I miss the bonding when I hand milked my nubians years ago but now I have so much arthritis in my hands, and the small teats - I need my milking machine. I still talk and pet my girls while I am milking so we still that special time. After the machine is off we have treats - always raisons and/or animal crackers. I agree about the constant vacuum pumps - they seem like they could do damage. I did purchase a hand vacuum pump when I first got my girls - hated the thing and only tried it a couple of times. After that we did the conversion on the Babson surge milker.
Initially, I purchased the Maggidan milker, mostly because of the difficulty of milking my first girl who had very small teats. The next year, it was a life-saver when I broke my arm and dislocated my shoulder and had to have my son milk the then-two goats. I have also used the Henry milker. Both of those are good for emergencies; however, I later, while milking two, purchased the Segal milker which was recommended to me by friends with large goats. It worked fine but still works on the constant vacuum principal. All three of these are hand operated - I would never put an electric vacuum-only milker on my goats - I can see a real danger of the human forgetting. I have read that some people have observed teat/udder damage from this type of milker and I have no reason to disbelieve it.
Around the first of the year, I was still using the Segal milker on my girl (sold her mom) and observed some damage to one of the teats. Whether it was the milker or not, I don't know - it may have been a wound from elsewhere, but it was enough for me to go to hand milking only. I will be selling my Segal milker for considerably less than I paid for it. Until I have saved the money and/or have at least two in milk again, I will be hand milking. Honestly, it doesn't take as long as also cleaning a machine, even the most basic one. It also increases the bonding between my doe and me which matters.
When I do get another milker, it will be a Simple Pulse which is in the area of $600-700. I have heard much good about it from a number of people who have them. It does not operate on a straight vacuum as do the ones I have. That means the teat is not held open unnaturally as with the vacuum milkers. It simply must be better than the constant vacuum which is unnatural. I understand some who milk many goats need a milker, I honestly think those of us milking only a few should consider hand milking only with the small hand-operated milker for an emergency (as the doe not being able to stand temporarily after kidding). This past month, I visited a goat dairy in which the wife is the only milker - she milks 27 goats morning and night. That made me feel a bit ashamed for getting a milker for two!
After having used different type of vacuum milkers and all the info I have read, I am convinced the surge type milkers are the only type we should use.
We converted a Babson surge milker for our goats and I like it alot. You can see it on my web page
Windingrvrfarm.com It cost us about $700. I have been using it for several years - have no complaints and never had a problem with the girls. My little FF don't even mind it.
We have the one from Hoegger and have no complaints. I know someone who has the one from Caprine Supply and likes it, as well. I haven't actually heard any complaints about any of the $1,000+ machines. On the other hand, all of the little $100 ones have very limited usefulness, and there are a lot of conversations about them in the archives on here.
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I miss the bonding when I hand milked my nubians years ago but now I have so much arthritis in my hands, and the small teats - I need my milking machine. I still talk and pet my girls while I am milking so we still that special time. After the machine is off we have treats - always raisons and/or animal crackers. I agree about the constant vacuum pumps - they seem like they could do damage. I did purchase a hand vacuum pump when I first got my girls - hated the thing and only tried it a couple of times. After that we did the conversion on the Babson surge milker.
Initially, I purchased the Maggidan milker, mostly because of the difficulty of milking my first girl who had very small teats. The next year, it was a life-saver when I broke my arm and dislocated my shoulder and had to have my son milk the then-two goats. I have also used the Henry milker. Both of those are good for emergencies; however, I later, while milking two, purchased the Segal milker which was recommended to me by friends with large goats. It worked fine but still works on the constant vacuum principal. All three of these are hand operated - I would never put an electric vacuum-only milker on my goats - I can see a real danger of the human forgetting. I have read that some people have observed teat/udder damage from this type of milker and I have no reason to disbelieve it.
Around the first of the year, I was still using the Segal milker on my girl (sold her mom) and observed some damage to one of the teats. Whether it was the milker or not, I don't know - it may have been a wound from elsewhere, but it was enough for me to go to hand milking only. I will be selling my Segal milker for considerably less than I paid for it. Until I have saved the money and/or have at least two in milk again, I will be hand milking. Honestly, it doesn't take as long as also cleaning a machine, even the most basic one. It also increases the bonding between my doe and me which matters.
When I do get another milker, it will be a Simple Pulse which is in the area of $600-700. I have heard much good about it from a number of people who have them. It does not operate on a straight vacuum as do the ones I have. That means the teat is not held open unnaturally as with the vacuum milkers. It simply must be better than the constant vacuum which is unnatural. I understand some who milk many goats need a milker, I honestly think those of us milking only a few should consider hand milking only with the small hand-operated milker for an emergency (as the doe not being able to stand temporarily after kidding). This past month, I visited a goat dairy in which the wife is the only milker - she milks 27 goats morning and night. That made me feel a bit ashamed for getting a milker for two!
After having used different type of vacuum milkers and all the info I have read, I am convinced the surge type milkers are the only type we should use.
We converted a Babson surge milker for our goats and I like it alot. You can see it on my web page
Windingrvrfarm.com It cost us about $700. I have been using it for several years - have no complaints and never had a problem with the girls. My little FF don't even mind it.
We have the one from Hoegger and have no complaints. I know someone who has the one from Caprine Supply and likes it, as well. I haven't actually heard any complaints about any of the $1,000+ machines. On the other hand, all of the little $100 ones have very limited usefulness, and there are a lot of conversations about them in the archives on here.