# I'm getting a milking machine!!!!  Woohoo!!!! more video links p4



## freemotion (Apr 16, 2011)

I ordered a REAL milking machine from Mike and Carol Perry of www.perrysmilkers.com and it will ship on Monday.  I am so excited I can hardly stand it!  

These people are so nice and easy to deal with.  They answered all my questions and then some.  I got calls on my cell phone and quickly answered emails.  

The machine looks like R2D2 with tentacles! 

I've been thinking about getting one for some time.  We've had several family emergencies in the past couple of years and I had two health crises myself since Feb during which milking would not have been possible....by hand.  The last scare was the day before Ginger was due to kid.  I prayed that she would be late because dh cannot milk her tiny teats.  She obliged and waited until I regained use of my right arm before delivering 4 days late (not really late, I know....but she didn't go all "doe code" on me, thank goodness!!!)  That pushed me over the edge, and I ramped up my research and ordered the machine.

You would not believe the relief I am feeling.  Yes, it was a chunk of change to get it....but it will last for many, many years so will really only cost me pennies per milking.  

Yippee!!!!


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## PattySh (Apr 16, 2011)

Congrats! You will love it.  I love my milking machine as I do have sore hands. Especially now that I have 5 milking including 2 first fresheners with little teats.  Will be glad when I can milk them all into the machine and just carry that in the house. I have been carrying 1/2 gal jars/strainer in a bucket  the last week and straining the 3 in milk out of the machine then milking the two recent ones. They are just now at the point where I'm sure it's true milk and no one is tender and running a little "pink". So much easier with first fresheners. I can even feed my rabbits (room is close enough to view milking room if I leave the door open) while the girls are plugged in. This winter I was able to fill water buckets while milking when the hose was frozen, multitasking made chores much shorter. Even tho the pump is loud, the girls took to the machine immediately, much easier than hand milking. I hand milk occasionally to see who is giving what. I haven't hand milked the ffs other than colostrum.  Noticed tho one's teat are getting a bit bigger, the other girl is Nigerian size and wow  such little teats have to bend way under her to place the teat cups on her!


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## ksalvagno (Apr 16, 2011)

You will love it! Mine is from Perry's Milkers too! I couldn't milk without it.


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## freemotion (Apr 22, 2011)

It came today!    Just as I was leaving for the office.  :/   Then I came home and did chores, got the babies out, and did a bit of fencing until it was too dark to see.  Now I thaw out enough to go back out and milk.

Then, maybe, I can unpack the machine and look it over and look at the instructions.  We are out of town tomorrow so hopefully on Sunday my dad will come over and help me with it.  He's used milking machines in the past at a friend's dairy.  Old ones, years ago.  

I need to have an outlet wired near my milking stand.  

My hands can hardly type right now, they are so stiff from fencing.  I look forward to "plug and play" milking, soon!


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## julieq (Apr 22, 2011)

Congrats!  We have a vintage Surge milker and we just love it.


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## helmstead (Apr 22, 2011)

Ours should be shipped next week...after this past round of kiddings, I think my arms will fall off in protest if we went into the fall without one!


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## freemotion (Apr 22, 2011)

What are you getting, helmstead?


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## helmstead (Apr 22, 2011)

We got the 60 (from Mike) with 2 Nigerian claws/inflations and one set for the Nubians.  For now since I have 2 Nubians and 3 NDs left in milk, we're gonna set up for one of each.  Probably most of the year though we'll set up for the NDs only.  With the exception of my aged Nubian doe, those big girls are easy enough to milk by hand.


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## helmstead (Apr 25, 2011)

Our machine was delivered today (RIGHT after I finished morning milking, naturally!)!!  

Pics of it getting unpacked
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1950577213956.2115994.1528396349&l=f937653744

I'm planning to video the girls 'meeting' the machine tonight haha


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## freemotion (Apr 25, 2011)

Cool!  Can't wait to see your video.  Can you show it getting set up?  I haven't had time to play with mine yet but hope to get to it tomorrow or Wed.


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## theawesomefowl (Apr 25, 2011)

Good for you!


