# Got a Foodsaver, you've got the makings of a goat milker!



## madcow (Jan 28, 2013)

I've made my own goat milker out of the attachment port and tube from my Foodsaver for less than $6!  It works really well.  It has a very low suction rate, so not really a worry about too much for a goat.  Ginger had an engorged udder from losing 1 baby and the other baby only nurses on 1 side and it needed to be milked to relieve the pressure.  The problem with her is she has extremely small teats and she's difficult to milk.  So opted for making my own milker using 1/4-inch plastic tubing, the sleeve portion of a large syringe (with the edges of the opening sanded down for to make it more comfortable around the teat), a canning jar and plastic lid made for canning jars and 1/2-inch holes drilled in the lid and 2 screw-in connectors that have 1/4-inch tubing connectors that I got from Lowe's (made for water connections, so it's food safe).  Once the milk started flowing it took only about 2 minutes to get 2 cups of milk milked from her.  Once all the air is sucked out of the tubes and the jar the milk starts flowing.  My Foodsaver has an automatic shut off once it detects all the air is gone and it senses that the milk has stopped flowing.  I can also manually switch it off if I think I've milked enough before it shuts itself off.  Here's a picture of the whole thing:


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## promiseacres (Jan 28, 2013)

that is awesome! I love how resourceful people are on BYH!


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## rinksgi (Jan 28, 2013)

I love it!Very clever.


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## lilhill (Jan 29, 2013)

. Awesome!


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## DonnaBelle (Jan 29, 2013)

This is why America is a great country!!

DonnaBelle


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## CocoNUT (Jan 29, 2013)

Woa...that is SO COOL! Talk about ingenius!


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## madcow (Jan 29, 2013)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> This is why America is a great country!!
> 
> DonnaBelle


You got that right DonnaBelle!


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## cindyg (Jan 29, 2013)

That's pretty neat.  Do you carry it back and forth with you to the barn or does she come to the kitchen?


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## madcow (Jan 29, 2013)

Either way!  Haha!  I carry back and forth to the stanchion, because I do use it in the kitchen to seal canning jars with dry goods.  Really only used it once to relieve her engorgement, but will be carrying it back and forth with the rest of my milking supplies.


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## Mossy Stone Farm (Jan 30, 2013)

wow who would have that that is just so cool!


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## ksalvagno (Jan 30, 2013)

Wow, that is great!


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## suzeqf (Feb 4, 2013)

I have a food saver too but it doesn't have the jar sealer port so I use a manual brake pressure bleeder and pump it up to about 25psi we got it in the automotive dept for about $10 (make sure you get the one with all the adapters my hubby found a you tube video that shows how to do it)  I'll have to try it out when I get ready to milk  We get the girls around May


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