Alternatives to expensive milking supplies

[madcow]

I use a brake bleeding pump with a presssure gauge attached that I purchased from Harbor Freight with two 3/8-inch plastic tubes (came with the kit), a mason jar with holes drilled into the lid and 3/8-inch water line fittings to which the tubes are attached. I used JB Weld only on the outside of the lid (so it wouldn't be in contact with the milk) to seal the fittings so the jar would be air tight. The 2 tubes are attached to each of the fittings on the jar top, and pump is attached to the other end of one of the tubes and the other is attached to the syringe-end of the large outer sleeve of a syringe. The syringe is fitted up to the teat and I just pump the milk directly into the mason jar using the brake pump. I get the pressure up to between 10 to 15 PSI on the gauge on the pump and that's all the pressure that is needed to get the milk flowing. I can pump about a cup of milk in about 20 seconds using this. I clean the teat with unscented baby wipes before milking and strip some milk out looking for clumps before attaching the pump to the teat. Using this method the milk is never exposed to anything outside of the mason jar, so very little need to filter the milk. That saves more money and time than I can count. I figure I have maybe a total of $30 invested in the pump. Here's a picture of my pump set up:

Oh, and my husband made the tote from scrap wood and a piece of rope for holding the jar(s) for the milk safely while milking and also to and from the house. He made it so that I could carry my other supplies, such as wipes, and a second jar if needed. You can use either wide-mouth quart jars or pint jars. I usually use pint, because I'm only milking a single pygmy doe at this point.

The tubing all comes off for cleaning and for the tubing I use a long brush that is designed for cleaning those long permanent drinking straws for insulated cups. I feel better knowing I can get the tubing and the fittings clean with that. There's very lilttle work involved with the cleaning process. I love it!

 

[flylo]

Your milk set up is brilliant! I've seen home made milking machines before, but this is ingenious.
What size syringe are you using for the teat suction cup?


hmmmm, I have an old milking machine that was just too big and heavy to deal with. I may need to replace the rubber liners since it's been 12+ years just sitting, but it would probably work with your rig.

Thanks for sharing!

flylo

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I may get criticized for this, but I use plastic. I got food grade plastic buckets with lids for free. I milk into a 3 gallon plastic bucket, put the lid on it, and bring into the house and pour through my little filter strainer directly into mason jars and pop them in the fridge.

I wash everything with dawn dish soap and the hottest water I can stand, rinse well and then fill the plastic bucket with a dilute bleach water solution and let it sit on the counter soaking everything until 12 hours later and the next milking. Then I wash everything again with dawn and hot water and re-rinse with dilute bleach water. I may be going overboard, but since I use plastic better to be safe than sorry. I also wash the udder with a washcloth and dilute bleach water. I've been doing it like this for two years and have never had a single issue. Works for me!

 

[madcow]

Your milk set up is brilliant! I've seen home made milking machines before, but this is ingenious.
What size syringe are you using for the teat suction cup?


hmmmm, I have an old milking machine that was just too big and heavy to deal with. I may need to replace the rubber liners since it's been 12+ years just sitting, but it would probably work with your rig.

Thanks for sharing!

flylo

I'm using a-50 ml syringe, and that should fit a full-sized goat. It's rather large for my pygmy and I could easily get away with using a 25-ml or maybe smaller syringe.

 

[kristenm1975]

I love the set up, madcow! Thank you for the pictures too! I have a hard time visualizing the technical details sometimes. I may need to make this milking system, if for no other reason, to help out anyone who needs to milk for me when I go out of town.

Blessings!

 

[verkagj]

You can use enamel ware pots as well as ss or glass. Since supplies are hard to find here in Belize, I had to make do with what I could get. I use a little plastic "trash can" for milking. Pour it into my ss stockpot with a lid while I do the other girls. For a filter I use a wire mesh strainer with a coffee filter and a canning funnel with a milk filter in it. The milk filters look just like interface material from the fabric store. I may use that when I run out of filters. the milk goes through the filters into a ss wine bucket. Then I filter again into the quart jars for the refrig.

I rinse everything right away and later wash in hot, soapy, bleach water and air dry. No dishwasher available on solar power.

Look around at yard sales, Goodwill, etc. for items you can use.

 

[flylo]

Belize!! Where in Bze? I spent quite a bit of time up around Orange Walk some years back. I had a good friend with a cattle ranch. He'd come up to Texas to buy things he couldn't get locally and we'd drive back down, spent several months at a whack. Beautiful country!

flylo

 

[madcow]

Also, I use a roll of paper towels cut in half and stuffed into a quart jar with a lid. I add a drop of Dawn dishwashing liquid along with H2o2 (hydrogen peroxide) and alcohol in amounts that will saturate the paper towels and close up the jar with a lid. These are my wiping towels for udders before milking and they work really well. Pretty inexpensive too.

 

[JesnJer]

Also, I use a roll of paper towels cut in half and stuffed into a quart jar with a lid. I add a drop of Dawn dishwashing liquid along with H2o2 (hydrogen peroxide) and alcohol in amounts that will saturate the paper towels and close up the jar with a lid. These are my wiping towels for udders before milking and they work really well. Pretty inexpensive too.

Thank you! I was looking for a bleach alternative we are addicted to peroxide in our house.

 

[kristenm1975]

Madcow, I've duplicated your set-up, thanks to your excellent description and pictures and am wondering if you could tell me your leaning regimen for this specific setup. Thank you so much!