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## freemotion (Apr 25, 2011)

Here's mine:

The bucket and claw, aka here as R2D2:






And the pump, known here as C3PO:





I think about it with every squirt while milking.  I can't wait to get it set up.  Just talked to my dad and he is occupied tomorrow with lawyer stuff and selling his house, so maybe Wednesday.....


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## PattySh (Apr 26, 2011)

That is very similar to my machine and pump, you will love it. I took a little getting used to the noise of the pump even tho mine has a silencer on it. Didn't seem to bother the goats tho. A bit heavy  for me to carry milking 5 into it. Now that the mud is less am going to use a garden cart to and from the barn. I sometimes needed to milk into a jar to get some of the girl's milk flowing  when first getting used to it.  Occasionally now if someone is too full. Make sure your teat orifice is centered in the teat cup, that took a little getting used to for me. Also I place the cup on with the shutoff closed then   open it   when it is in place slides right on. Took a few tries for me to get it right.


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

Here's our first video, I think I made it so anyone can view it.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=1951632640341&comments

I video'd all 5 girls currently in milk...combined it took less than 15 minutes to milk them, and 5-10 minutes to clean the machine which I'm sure we'll get faster at.  It took 10-15 minutes to milk our one Nubian, Scarlett, alone (she has a blown teat and is pretty hard to milk).


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## freemotion (Apr 26, 2011)

Wow, thanks!  I gotta get mine going!  That looks so easy.  (runs off to call Dad and beg him to come over.....)

Where are the other videos?


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Where are the other videos?


They're uploading, will add them as they post.


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## aggieterpkatie (Apr 26, 2011)

PattySh said:
			
		

> Also I place the cup on with the shutoff closed then   open it   when it is in place slides right on. Took a few tries for me to get it right.


Something else you can do is open the shut of with the claw upside down (ready for milking), and when you go to put the inflation on the teat, bend it down so it clamps the hose shut.  Then when you go to put it on the teat it will suck right on.  

Congrats on your machines, everyone!


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

Be sure to put your pump higher than your tank, and keep an eye on the vacuum line to make sure milk doesn't backflow into the pump.  Also, make sure your pulsator is set to 50 pm (for now, can increase it later) and give the pulsator a good spraying of WD40.


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## freemotion (Apr 26, 2011)

See, this is why my machine is still in the box.  The written directions mystify me.  OK, intimidate me.  I am still not sure exactly what the claw is.  Is it the entire unit of hoses, inflations, and the lid?  Or just a part of that?  If so, what part?

I need pictures and video instructions would be helpful.


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## freemotion (Apr 26, 2011)

And I haven't figured out what the pulsator is yet.


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

The claw is the hard part that goes to the teat, the inflation is the soft diaphragm inside there that actually milks the goat.


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

The pulsator is the little boxy thing on top of the TANK that regulates the vacuum   It's what all the hoses connect to there on the lid, and it removes when you wash the tank.

(I'm lucky, I have family with a cow dairy - well...ex-family, but my SIL was the owner for 23 years, and my DH worked there in HS)


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## freemotion (Apr 26, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> The claw is the hard part that goes to the teat, the inflation is the soft diaphragm inside there that actually milks the goat.


I thought that was the "shell?"  No?  Then what is the shell?


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## freemotion (Apr 26, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> The pulsator is the little boxy thing on top of the TANK that regulates the vacuum   It's what all the hoses connect to there on the lid, and it removes when you wash the tank.
> 
> (I'm lucky, I have family with a cow dairy - well...ex-family, but my SIL was the owner for 23 years, and my DH worked there in HS)


That's why I need my dad to help me, he was a farm boy and although he milked four cows every day by hand as a child, later he worked briefly at a dairy that used small milking machines similar to ours that had to be emptied into the bulk tank after each individual cow!


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> helmstead said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Someone post a diagram and save us from ourselves!!  (thinking DH may have taught me wrong on that one haha)

I'm telling you, just get it out, check the timing on the pulsator (EASY) and use the darn thing.  Doesn't matter what it's called, it's easy to use and clean.

Kinda like putting a harness on a horse.  I could NEVER name all the straps and pieces, but I know how to hook 'em up!


