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Author Topic: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking  (Read 16144 times)

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« on: September 19, 2012, 05:57:48 pm »
My hands have been really agonising when I'm milking and I was hoping it would get better but it seems not. I saw the consultant yesterday and it seems likely that it's my Ehler's Danlos Syndrome that is causing the problem - basically my joints are hypermobile and dislocate really easily so my fingers are partially dislocating when I squeeze the teat. Milking is my quiet time away from the children and cuddling my lovely girl so I don't want to give it up but it is so flippin painful at the moment. Sorry for a whinge post but nobody I know in real life can understand why I am so upset at the prospect of stopping  :'(
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2012, 06:02:30 pm »
I have never heard of what you have got but it sounds awful. Is it likely to get any better?  If so perhaps someone could help you to milk for a while. If you think its only likely to get worse then you might need to come to terms with it and give up on the milking.
Would you be able to groom the goat instead?  At least that way she can still have a cuddle and you will get your quiet time.
Wishing you all the best
Sally
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2012, 06:20:30 pm »
Ooooh, cc - it's my Jersey, not a goat, that I milk but I absolutely understand how you feel.  My hands ache arthritically sometimes and I know it is only a matter of time before I can no longer do this by hand.  I'll keep going while it's physically possible because that 10-15 minutes in the morning is my favourite part of the day.  Just me and my girl, rhythmic swoosh swoosh into the bucket, she providing and me too, head on flank, reading each other and communicating in a way that only we two understand... priceless.

CC, jaykay will be along soon to remind us all about the device she uses to milk her goats - it's the nearest thing to handmilking without using your hands, and it's one of the things I will look into when eventually the pain and lack of mobility in my knuckles get the better of me.

Meanwhile, I presume there isn't some kind of elasticated glovey thing you could wear to keep your joints in their place?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2012, 07:06:19 pm »
CC and Sallyint, I fully sympathise, having arthritis that is making milking painful for me as well although, so far, it is only in one hand.  I have a friend who is doing the morning milking for me so I  only have to do once a day and I miss it. Milking builds up such a bond and I've been much closer to my girl since I started milking her last year.  My real dread is that I'll have to part with my girls.
 
It's so therapeutic too.  I have a friend with mental health issues and she sometimes rings to say that she's had a bad day so could she do the milking that evening.  She goes home feeling much better.

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2012, 07:19:53 pm »
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Yeh, my arthritis hurts when milking too.

Would one of the milking handpumps I use help you or would that be as bad with your fingers (Udderly Ez)

Otherwise, I'd take the suggestion of grooming her and taking the time between the two of you anyway.  :-*

wytsend

  • Joined Oct 2010
  • Okehampton
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2012, 07:33:04 pm »
I managed to get a milking machine off ebay several years ago........... asmall Fullwoodthat was quite old but has serviced up superbly.  Wouldn't be without it now.....it only cost £300.    I have arthritis in both hands so do understand the issues. 
The only thing that is necessary is to hand strip each goat if the machine doesn't clean completely......but stripping is very easy as the goat is still letting down.
I couldn't be without my girls so the machine is a godsend.

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2012, 08:08:13 pm »
I also have arthritis and I know the pain involved with milking , We have a machine but I still like the personal contact you get with your goats so for now I will continue to milk by hand but once the pain gets too bad I will have to start using the machine
Graham

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2012, 08:26:59 pm »
Do you have to be separate when using the machine?
I use the handmilker and I sit in the same position as for handmilking, with my head pressed into their side  ;D The plus side of the handmilker is it uses only one hand, leaving one for an arm round the goat and a stroke  :goat:

goosepimple

  • Joined May 2010
  • nr Lauder, Scottish Borders
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2012, 08:33:22 pm »
Oh, I've had hand milking on the brain recently, haven't done it before, but have got to that 'stage' in smallholding now, but for the arthritis too, just reading your thread Clydes made me wince - will check out Jaykays thingy as I feel like I would be starting to milk with my days numbered already....hope you find a solution...not looking forward to cold weather, stiffening up etc!  Is it something that could be curbed by these hand warmer type gloves you get? (sure the goat would bene  :goat: fit!)
registered soay, castlemilk moorit  and north ronaldsay sheep, pygmy goats, steinbacher geese, muscovy ducks, various hens, lots of visiting mallards, a naughty border collie, a puss and a couple of guinea pigs

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #9 on: September 19, 2012, 08:39:10 pm »
Thanks for all of the kind replies. Unfortunately it won't get any better which is why I feel so rubbish about it all. I am going to ask the occupational therapist about gloves to support the joints to see if they have anything but OT have been pretty useless so far. A proper milking machine would be great but they are so expensive.


Sorry for all of you suffering with arthritis that must be so sore  :hug:
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

goosepimple

  • Joined May 2010
  • nr Lauder, Scottish Borders
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2012, 08:52:29 pm »
Just checked out Jaykays suggestion - its a breast pump, just like you do with your own babies, easy peasy.
registered soay, castlemilk moorit  and north ronaldsay sheep, pygmy goats, steinbacher geese, muscovy ducks, various hens, lots of visiting mallards, a naughty border collie, a puss and a couple of guinea pigs

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2012, 09:09:45 pm »
We had to make that decision last year as my carpal tunnel syndrome (both hands) was making it impossible to hand milk more than one goat... but we did decide to dip into our savings and buy a new milking machine. I now milk five goats and hand-strip at the end (I milk record). Not only has it meant that I can still have my goats, take them to shows (I manage to do a couple by hand for a day or so, and now my daughters are also capable hand milkers), but I can also have a life where I can be away from the holding overnight, or even just have a normal night out... and OH does the milking (holidays are also possible, my farm sitters are happy to use the machine too).
So if you really want to continue milking some form of milking aid would be necessary, and for us the milking machine really has paid for itself in terms of peace of mind mainly.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2012, 09:20:23 pm »
The problem with milking machines is the price.  I've looked at the Udderly EZ but am not sure if my hand could cope with the pumping although I could do it left handed.  But even they are expensive.  I'm only milking one goat at the moment and it's a huge investment.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2012, 10:36:04 pm »
Well we decided that it would last us for the next 20 years or so (hopefully), and that swung it. I LOVE my milking machine.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Feeling low - I think I might have to give up milking
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2012, 10:42:59 pm »
I'll be in my eighties in 20 years so probably wouldn't still be keeping goats.   :roflanim:   I am on the look out for a second hand one.

 

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