milking equipment

[stano40]

Has anyone tried on of those "Udderly EZ Milkers" you see advertised in the trade magazines?

I always wondered how well they work for people with bad hands like me.

bob

 

[treeclimber233]

Even if the "spray" method only works on suction, as long as I let the babies continue to nurse also this method should work and not injure the udder (correct me if I am wrong). I am planning on letting the babies nurse (seperating mom and baby so I can get some milk too) so if I want to go away for the weekend I don't have to worry about milking. I did that last year with just one baby and had no problems. I have a bad back so I don't want to be crouching down and reaching under 2 does and then only be able to 2 finger them.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I doubt if those cheap spray bottle type milkers are any easier on the hands.... You'd be squeezing just the same.

I have a doe with huge teats that takes me forever to milk. I really can't fit her entire teat in my hand. But she gives a lot of milk:/ I wonder what silly machine stretched her out like that. My girl with smaller teats gives the same anount in half the time.

 

[freemotion]

Even if the "spray" method only works on suction, as long as I let the babies continue to nurse also this method should work and not injure the udder (correct me if I am wrong). I am planning on letting the babies nurse (seperating mom and baby so I can get some milk too) so if I want to go away for the weekend I don't have to worry about milking. I did that last year with just one baby and had no problems. I have a bad back so I don't want to be crouching down and reaching under 2 does and then only be able to 2 finger them.

You could build your milking stand like some of the professional dairies....a high stand with a ramp, and you can stand up behind the doe and milk from behind. They use a machine, but you could milk with your hands from behind.

 

[nmred]

I am very new at this and have only had our goats for a few months and have been milking them for only three weeks, so take this info FWIW...I have arthritis in my right hand and so was worried about being able to hand milk very well. From articles in Dairy Goat Journal and threads on this forum I heard about several hand milkers: the Udderly EZ Milker (the most expensive) and has gotten bad reviews on this forum as not being very well made; the Henry Milker (next expensive) and the MaggieDan (least expensive). We bought both the Henry and the MaggieDan just to try them out. They both come with a 30 day guarantee so if you don't like them you can get your money back. I like them both.

The Henry is a little slower but easier on your hands as it doesn't need to be pumped all the time. Once you get it up to pressure (7 lbs seems to work best on my girls) you can rest for a minute until the pressure drops. Then it only takes a few pumps to get it back to pressure. I consistently get a bit more milk with the Henry.

The MaggieDan is a bit easier to use than the Henry (by this I mean the design is more streamlined) except that you have to pump constantly. My hands get very tired and I have to switch off, but so far I've been able to do it even with my arthritis. You don't have to squeeze as tightly, so it isn't as hard on my hand as hand milking. The milk starts coming more quickly with the MaggieDan and when they are really letting down it is hard to keep up. It doesn't just run into the jar like the Henry does, you have to pump it out. By the way, the MaggieDan was originally made to use on pygmies and nigerians and you have to order it with a larger syringe for the larger breeds.

Both companies claim that they and others have used the milkers for years with no problems and claim that you will not have any more udder problems than you would anyway. The milk is very clean and doesn't even need to be strained as both of these are a closed system. The lids on my jars always have bits of hay, hair, dust, etc. on them when I bring them in the house. I just wipe them off before I open the jars to weigh and measure the milk, and it is always good and clean.

I am very happy with both these milkers and would recommend them to you. The hand pump one you can make yourself is from an article in Goat World (I think) or maybe it was Dairy Goat Journal. I saw it when I was researching hand milkers and thought about making it myself. It would probably work like the MaggieDan, but not be as durable.

If you're thinking of getting a hand milker, go ahead. I think you'll like them. You can always milk by hand when you want to and use the milker the rest of the time.

 

[lorihadams]

Anybody use an electric breast pump? I still have mine.......getting nigis......just thinking......

 

[RockyToggRanch]

nmred....

How long does it take to milk one goat? and how easy is it to clean?

I just looked at them (Henry) online and it looks interesting.

 

[Mini-M Ranch]

We bought a Henry Milker a few weeks ago because my husband wanted to help with the milking. One of our does is a two finger milker and it was taking me 35 minutes to get 1/2 a pint from her. My husband could do nothing with her. Her teat is shorter than the width of his thumb, so whenever he squeezed, part of his thumb would cover up the teat orifice.

We bought the Henry Milker and are please with the results so far. We are now getting about a pint a day from her in about 5 minutes. It is easy to operate. This is how it works best for us. I get the pressure up to about 5.5 or 6, then I massage the udder a bit, and she milks out pretty fast. She is happier, and I am happier, and my husband gets to help a bit.

I would recommend the Henry. We only use it once a day, and I don't use it on any of the other girls, as their teats are large enough to hand milk.

 

[chandasue]

I use the Udderly EZ milker and I really like it just fine on my Nigerian. Perhaps it's not so good on the larger teats of a full size goat though. I also have wrist problems and it's really saved my hands. I haven't had any problems with it or with it hurting my girl's udder. I sometimes think people don't read instructions which would lead to problems if they just aren't using it correctly.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

How much time to clean the Henry milker? I just ordered one because my new doe has tiny teats and I can't milk her without covering everything with milk.