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## freemotion (Apr 26, 2011)

Well, the power went out at a show once and I was putting the show harness on a horse in a curtained tack stall.  I got it on in total darkness, and quickly, too......but I tell you, I can't even figure out where that valve that was packed separately goes, and where the hose that goes from the pump to the bucket goes, and how to get the lid on the bucket tightly, it sits loosely and falls off!  I feel like such a dunce!  It makes no sense to me at all.  I'll call the Perry's later.  I'm certain that once I do it one time I'll be good to go.

Meanwhile, back at the farm.....


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## freemotion (Apr 26, 2011)

OK, now I know exactly what the claw is:  http://classes.ansci.illinois.edu/ansc438/mastitis/milkmachine.html


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

Here's the video of our aged Nubian doe with a blown teat getting machine milked for the first time.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video...ed#!/video/video.php?v=1952066011175&comments

My only complaint is the stainless set seems a LITTLE heavy and tended to slip off the Nubian's 'normal' teats as they became empty.


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## helmstead (Apr 26, 2011)

Once you turn the pump on, it HOLDS the lid on with the suction


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## freemotion (May 15, 2011)

OK, I have to admit that I got a bit whiny about using the milking machine because I was coming down with a whopper of a virus and thought it was allergies at the time.  No wonder my brain couldn't wrap around using that machine!

We fired 'er up this afternoon and all three does were great about it!  This video is of Peach....she is only five days into her first lactation, look at what a good girl she is!  She is also the first goat we chose to try the milking machine on.  One of my goats is CAE positive so I needed to milk her last, and empty the bucket before milking her.  She also happens to be my herd queen, so she was pretty ticked off by the time she got on the stand and seriously withheld milk! 

But Peach was.....a peach!  I learned a lot today and feel very confident about it now.  Well, confident that I will soon be confident!  My dad came over and we looked over all the parts and read and re-read the instructions, and then filled two buckets, one with plain water and one with a bleach solution.  Then we cleaned the machine and set up for milking.

Here is the first time video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh5M1lwbn0U

ETA:  Don't copy how I released her teats!!!  I forgot to shut off the vacuum first, poor thing!


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## helmstead (May 15, 2011)

I don't shut the suction off.  Just hold onto the teat right above the shell and it will release in about 5 seconds.

When you get used to it, you'll find yourself walking away and doing other things while the does get milked LOL It's great!

And now, I'll have to order silicone inflations for the ND shells since I saw  yours...way cool for milking demos, to be able to SEE in there!


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## freemotion (May 15, 2011)

Yeah, they put those on one set for my ff's with teensy teats, I love watching them!  I have the larger black ones on the other set for my older doe with the ginormous teats.

I just know I am going to love this thing and will wonder how I did without it.  It is awesome already, not using my hands in this way.  I love-love-love to hand milk, but.....as a working massage therapist, I know that the worst movement for my hands is any squeezing movement.  Hard to hand milk without squeezing..... 

Hold onto the teat?  Meaning pinch it so some air can get into the inflation?  Clarify, please.  I'll try it tomorrow.


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## helmstead (May 15, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Hold onto the teat?  Meaning pinch it so some air can get into the inflation?  Clarify, please.  I'll try it tomorrow.


Yep, exactly.


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## aggieterpkatie (May 15, 2011)

Or you can just bend the hose so the suction shuts off to the shell/inflation.  

Great video, Free!  Peach is a good girl!


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## freemotion (May 15, 2011)

I'll be pinching poor little teaties tomorrow just to try it!  

I tried pinching/ bending the tubing and maybe it is because it is brand-new, but the tubing is too firm.  I can always just turn the valve, just gotta remember to!


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## PattySh (May 16, 2011)

I have a shutoff valve right above my inflations. I  turn that then put my finger into the top of the inflation to break suction. At first it was harder to get everything going smoothly but now it's a breeze. Once you get used to everything it all goes smoothly. I actually know how long it takes to milk each one now and can do chores like feed the rabbits (close by) or fill water buckets etc. I don't venture too far but does help get the chores done quicker. I am going to get another stand made and put the second set of inflations back on my machine soon  to milk 2 at a time as I expect another goat to kid in June, Then we will have 6 milking. Figured I do one at a time while I was learning. Just have to find time to build another stand and modify the one we have to have a "side rail " as it won't be against the wall.


