# survey: hand milk, or machine?



## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

My two Nubians should have their babies in the next few days, and I'll be a first-time milker! I just saw Janeen's reference to the maggidan milker on another thread, and have since been watching youtube videos of various hand-held milking machines.

Here's what I'd like to know:

How many of you hand-milk exclusively?

How many of you use some sort of milking machine, and what do you use?

How much time does it save you?

Are there any other benefits to it (I'm wondering if the milk actually stays cleaner, for example)?

Oh, and how many of you pasteurize your milk?

Thanks for any and all advice!


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## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

I'm curious I'll bite!


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## bboyd1 (Mar 22, 2014)

Im planning on hand milking this year, and how it goes will be the deciding factor on if I get a handheld milk machine. lol


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## 4-HGoatGirl (Jul 5, 2013)

You probably don't want to hear this but a style of milking is focused around you. You just have to practice milking a couple a times to "know your flow". If you are fast or medium at milking and you are comfortable then hand-milk. If you are a slow milker, you the E-Z Milker, and finish up with some hand squirts. I personally like hand-milking. Keep in mind your does will have a preference, too. Some does act well with machines, but others hate it. Milk from machines and hand should be strained and if you want pasteurized. In my state you can only sell raw-milk as "Animal Food". If you want to drink it it is your choice. Oven-Baking or Stovetop-Cooking in my opinion doesn't need to be Pasteurized. Some people develop different tastes from raw/pasteurized milk. Hope this helps!


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## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

That's understandable. I know I'll have to learn by hand, first. And I know that the question of pasteurization is a personal one. 

However, there are so many experienced milkers on this site - I'd just like to pick everyone's brains for YOUR personal choices.

Thank you!


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## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

4-HGoatGirl said:


> You probably don't want to hear this but a style of milking is focused around you. You just have to practice milking a couple a times to "know your flow". If you are fast or medium at milking and you are comfortable then hand-milk. If you are a slow milker, you the E-Z Milker, and finish up with some hand squirts. I personally like hand-milking. Keep in mind your does will have a preference, too. Some does act well with machines, but others hate it. Milk from machines and hand should be strained and if you want pasteurized. In my state you can only sell raw-milk as "Animal Food". If you want to drink it it is your choice. Oven-Baking or Stovetop-Cooking in my opinion doesn't need to be Pasteurized. Some people develop different tastes from raw/pasteurized milk. Hope this helps!


And, yes, thank you - this helps!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I hand milk two does so far...I do not pasteurize milk.


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## 4-HGoatGirl (Jul 5, 2013)

I'm glad I could help, enjoy your milk!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I hand milk... and really love doing so.  
I do have Nigerians and at one time years ago I had pygmy/nigerian crosses that I also hand milked. 

Not only does your "pace" come into play with how you milk but also the doe, if she has small orifices, it can still take awhile to get her empty but a doe with larger orifices can take little time 
I currently am milking just one first freshener and with her orifices it takes me literally 2 minutes to milk out the pint she hold for 8 hours  
I've tried the Maggidan milker on a pygmy/nigerian doe who really had no udder capacity or even teats... literally just 2 little pinkies on her belly, she would milk out about a cup and a half but the pump milker was constant suction and left her pink teats purple... after that first time, I didn't use it again but actually found that if I applied pressure to the glandular tissue, her milk would flow. After her last delivery 2 years ago being a bit traumatic for her, I dried her off when her kid was weaned and she's been a pet since.

I also don't pasteurize


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

I machine milk. When I could hand milk I had my favorites I wouldn't machine milk just because these does are a dream to milk. I have used a constant suction, some does where fine with it, some does it turned their teats purple. I use a pulsating set up now. I love it. I find it worth the clean up! I still strain my milk, and we drink it raw.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I like hand milking. I think it's more gentle, and natural to the doe. You can more easily control the pace and amount of pressure needed.
Plus it keeps your hands strong!


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

I hand milk also I love being that close to my goats they really are nice to milk and if you get one with good stand manners that's even better the only one I would even think about machine milking is a fainter/toggenberg x doe that had never been milked before and has such small teats that milking her is just a pain. But even she is starting to settle down and act right on the stand so that's all good.


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## LamanchaAcres (Jan 11, 2013)

We use to handmilk but when i was at school and my mother had to milk her hands use to cramp so we invested in the ultimate EZ milker and boy is it easier. Its something were u clean the udder, oil the teats and plug them in and theyll be done in minuets. It works for us because we freshen quite a few per year and its a time saver. 


