Milking and Milkers...

[TriWinkle]

So I'm reading about monopoly changing the iron...then I think of playing Monopoly, then I think of Monopoly money, which makes me think of real money, so I think of expenses and costs and wonder what's going to cost me next, and what investments I will see a return on, like when I can start milking these goats...then I think about milking the goats and I wonder if, because of my chosen breed, I can hand milk them because of their little teats ( I think that's the right term), which leads me to this post...

(Just so you know how my goofy mind works...)

Milkers...Either hand milkers or machine milkers...

Who uses'em? Why do you? What kind do you use? Any out there that won't break the bank?

Who don't? Why don't you? Will you ever?

Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200! And always remember...Boardwalk and Park Place may be nice, but there's a Rail Road on every side of the board!!

[CaliannG]

Word association footballs to the wallflower bedroom
eyes of the world will one by wonder who it who cries
tears of salt and pepper hair brain schematic circuit views
from every sidewalk surfing down the stream of consciousness blues.

Not that I understand or anything.

I have hand milked, and I have used a Maggidan Milker (which can be DIY'ed) for those extra tiny, FF, Nigerian teats. I *prefer* hand milking. It is quicker. But if the teats are so tiny that I can only get 2 fingers on them, then the Maggidan's copmes out until those puppies get stretched enough to work.

[Alice In TX/MO]

For those who have seen the movie, "UP!", it's perfectly ok to holler, "SQUIRREL" on occasion.

I milk mostly by hand. I've built homemade Maggidan's milkers, and I've southern engineered a vacuum pump/Udderly EZ milking rig.

I *am* a tinkerer.

[CaliannG]

I love your set-up, Alice.

When I get my own vacuum pump, I will be borrowing a lot of your ideas that you did in your "Southern Engineered" rig. I think the only thing I plan on changing is to add real claws to the Udderly EZ container so that both teats can be milked at the same time.

Other than that, I consider it nearly perfect for me. Since I plan to go on DHIR testing, having the individual containers would make weighing and keeping records a lot easier.

[TriWinkle]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

For those who have seen the movie, "UP!", it's perfectly ok to holler, "SQUIRREL" on occasion.

I milk mostly by hand. I've built homemade Maggidan's milkers, and I've southern engineered a vacuum pump/Udderly EZ milking rig.

I *am* a tinkerer.

Have you not noticed my avatar? If not, then we're putting you in the cone of shame!

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I prefer hand milking. Even those tiny FF teats. But if I ever get to where I have arthritis or something in my hands, I will have to use a milker of some sort until they stretch.

[Hollowdweller]

I do both.

For me if I have 4 goats producing 10 lbs or less then the time to milk and clean up is less hand milking.

If I'm milking 4 goats and up milking 14 to 16 lbs a day then I usually use the machine.

Normally early I'm milking by machine and then in fall and winter when the volume drops I'm milking by hand.

If I am drinking the milk raw I'll often use the machine because it allows for less dust hair and debris to fall in.

I have large hands but tiny teats are not a problem for me. The biggest problem in hand milking for me is small orifices but I've bred them out of my herd.

Another benefit if machine, if you work like I do and have limited time is if you have a milker that gives say 8 lbs a milking or so you can hook the machine up, bring another milker in and prep her, or fill a water bucket or run up to the loft and fill hay feeders and be back before she's milked out, so it's like having a helper. But you can't do that if the doe is milking only 5 or 6 lbs a milking. not enough time.

I put my machine together myself from parts and an old vaccum pump I got for 75 bucks.

It is clear shells, all silicone lines and inflations, the automatic on off goat claws, a clear lid, a clear plastic bucket. Since my goats orifices are wide I had to include a Vanguard claw to help prevent the lines from flooding, vented.

With this system if a teat isn't in right and isn't milking you can see it right away. You can get an idea how much each doe is milking because the bucket is clear and has lb markings.

When I used a SS bucket I had a sore shoulder but since it's all plastic it is much lighter!!!

[Tink Newton]

I am getting my first goat this Saturday and she's in milk. I will be hand milking for now, but like the idea of a vacuum milker for the occasional time that hubby has to fill in for me (he isn't so keen on milking at this point).
Are there any cons for the goat in using one? I've seen them on u-tube and the goats all just sit there like nothings going on, so it makes me think the animal is comfortable.
Also, in hand milking, do most people pasturize their milk to account for any floaties that don't get strained out? I'm not a germiphobe by any means, but raw milk is VERY new to me.

[KrisD]

Most of us do NOT pasteurize the milk.