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## freemotion (May 16, 2011)

I used the shut off valve and pinched those teaties today and it worked great!  No more yanked teats like you saw in my video.....ow!


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## chandasue (May 16, 2011)

Nice! Now my I have a new goal... get enough does in milk to justify a milking machine!  
_DH is gonna kill me. ROFL_


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## freemotion (Jul 13, 2011)

I got another video done, how I clean my machine after milking:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdD8LblQkgU

The plan is to also add a set up video and a milking video.  This will be in place should I have an emergency and can't milk my goats....I'll be able to have a friend come and do their best.  With all the fancy phones out there (I'm clueless, can hardly use the tv remote!) I'll probably ask my techy-est friend because he'll be able to stand by the milking stand and watch and re-watch the videos if needed. 

But maybe these videos will help someone who is considering a machine or just got one and is a bit intimidated by it, as I was at first.....remember, I can barely change channels on the tv!  It really is easy, once you do it once or twice.


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## freemotion (Aug 8, 2011)

Finally got my how-to videos done, except somehow the "setting up for milking" video didn't record.  I'll dock the pay of my tech person for that one....oh, wait, that's me.  I'll double the pay instead as incentive to do a better job. 

There are two views and two goats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0_uRUV2HwA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eYZU3ex3T4


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## vegaburm (Sep 30, 2011)

Great vids, good help, though I don't know why the other links to the side on You Tube are porn for some of them. Apparently goat milking and porn go together????

Anyway, I just got my Perry's milker yesterday. Couple questions if anybody can....

Do you bump or massage the udder like I see in one of the vids? I didn't this morning and got a bit less milk than I get while hand milking. they were a bit skittish of the machine though so they could have been withholding. 

Also, in the cleaning video...it said in my directions to take the hoses off of the lid when cleaning, which I did. Necessary?

And I milk inthe barn in a separate stall. I would like to keep the machine there. Right now I set the pail upside down on a  clean towel on the milkstand after cleaning, and wrapped the towel over the top as well. The hoses are hanging. But I can see that bugs will probably explore the hoses. Any solution there? Put the ends into a plastic bag perhaps? with a paper towel in there to absorb moisture?

And I was glad to see on the first vid that someone else has a teeny teeted girl like I do!
Beth


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## manybirds (Sep 30, 2011)

aaawwwwwwwww i'm jelouse! (misspelled that didn't I?)


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## freemotion (Sep 30, 2011)

As you saw in my videos that I am by no means an expert, in fact, in one of them, it is really the very first time I used the machine and the goat's first time.  I even spilled my water bucket while cleaning!

My instructions don't say to remove hoses.  You may have a slightly different machine, as he offers several options.  

My only advice (again, not an expert by any means!) on keeping the bucket clean is to hang it like I do so ALL water comes out (bugs don't go into it in this position for some reason....probably because there is nothing to attract them) if you have the same type of Surge bucket that I have.  Otherwise, if you have the other one, the plastic one, I'd put it upside down on something clean where it can drain and dry.  Maybe a clean towel on an upside-down milk crate?  Something that will allow it to dry thoroughly.

I now use only very hot tap water in both my cleaning buckets.  If you use cold water, the fat in the milk builds up inside the bucket.  I also add a glug of white vinegar to the first rinse to keep down milk scale.  I will soon be switching over to using food grade hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach....just gotta get busy and get that ordered.  The cost will be about the same as bleach if I can find bleach for $1 a gallon, and much less as the price of bleach (and gas to transport it) continues to rise.  H2O2 is very concentrated in the form I'll be buying it in.

Oh, and yes, they will give a bit less the first few days because of the change of routine and the strangeness of it all.  I do always rub and bump the udder.  I like to have the habit of always feeling the udder twice a day and this routine not only stimulates milk flow, but keeps me in touch with the health of the udder.  And bonded with the does.

I see no problem with having the machine in the barn.  Mine is only in the garage because the mosquitoes are so bad in the barn.  I may move it for the winter so I don't have to walk the goats across the yard in winter weather.

Congrats on your new machine!  You'll love it, and Mike Perry is very helpful.


