.

mrs.H · #13 12/29/06, 08:14 AM

They both look like variations of human breast pumps moms use to pump milk while away from thier baby for later consumption. I've long term nursed 3 and the collection cups on all my manual breast pumps were plastic. And I never used Teat Dip

. Of couse I wasn't out in the barn or pasture with my teats close to the ground either!

I think I will go to Babies R Us and see what kind of breast pumps are out there now. I might be able to adapt somthing. That seringe cup looked uncomfartable.

**fordson major** · #14 12/29/06, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocM

My rombouillettes won't physically fit on my (alpine sized) milking stand. One of my big girls weighs roughly 250 lbs. These are BIG commercial cross (columbia, dorset, rombouillette, hampshire) sheep. Rounding up to shear is one thing - you can rope 'em and flip them over and lay on them to get them sheared. Milking, well, that's a whole nuther story I think. Woo hoo! I smell a kodak moment. Should be nice and muddy too.

I just had them in to shear their rears and udder areas - they were so freakin' wild we put every one of them in a squeeze and flip pen. Took hours, let's just hope they all lamb and nurse like the troopers they should be!

CAKE WALK! want a challenge? try a hornned breed and ncc's that naturaly hate people! we picked up a milk pump, kettle and shells for $100. only large dairies round here, these have become buggy whips! best sheep milkers are alpha goat one looked good too! (no goats too try it on, though the sheep one would do mini's)