I use a Henry Milker because I have arthritis and Raynauds syndrome so milking really hurts my hands. I have two Henry Milkers so on a good day I milk out both sides at the same time. On an excellent day I hand milk because I like milking. On a bad day I use one Henry and switch hands.

[MDKatie]

Up until this year, I only milked one doe, by hand. She has nice big teats perfect for hand milking. Her daughter freshened this year, and has a more "correct" udder, but it's so hard to hand milk because her teats are so small. She's nursing kids now, so I won't really milk her until they're a bit older, and I'm hoping they stretch a tad by then.

A few weeks ago I managed to score a goat milker for $300. There's a huge vacuum pump, hoses, claw, bucket, everything. I just haven't gotten the chance to install it in the barn yet.

[IndyGardenGal]

I milk by hand, but when I have more girls milking, and milking enough to justify it, I have a two goat delaval milker.

[Alice In TX/MO]

We do not pasteurize.

[prairiedog]

I like hand milking if you have decent orifices it only takes a few minutes for each one. We will never have so many milkers to justify a machine and the clean up would take more time than to just milk.

[Hollowdweller]

So you folks with the Udderly EZ and other little milkers like that do they make the job easier?

I've looked at those and other small milkers but never exactly figured out how they would save any time.

What size is the bottle on them?

To me it looks small. I mean say you have a goat giving say 16 lbs, 8 lbs a milking. Wouldn't you have to empty it multiple times?

I would assume that then you would have to have a larger container you put the milk in?

[Barefoothaven]

I picked this up for under 1/2 the $$ they usually are.

Portable Cow Milking Machine.
Single Piston Type Milking Machine.
Steel Frame. 8-10 Cows Per Hour. Standard 3 Pin Plug. 220/240Volt, 550watt Motor.
Complete with Milking Cups, Pressure Gauge and Stainless Steel Milk Tank. It has cow cups on but I can change over to goat cups if I want. We don't need it for another year but it came along and grabbed it while I can. I'll start off hand milking first though (for the experience

[hiddensprings]

I've always hand milked and never pasteurize. I will be purchasing a milking machine this winter because I'll be up to 13 Does in the Spring and I really don't think I can hand milk that many. Last year I milked 6 to 9 girls and my poor hands had a rough time of it. (getting old stinks)

[LFRJ]

"So I'm reading about monopoly changing the iron...then I think of playing Monopoly, then I think of Monopoly money, which makes me think of real money, so I think of expenses and costs and wonder what's going to cost me next.."

I'm may be a bit confused about your point here, but I personally would focus on knowing and building your market. In fact, you're going to ALWAYS need to focus on your market - if you're going to play monopoly at any level. - 2 cents

[sammyd]

We hand milked with one goat but when we looked at getting a few more the wife made it plain that "someone" would have to get a real milker system. So this is roughly what it cost us to switch from hand milking to machine milking.
I bought a 3 HP vacuum pump with balance tank for 100 bucks at a flea market, replaced the bad bearings for 25 bucks and replaced the bad electric motor with a 1 HP motor I had laying around.
Bought a good vacuum controller for 100 bucks used at a dairy supply place.
Bought the first milker bucket for 100 bucks or so at an auction. Bought 2 more later for 160 each or so. New inflations for the claws for anywhere from 10-14 bucks plus air tubes at 1.50 each.
The pulsation on the first bucket was old and the company doesn't exist anymore so parts are hard to impossible to find. So I installed new electric pulsation.
The power supply was 25 bucks but the pulsator will run 200 used 400 new. Luckily I had one of those left over from when I worked as a dairy equipment service guy.
Bought some 2" PVC pipe to get the vacuum from one side of the garage to the milking stand and then some wire to wire in the pulsation and a start switch and contactor for the vacuum pump so I wouldn't have run back and forth flipping the breaker.
Then of course our wood stand was outdated and I had to buy a nice metal milking stand but we got a good deal on one for 120 bucks.

When hand milking we used a stainless bucket from Fleet Farm that was less then 40 bucks.

We used the stainless strainer we picked up for 40 bucks or so and boxes of filter pads for 4 bucks or so from the mill for the milk with either way of milking.

[Bret4207]

I don't have a clue what all the Monopoly talk is about, but then I'm pretty plain spoken and simple. I have arthritis and I don't have a lot of extra time. I use a Surge bucket milker rigged for one animal and will eventually rig it for 2. Cleaner milk, less pain for me, I use about the same amount of hot water and detergent as for a bucket and I can walk away for a minute or allow my attention to be diverted without a foot going in a bucket. But, I had the pump already and got the Surge unit given to me.

[Doug Hodges]

I have looked at several and just cant make up my........SQUIRREL.............................