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Well, obviously I use a milker, but not all the time... I am actually getting the hang of hand milking, although I think 1 doe prefers the machine... My first fresheners it's a toss up with them LOL... I do not pasteurize, I drink it raw...


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## Bobbays (May 19, 2011)

I and wifey are getting a bit older and hand milking is a bit of a pain. My progression has been: 1. Build a quart jar receiver with a vacuum pump gotten at a local automotive stoor. Worked well, gauge was nice to keep vacuum down, but broke easy. 2. Udderly easy. Small goats, no gauge, did not like it as I felt my goats were threatened. 3. A Dansha milker. Nice, but again, it has no gauge to protect the goat. I have grown to feel that constant vacuum is detrimental to the goat teat. My goats agree. 4. Used cow milker, fast, pulsator, but the receiver is way big, one of those heavy stainless steel types, and I had to re-shose and inflation it. 5. Where I am now, building my own, based on what I know of milking machines and tying to make it portable.


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

I hand milk my goats and machine milk my cow. I have found that the time it takes me to clean the milk machine is not worth it if I'm getting under a gallon (time wise). 


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

I hand milk two does. Between feeding, milking, cleaning, storing etc, it probably takes me 15-20 minutes to do both does and have everything put away and washed. We don't pasteurize, though, just stick it in the freezer for an hour to cool off.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

It doesn't take me long either for the two girls...probably at the most 30 minutes for all of it....but i strain the milk into a wide mouth sterile mason jar with a canning funnel that has a KenAg filter in it....then the milk goes into an ice bath IN the fridge...


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## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

This is SO great! Thank you, everyone, for sharing!


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I hand milk two does. 1 has small holes but good teats. So she's easy to milk... kinda. It's hurting my hands. My other doe is a ff and has small teats but nice large openings so she's super easy to milk now that she's getting used to the milking stand.

I will be buying a milking machine so that I can give my hands a break a couple times a week. I am looking at buying the Dansha 2 teat battery operated 1/2 gallon milker.

I do not pasteurize for drinking (but we don't drink milk... just use it for cooking), but I do for cheese making.

I filter through a strainer with a coffee filter set into it. I don't put in the freezer, I just toss it into quart jars after filtered and put it in the fridge with the date on it.


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## upsidedown (Feb 17, 2013)

I hand milk by two does, don't pasteurize. Put strain milk and put in freezer. I have a EZ milker but I can hand milk faster than that with less clean up time. 

Unless I had more than 2-3 does I personally would hand milk. I am just a beginning with only one season under my belt. Maybe I will change my mind in the future. :yum: Good Luck


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Thanks for this thread. I'm a lurker around here but I thought I'd share. I've began milking my first doe since December. I am having her wean naturally so I do the once a day method. I only hand milk. She is a meat goat so her bag is fairly small and she only gives me, at most, 2 1/4 cups a day, which is a full small mason jar. But that's a rare good day. As her production begins to drop, if I wait to milk her for a couple hours I get more. 

She is not a good girl, that feed bowl better be full or she's not playing. And I do have to hobble her as well. 

I tried making a milking machine based on something I saw on Pinterest. I used clear hose and 60cc syringes, and I connected it to a medical vacuum pump. The milk from the teat ran into the jar and then it stopped. I pushed a little on the teat and I saw blood in the hose. I immediately turned it off and went back to hand milking. If anyone knows what could have gone wrong id love to know. Obviously too much pressure but then why didn't the milk run?

I do pasteurize. I hated the double boiler thing so I bought an old sears dry pasteurizer (farm master) from eBay for like $40. I tested it with water before putting milk in it and it really works. It's slow but very easy and doesn't effect the milk flavor at all. 

He rest of my herd are all Nubian crosses, so I hope to have much more production when they kid. I'm just sort of getting practice right now with milking and cheese making. 


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Oh forgot to say, my entire farm morning: feeding chickens, letting goats out, milking, set up and clean up takes 15 minutes. 


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I hand milk everyone until I am sure they are used to the milking process. Usually for about 2 weeks. Then, if I have more than
4 goats in milk, I will use the machine. I started out with a surge belly milker converted for goats. That is by far the best machine,
but the milker barely fits in my sink. It almost takes more time to wash and sanitize a milker than it does to milk, but, sometimes
the arthritis doesn't like hand milking! I did purchase a new Hoegger milker, but haven't really uses it. It has smaller buckets.

If my grandkids are going to drink the milk, I do pasteurize as their dad is a city boy (and a few other choice words I can't say in a family forum) and doesn't trust anything not from the grocery store! 
(If the kids ever got sick, he would blame the raw milk). 

