[Lesley Silvester]

I'm starting to get arthritis in my right hand and it's not much fun milking with that hand.  I seem to remember that someone had a post a while back about a hand operated milking thingy which was consideraqble cheaper than a milking machine.  Can anyone remember?

[tizaala]

And the difference between squeezing a lever and squeezing a tit is---? The point I'm trying to make is that you still have to use your hand,  I know there is an electric  machine like mine sitting under a work bench in Welshpool , It won't be expensive . PM me your phone number and I'll call you back with the details.

[jaykay]

I use the Udderly Ez hand milking thing.

It requires quite a strong 'grip' to squeeze the handle. But it's more a whole hand movement that doesn't cause me pain whereas the smaller finger movements do to actually hand milk. I suppose it depends where your arthritis is!

[clydesdaleclopper]

I'd be interested to know more as my hands are terrible at the moment and milking is agonising 

[jaykay]

If you can squeeze a tennis ball then I think you'd be ok with the Udderly Ez hand pump. If that hurts, then I think squeezing the handle of the pump would too. As I said, I'm ok with it when my fingers and thumb hurt so much I can't hand milk.

Has additional advantages in that it doesn't get kicked over, the bottles are sealed so no filtering the milk and they can go straight into the fridge/freezer. Plus one of my goats has silly little teats which made hand milking really difficult but is fine with the pump.

[jinglejoys]

I can't milk by hand but can with the EZ(by the way JayKay any ideas where to get extra bottles in this country the postage alone from America is £23! ) I thought I could get away with using a lamb bottle but the threads are slightly differant.

[Lesley Silvester]

Thank you.  I remember watching the video now.  I wouldn't be able to squeeze it with my right hand but need to try the tennis ball with my left hand.  No arthritis in my left knuckles but some starting in my left wrist.  Strange as it may seem, I find it less painful reaching through to the far side with my left hand and using my right hand on the nearer teat.  There's no way I can use both hands at the same time but I need to be ready to whip the bucket away as she is not keen on having one teat milked.
Tizaala, I've pm'd you.
 
My big dread is that I will have to rehome my goats as I can do so little now.  Fortunately I have a very good friend who milks once a day, sweeps the yard occasionally and, with her OH, mucks out fortnightly for me.  That, together with  my OH mixing feeds and carrying buckets (and this is the man who really would rather we didn't keep goats) keeps us going.

[jaykay]

Well, I got the bits to repair my pump (I dropped it  ) from

www.horserequisites.co.uk who are in Newmarket. 01638 664619  [email protected]

so they'd be my first port of call.

[jinglejoys]

Thanks I looked at their web but thought they only sold the complete set but I see they do sell spares so will ask

[jaykay]

Come back if not, I did have another UK contact but would have to root around for it.

[Penninehillbilly]

Come back if not, I did have another UK contact but would have to root around for it.

Hi JK (or anyone) If I buy the milker form the horse place, can I buy the inserts in the UK or do you have to send to America for them? keep forgetting to ring the horse (requisites?) co.

[Joseph]

Hi there, I bought my goat Udderly EZ from an agent of Udderly who sold all the goat parts and bottles back in 2010. 
His name was David and the number was 01525 375157
07949 575339. I don't know if he still sells their stuff though. I resold mine on eBay pretty quickly, I didn't really get on well with it. 

[jaykay]

That's the other contact Joseph, well done 

I don't know PHB, I bought mine in 2008 direct from America as there were no agents here then. But as Joseph says, David did the whole goat package. Worth talking to the two dealers here I guess?

[jinglejoys]

Dave rings a bell did he sell driving harness etc as well?

[Penninehillbilly]

Thanks all