# Hand Milking or Milking Machine



## goateeman (Dec 22, 2012)

I need your help and/or suggestions. I am a new goater and want to get starter with milk goats ASAP. I know one should learn to crawl before they walk but again I also know experience is the BEST teacher. That's where you old goaters come in the picture. Speaking from your experiences, which direction would you direct a new goater?:think:


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Depends on a few things:

Your schedule
How many you want
Your patience

I prefer hand milking, but my hands and forearms are used to it. I suggest if you're looking for hand millers get your arms and hands ready by squeezing a stress ball or "milking" objects as you use them. Wooden spoons while cooking, the steering wheel as you drive, clothes when you fold, I mean anything. Start building those muscles. A lot of people overestimate their personal stamina.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

well how many goats? what breed? whats your plan for the milk?


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## goateeman (Dec 22, 2012)

Well Stacey the plans are NOT to bite off more than I can chew. So I 'm thinking 2 milkers will do. I think I want Nubians. I was thinking NG's but they seem to be a wee bit small(what do you think)?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

so milk for your family?

I would LOVE to have a milk machine but they are costly. 

Nubians are good milkers and will be MUCH easier to hand milk especially if you go that route.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

If you only have two you can milk them fairly easily without a machine. You have to remember that while machines make the actual milking easier they still have to be cleaned not to mention the cost. The cheapest one you can probably make yourself will cost $400 or more. Those cheap Henry Milker's and the like do not pulsate and can damage your goats teats. I can message you a video of me hand milking if you want. I know when I started out I liked to watch videos of people milking so I could see their technique.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I have the EZ milker, you have to be careful not to pump too hard to hurt their udder, but it has saved our hands. 

Start off with a milker that is EASY to milk, it will save you tears!


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## gafarmgirl (Jan 2, 2013)

Start out slow and low numbers and then grow 

. You don't want to take to much on at once. And your might deside you want a different breed or something.


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## goateeman (Dec 22, 2012)

XYMENAH please do message me your video, i like to watch all I can
thanks goateeman


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## HereComesTheSun (Jan 14, 2013)

xymenah said:


> If you only have two you can milk them fairly easily without a machine. You have to remember that while machines make the actual milking easier they still have to be cleaned not to mention the cost. The cheapest one you can probably make yourself will cost $400 or more. Those cheap Henry Milker's and the like do not pulsate and can damage your goats teats. I can message you a video of me hand milking if you want. I know when I started out I liked to watch videos of people milking so I could see their technique.


Would you send me the video, too? :3


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## aceofspades (Dec 26, 2012)

Woodhavenfarm said:


> I have the EZ milker, you have to be careful not to pump too hard to hurt their udder, but it has saved our hands.
> 
> Start off with a milker that is EASY to milk, it will save you tears!


We hand milked nigerian dwarfs for a long time with no trouble. 
But our herd kept getting bigger and time available to milk kept getting shorter. 
now we to use the udderly EZ hand pump and absolutely love it. 
Works great, fast, it is easy to use and easy clean up, 
experience with the machines was it took longer to clean all the hoses than it did to just hand milk.


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## Newgoatowner (Sep 27, 2012)

Can you send me a video as well? I finally got my goats back after 4 months of being gone. In the mean time they all had babies. I have milked for a week and my dominant hand is so sore I can hardly bend my fingers. I'm thinking on going to an ez milker for some relief.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

I have used both, hand and milk machine. Milk machines are expensive and you need to learn to use those too. Too much suction, or left on too long with injure your doe. At the time I was milking dairy cows and goats so I had a pipeline system with not much clean up time. 

I have 10 milkers (goats) that I milk by hand. Best advice? Find does with nice large teats (as in a little longer than the length of your hand from index finger to pinky) and probably as wide as your hand with the fingers curled. Should be easy to squeeze and the milk should flow freely and easily, but not drip on its own. 

test drive any does you are thinking of buying for ease of milking.

Buy experienced milkers rather than kids or bred yearlings. Teaching a doe to be a milker when you are learning yourself can be a chore!

After having goats for almost 40 years, my grip is pretty solid. Milking is 2nd nature to me now and I can pretty much do it in my sleep! Building up the muscles is a great idea. You can also learn/practice milking by taking the finger of your opposite hand, circle it with your other hand and "milk". A stress ball or tennis ball will help build muscle and stamina.

I have arthritis. I have had it most of my life. The actions of milking a goat (or cow) actually helps my hands and wrist to move and keeps the pain to a minimum.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

I much prefer hand milking, and have hand milked up to six every day, but now that I am milking 64 does, machine is the way to go!

The container, lines, inflation all have to be cleaned VERY well, each and every time. And for us, as we are a licensed cheese dairy, they have to be cleaned in accordance to state code. It can take some time - enough time that if we have does who are "off the line" (ie have received medication that renders their milk unsafe for consumption, or have just kidded and have colostrum) that I will hand milk them instead of hooking up the small milkvat as my boss will often do when he milks.


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## melisak (Apr 19, 2013)

Can I have the video too please?? Thank you. You can never have enough information from experienced goaters


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