I drink it raw, after cooling in an ice bath. We (dh and I) drink gallons of goat milk.


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## cmcclung (Sep 18, 2013)

So here is my 2 cents. We have 3 girls or which 2 are in milk now, and one is due to kid in 3 weeks. My wife and I used to hand milk exclusively. She started having problems with her hands and wrists, so we went to a constant pressure hand milking setup. This year we went to a pulsating setup. I bought a pump off ebay and a surge setup from Hamby. Now between my 2 girls in milk we are getting just under 2 gallons a day. Clean up takes a little longer than milking. Thank goodness my girls are great on the stand. I set them up, and do all my other feeding and chores. 

Also, we drink our milk raw. Most of the milk goes to cheese. We sell some to some soap makers, but the rest goes to making feta.

Good Luck and just do what works for you!!!


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Cmclumg, what type of pump did you get for that system? Was it specific for milkers?


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

I love hand milking, for me it is part of the experience, and I don't ever plan to machine milk. The process is relaxing for me. I never plan to milk more than 4 does though. Right now I have 1 milking and will have 2 more milking in a few weeks. That will be the most I have ever had milking at one time. We will see what I think after that lol!


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## Esther88 (Nov 11, 2012)

I am currently hand milking and really enjoy it. My doe is very good on the stand and hopefully I will never be milking more than one doe at a time since my family wouldn't use it all. I have used a Henry Milker on a friend's doe and liked it but it seemed like setting it all up took quite a bit of time. It broke after a year or so and she recently ordered another which broke already so she is back to hand milking as well. I can't speak for any other types of milking machines.


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

One thing I did want to mention is that at first your hands WILL hurt. As they build up strength then that pain goes away, but when I first started I would get muscle cramps in my hands and fingers and needed to stretch my fingers backwards a lot. My hands no longer hurt when milking, and not only do your hands get stronger, but so do your forearms. When I first started my arms would even burn from the new exercise!


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I hand milk all my does, and cows, and have been since the beginning. I have never wanted to use a milk machine, because I have bought a few does who had injured teats from them, and I didn't want to do something wrong, and cause that problem with my animals.

I currently milk 4 does, sometimes 5 does a year (WAY less than the 60 I used to have!), but I'll be milking 9-10 does next spring, and 2 cows.  I'll admit, milking goats gives you pretty strong hands and forearms, but milking a cow everyday, gives you the strongest hands and arms you'll ever have! 

Takes me 2 minutes or less to milk out each doe, about a minute if they aren't heavy producers. 
The rest of the time I spend sitting next to them on the stand, waiting for them to finish their grain before I take them back and let the next doe out. And I spend the time doing udder washes, bag balming, teat taping, brushing them, etc. 
Normally takes me 30 minutes for all that, another 5-7 minutes to take it to the house, filter the milk into jugs, and mix up the next batch of milk/replacer mix for the lambar.

So basically, 1) Let goat out, latch the stand, 2) wash udder, strip teats, dry off udder, 3) milk doe, 4) bag balm or tape if necessary, 5) wait for doe to finish eating, 6) put the doe back, repeat until all the does have been milked. Sometimes I dip the teats, sometimes I don't.
I have a 5 gallon bucket I pour the milk into after each doe, and I bring it up to the house all at once in the bucket. Then I filter it and it goes into the fridge and lambars.


I do, and don't pasteurize the milk. If I'm raising the kids for my own herd, I feed raw because I know my does are clean, but I do raise on prevention for people, for an extra fee.
And I don't drink goats milk, so that part doesn't really count as far as our consumption goes 

And on a side note, I have found a faster way to cool milk before you get it to the house or an ice chest in the milk room.
Ice cubes in a new Ziploc bag, toss it into the bottom of the bucket, and milk. It cools the milk, as you milk. Granted it won't be ice cold when you are done, but it will be substantially cooler. 
Or a frozen water bottle with the wrapper and sticky stuff removed (or in a bag).


