Anyone ever tried the Udderly EZ Milker for goats

[landis1659]

I'm new to this whole goat thing and while I'm hoping my doe has babies soon, still not sure if she got pregnant or not. Don't really know what to look for?? Our Buck got into her pen the end of Aug. We separated them again but I don't know if he got her or not. We were hoping to wait a couple more months until she was closer to a year. Anyway have any of you ever tried the Udderly EZ Milker. It sells for about 180.00 and sounds easy enough. I have never milked a goat before and neither has my husband. He thinks the whole idea is gross. I don't have a problem with it but there will be times when I'm at work that he is gonna have to take over, so I was thinking this might be a good thing to get for him. Any help here would be great.
Pepper

 

[ksalvagno]

I haven't tried it myself but know someone who has. They like it. I think especially if you need to make it easy for your husband, this is a good way to go. I know some others here are against it but sometimes you do what you have to do.

 

[Roll farms]

Mine broke on the 5th use....great in theory...but cheaply made.
There are little thin plastic brackets that hold the bottle to the milker apparatus...when they break, you have no seal.
With no seal, it won't draw the milk out.
I've read there's another kind of hand milker that is better made...but can't recall the name.

My husband wanted no part of milking either...now he tries to beat me to it most days and can wax philosophical about udders for hours.

 

[landis1659]

Thanks that's good to know
Pepper

 

[Mini-M Ranch]

FWIW, I don't think the Udderly EZ was originally meant to use all the time. I think it really is only for extraction of collestrum. I am not an experienced milker either, but I have read other people say that it can damage the udder if it is used for long periods of time. They have recently changed their advertising to say it is an everyday milker, but I don't know that they actually changed the product.

 

[Roll farms]

I only used mine on first fresheners w/ tiny teats, for colostrum....it still broke on the 5th use.
Doesn't matter if the product is meant for everyday or once a week...it should do what it's supposed to and be built strong enough to do so.

I forgot to mention that...as an everyday milker it'd be a pain, it's wayyy slower than doing it by hand but...if you can't get your hand on the teat it is better than trying to 2-finger milk.

 

[freemotion]

Look what I found! http://www.maggidans.com/milker.htm

And there are instructions in a magazine somewhere with instructions to make one using a spray bottle and the barrel from a large dose syringe and some surgical tubing. Couldn't find it quickly, but it's out there.

I keep saying I will make one just in case someone has to milk for me in an emergency and there is no time to teach them.

 

[Mini-M Ranch]

I only used mine on first fresheners w/ tiny teats, for colostrum....it still broke on the 5th use.
Doesn't matter if the product is meant for everyday or once a week...it should do what it's supposed to and be built strong enough to do so.

I forgot to mention that...as an everyday milker it'd be a pain, it's wayyy slower than doing it by hand but...if you can't get your hand on the teat it is better than trying to 2-finger milk.

Well, I in no way meant to imply that it was your fault that the thing broke. Certainly it should have worked for years, especially at that price point. BTW - Did they replace it for you? Because they should have.

I had looked at these before when we were first getting in to goats, and decided not to get one because I read some people saying they had had udder damage from it because the suction is too hard for every day use. I dunno. I was just throwing in my .02

 

[Roll farms]

I wasn't taking any offense, just clarifying that I only used mine a few times, "occasionally"...so that even if not used every day, it didn't hold up.

I didn't contact them for a return / replacement because I lost several family members around the time it broke, I just shoved it back in the cabinet and there it still sits...broken.

 

[username taken]

Okay, we need to clarify here.

The MADDIGAN'S MILKER - ie, the kind that you can build from a syringe (without the middle bit) and a squirt bottle top, or drench gun, is the one that will damage your doe's udder. Its because it doesnt PULSE. The plastic syringe is inflexible, so it just sucks all the milk out.

The UDDERLY EZ MILKER is kinder on the udder, just like a machine milker. If you put your finger in either this, or the machine milker, it pulses. That is, you will feel it tighten, release, tighten, release. Which is the same as a kid sucking, or a hand milking the teat.

I would NEVER use the maddigans milker - and I would only use the udderly ez for occasional use. I actually know people that have tried the ez and it has hurt their does when used regularly.