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## vegaburm (Sep 30, 2011)

On looking at the vid, Free, mine looks exactly the same as yours, except that I have a 3 gallon bucket. It is the same shape and design as yours though. He just happened to have a slightly smaller one, which I took as I have two NDs I am milking right now. My biggest reason for getting the machine is that my dh can't milk them by hand, and I need him to be able to do it on days I cannot. Also I have one girl with tiny teats and I have yet to milk her dry. I am hoping the machine can do a better job of it.  Right ow I'll use the machine in the morning when I milk them both so they can get used to it. I will hand milk my larger teated girl in the evening as I don't see bothering with the machine for just her. My other girl still has kids on her during the day. All in all though it was not too hard, and not too much too clean. even being slow I was done in about the same time it usually takes me to hand milk. Admittedly I am slow at hand milking as i am a one teat at a time milker. I don't trust the does not to knock over the pail or put their foot in it, so I keep one hand on the container. 

If I don't have to remove the tubes I won't. One less step for someone else to bother with. But I need to make a better hook to hang them from. Right now it is a bent clothes hanger. lol. 

Will try bumping massaging a bit more tomorrow. Today I was just trying to figure things out and keep the inflations on the doe that wanted badly to knock them off! She was very difficult when I started milking her, so that wasn't too surprising to me.


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## freemotion (Sep 30, 2011)

You might consider training all the does to accept the machine.  Then alternate hand-milking each one to keep your hands strong and to stay in touch with the does, etc.  My thoughts are....in an emergency where you and possibly your dh are called away, like to the hospital, you can refer a trusted friend or neighbor to the videos (still need to make that set-up video!) and they can  milk using the machine.  Personally, I'd send two friends, thinking about the crowd and shoving that happens at the gate at milking time.   Or if someone has to run in to the computer to check some bit of information, etc.

Mine came with two sets of inflations but since I won't ever be milking two goats at the same time (never say never!) I took one set off for convenience and stored it in a big ziploc.  Honestly, I'd love to set up another stanchion and milk two at once, but don't have the space for that at this point.

For a hook, I got a big S hook at the garden section of the hardware store.  It is for hanging a plant on a tree branch or to lower the plant if hung from a ceiling hook.  It was about a dollar or so, and well worth it.  I have another that I use to hang cheese to drain from my cupboard door handle in my kitchen, with a pan underneath to collect the whey.  They come in different lengths.

For the milking machine hook, I put a screw eye in the joist in the ceiling above my stanchion and tied a bit of rope to it, then tied the hook to the rope.  I hung it just a few inches above the height of my head so it is in easy reach but I don't put my eye out!


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## vegaburm (Oct 1, 2011)

Hoping to work on a better hanger today. 

Got even less milk this morning, despite bumping and massaging udders.  Got lots last night hand milking my one girl. Clearly I wasn't getting it all with the machine. I usually get about a pound from each, a little less from my tine teated girl as I get impatient. Yesterday I had about 1 1/2 lbs total, this morning only 1 pound for both. Last night I hand milked 1 1/2 lbs just from the one girl. I hope they stop that soon! They were a bit better behaved with it today at least.

And I was much better at removing the inflation from the teats!


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## freemotion (Oct 1, 2011)

Milk them steadily for several days in a row with the machine and resist the temptation to hand milk....they will get full and finally let it all go and relax around the machine.  Eventually, the noise and sensation of the machine will be associated with food and relief!  Be patient.  It made me nervous at first, too, worried that the drop in production would be permanent.  But it wasn't.  If you finish with hand milking each time, they will with-hold milk from the machine and save it for you just like they with-hold milk from you and save it for their kids if you are using the once-a-day milking then return the doe to the kids for the day method.

It will work!  It will be second nature before long.  I am SO uncoordinated with machines and electronics so if I can do it, anyone can.  Really.


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## vegaburm (Oct 1, 2011)

Miss Tiny teats is on the once a day schedule with kids right now. milking her just with the  machine for now.

Doe #2 Gets the machine in the morning and by hand at night. I just don't want to deal with the machine for just her. But I'm not finishing her by hand in the morning. What the machine doesn't get waits until evening. Keeping my fingers crossed for it to get better. With Nigerians it's not like I have tons of extra milk to get though!


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