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## bboyd1 (Mar 22, 2014)

I wanted to mention this; my doe is 3 weeks freshened as a FF, and has tiny teats. Its hard to use thumb and 2 fingers. So, I busted out my old manual breast pump I used while breastfeeding my kids. Its made to work at almost any angle, and works VERY well on my girl. lol. Its not a long term solution by anymeans, since there is so much plastic and rubber parts they are a pain to sanitize and clean well, and I started milking her out by hand last night when I lock her doling up, just to clear out any milk that may be left in her udder after being with her kid all day. The pump looks like it should help elongate her teats, and change their shape *some* probably as much as any FF doe changes anyway, but its much faster for me and I don't loose any milk. Not all manual breast pumps will work, it HAS to be one made to work at almost any angle, but its my solution for a doe who is difficult to milk. Plus it doesn't matter if she kicks around a bunch, she can't kick or spill the pump I'm holding on her. lol I dump the 8oz baby bottle as its filled into glass canning jars with filters on them that are sitting in an ice-water bath that I also salted (keeps it super cold and keeps the ice from melting as much) Mind you it only works because #1--she's my only doe in milk right this moment and #2 she's half dwarf and as a FF, 3 weeks freshened and me milking her once a day I only get a pint, then baby gets her all day long. So I'm not dealing with a half gallon of milk at a time, although she will still increase a lot and I'll eventually get to milk her 2x a day, hoping by that point I'll be better able to handle her teats. If not, Im sticking with the breast pump till next years milking!


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## mayia97420 (Apr 22, 2014)

I am hand-milking- I enjoy the quiet and its relaxing for me- not as much fun in the snow and rain- While I have them on the stand, I check udder, brush (checking for injuries) Check for skin parasites. It also gives each girl some one on one time. We do not pasteurize our milk and we drink a lot of it.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Very interesting to hear what different people do and why.
I have always milked by hand. I am 61 now and feel my hands are stronger and healthier for it. Not to mention the upper body strength from wrangling goats on a daily basis. Mine are all Nubian, Toggenburg or a mix thereof so they are pretty big girls. They all have good stand manners. I have not had to hobble anyone this season yet. It is therapy for me and gives me a chance to exercise my lungs as I like to sing to them.
We have been drinking our milk raw since the 80's. I am not even that fussy about how fast I get it cold. I put 1/2 gallon pitchers in the fridge and it tastes fine. I use it raw for yogurt, cheese, butter and ice cream as well.
Part of my breeding program is to get girls with good sized tits that milk easily. So far the Nubians do the best. They milk way easier than the Toggs but they are pretty good too. I had to sell two who just killed my hands getting the milk out.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I know this is a bit of an older thread but was curious what other people do. I just started hand milking and sure am feeling the burn, haha. Right now I don't foresee milking more than two and will probably just stick with hand milking, but it's nice to see what all the options are out there.

Just out of curiosity, what do you people with 5-6 goats and + do with all that milk?! :think:


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## CecilandNellie (Aug 17, 2014)

I hand milk, aim to have 3 - 5 does milking. Right now no one is fresh so I haven't milked in 4 or 5 weeks. My hands and wrists hurt now, not when I am milking twice a day, I think it is therapy.
A few months ago I had the opportunity to assist at a large milking (usually machine, but power problem). For two shifts I milked 7 or 8 top producers, I felt the burn, but no pain.
For me hand milking is therapy for arthritis and time to relax, lean against the goat and think about the simple things in life.
If there is extra milk beyond use for the house (I do not pasteurize) I make cheese and that uses a lot, I feed the kids, I might consider making soap, my dogs might get some. Not legal to sell unpasterized here), if there were far to much I might consider raising a lamb. Right now I am just ready to have it for the house again.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm machine milking right now cause I need to keep an ND in milk for a buyer...she's got tiny teats and is almost impossible to hand milk. When she's gone I'll milk 3 various breeds by hand. I don't like the clean up with the machine :/


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Still milking by hand. I have 4 this year, all easy milkers. Just got some cheese into the press and am preparing to make ricotta with the whey.
I also freeze a lot to get us through the winter if everyone is dry. This weekend we will be separating for butter. Butter freezes really well and lasts
a long time. I also make a lot of yogurt and ice cream when I have enough cream. Last time I separated I made a ricotta like cheese from the skim milk that
was very satisfactory.


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## Goat_in_Himmel (Jun 24, 2013)

Well, last year was my first real milking year, and I milked by hand and felt virtuous about it. The raw milk was delicious, but the cheese that I made from it...um...had issues. Bear and coyote food. So, because I prefer the taste of raw milk to cooked, for my second freshener this year, I bought a brake fluid pump, and plan to make one of those Dansha milkers, with which the milk has no exposure to airborne whatsits, and it *should* stay clean enough for raw milk cheeses (fingers crossed). The first fresheners, who I expect to give less milk, I plan to milk by hand, and use the milk as milk.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I only have 2 does in milk - a LaMancha and a Nigerian - so we hand milk. However, I have been a farm sitter and have used a milk machine. That farm usually had 7-10 milkers per season. I love hand milking, but that's TOO MANY to hand milk - at least for me. I've mentally set my limit at 4 does for hand milking - although who knows, I may grow into a larger herd without needing the machine!

