The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: sokel on August 27, 2014, 03:55:41 pm

Title: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: sokel on August 27, 2014, 03:55:41 pm

Had a friend staying and she used to keep goats a few years ago.
She offered to help with the milking so jumped at the offer
I was milking away and I could hear her milking another goat  but the sound of milk squirting into the bucket sounded very odd.
kept trying to ignore it but in the end it got the better of me so I had to check it out  ::)
where as I milk  sort of Left right left right alternatively she was squeezing left and right pause left and right pause squeezing both at the same time  :-\
I couldn't help but chuckle louder than I intended too and she heard  :innocent:
She reckons that's how she was shown to milk 10 years ago and has always done it that way since
I have never seen anyone do it that way before and I had to have a go and TBH if I had to milk that way I would never get everyone milked  :o

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: jaykay on August 27, 2014, 06:12:02 pm

Well, I use the Udderly Ez (http://www.udderlyez.com/goat_milkers.php) hand pump most of the time. If I ever do it by hand, since I sit on the goats' left side, it's left, right, left, right - no pauses.

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: Beeducked on August 27, 2014, 07:41:54 pm

I sit on the goat's left and it's left, right, left, right with no pauses too. Think it irritates me and the goat equally that one side is slightly bigger so I always finish 1 side before the other and then have to just milk that side breaking the rhythm!

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: Bumblebear on August 27, 2014, 09:02:33 pm

I do a mixture of both, I also do 2 squirts to one squirt on the fuller side so they both finish at about the same time.  Purely to amuse myself and no other reason.   :goat: :love: :goat:

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: Lesley Silvester on August 27, 2014, 09:19:39 pm

I was taught to milk both hands at once but not with a gap in between. The friend who taught me could get an almost continuous stream on milk into the bucket. Nowadays,  because my hands don't work so well, I tend to do left hand on the far teat and several squeezes then right hand on the nearest teat for several squeezes. It sounds complicated but it is far more comfortable for me and the goats don't seem to mind.

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: ballingall on August 27, 2014, 09:49:14 pm

Left, right, left, right for us too. At shows most people milk the same. I know one exception, and he developed a odd milking action because of carpel tunnel, and he milks squeezing both teats at once together, pause, then again.


Beth

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: HappyHippy on August 28, 2014, 12:06:53 am

I only had one milking goat for a short time, but it was left right left right without pauses for me too. But I guess some folk have different ways for different reasons, whatever you're comfortable with  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: plumseverywhere on August 28, 2014, 08:14:37 am

left right left right... stop and shake hand because wrists hurting... left right left right  ;)  then I bought my little machine.
I didn't do any pauses but did milk quite fast.

Title: Re: Hand Milking...... How do you do it
Post by: Anke on August 28, 2014, 09:10:09 am

Actually most of the time on the machine, then strip out with one hand  on teat milking other holding the jug...

If I milk at a show I usually do this as well, as carpal tunnel syndrome means that it is easier if one hand has a rest holding the jug, while other hand milks. Especially if I have to milk more than one or two goats...