And we use and drink our milk raw...


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm milking 3 standards 1 Saanen/oberhasli, & 2 oberhaslis by hand. Although I'm looking forward to my Nubians milk here in about a week and a half, I'm not looking forward to the extra work... At the beginning of the season it took roughly 40 minutes to milk, now it takes 20 minutes to milk... I'm trying to put a limit as to how many I can milk, but I more than likely will end up milking no more than 6-8.. We drink it, and I make things with it.. I acquired a rescue bottle lamb, and a rescue Lamancha/Nubian doeling that are both being bottle fed with it too...


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

Well I'm a newbie too. Just got my goats in November of 2014.

How many of you hand-milk exclusively? I usually hand milk. If I have to go out of town my son will milk with a Dansha Farms milker or my daughter is able to hand milk as well. When I first started I used the Dansha Farms milker which seemed to really help both me and my goat get used to the whole milking routine. For me to learn something I usually need to start with some kind of a tool like that and then gradually go to the more basic form. I needed it for about 1 - 2 months. 

How many of you use some sort of milking machine, and what do you use?

Dansha Farms Milker when we use a milking machine. It's the hand pump kind. I only have 2 in milk so an electrical one would be overkill.

How much time does it save you?

It's much quicker to hand milk. I'm not sure how much time exactly but I'd say roughly 50%.

I do not pasteurize.

Hope that helps


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I use the maggidan milker for the 1st week after delivery, but then hand milk usually after that..


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## cdanna (Dec 17, 2012)

I am hand milking for now, but we are building a new milk machine this week and will switch to that. I am 8 mos pregnant and milking is getting too hard for me so we want it to be easier for me to do it and also easier for my bf or neighbors to milk too. We used a machine last year and my does liked it waaay better than hand milking. Have to build a new one this year cause I accidentally sucked milk up in the pump and ruined it...oops! :roll:

It does save me a lot of time, my big doe has teeeny weeny teat holes and produces an ungodly amount of milk so its much faster to milk her with the machine. She hates hand milking and fights the whole time, I have to hobble her when I hand milk but never with the machine. My little doe fights hand milking also, it is still easy and fast to milk her but she wiggles around so much that I end up getting way more hair in the milk. So I'd say that with the machine I at least cut my milking time in half and keeps the milk a LOT cleaner. It is a pain in the butt cleaning the machine but it's worth it.

We DIY'ed this kind of milk machine last year and will do the same thing this year: http://diymilkingmachine.com/

And I don't pasteurize. 
http://www.thegoatspot.net//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

I like that DIY machine, but I made my own that is electric and I think it's so much cooler than that one. Maybe I should publish a book, too.:shades:


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## Snookie (Mar 25, 2015)

I used a Henry Milker and recently switched to the Simple pulse - couldn't believe how much more milk we got with it as opposed to the Henry (or my hand milking). BUT they do not like it yet, the noise, etc., it will take some time for them to get used to it.

Cleanup seems to be pretty easy with it, which I like.

I pasteurize our milk too.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

This year I'm milking three...all hand milking.One Nubian that milks like a dream and I can milk out in 2 minutes...a FF that has nice orifices but teats are still small since she is a ff yearling, and one FF Saanen...she has small teats right now as well...she milks out decent but not as well as the nubians. Hoping next year will be even easier as their teats grow some.

The nubians milk we drink, I am saving the saanen milk for soaping.


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## rebelINny (Feb 7, 2014)

I'm hand milking six altogether right know with two more to add in a couple weeks. My mini alpine produces 3/4 -1 gallon a day. I use the milk for bottle kids, cheese, and fertilizing my gardens


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

rebelINny said:


> I'm hand milking six altogether right know with two more to add in a couple weeks. My mini alpine produces 3/4 -1 gallon a day. I use the milk for bottle kids, cheese, and fertilizing my gardens


 My hands would be crying/not functioning after that, I can just barely handle the one! Lol. Even then I have to take a break.


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## rebelINny (Feb 7, 2014)

Lstein said:


> My hands would be crying/not functioning after that, I can just barely handle the one! Lol. Even then I have to take a break.


Well, I only milk one side at a time switching hands as one gets tired. Works for me though it does take longer to milk versus doing both teats at once.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I hand milk exclusively - right now milking 3 ff - but no problems. I have Nubians and use the milk to drink, make cheese and fudge. The extra I give to the pigs and the dog. I pasteurize most the time.


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