Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Dairy Equipment ... where to source ?  (Read 1817 times)

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
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Dairy Equipment ... where to source ?
« on: April 23, 2018, 03:45:21 pm »
Hi

Soon to be a newby goat milker :)

Where do you get your small scale dairying equipment?

Do you pasturise your milk before drinking?

What do you use to sterilise your kit? .... and a million other questions!

I am used to milking cows in a parlour and occasionally by hand but feel I need to find out more about how people deal with milk for the house small scale.
Linda

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fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Dairy Equipment ... where to source ?
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2018, 09:05:01 pm »
Personally I got everything (except teat wipes - that's usually mole valley farmers or wherever else I am buying other equipment etc from when I need a top up, they last ages!) from the local bargain/pound shop.
I have a couple of plastic buckets to milk into, about 5 litres, anything bigger is hard to fit under a goat! So I can alternate which one is being used, and usually use the other one to fill with Milton sterilising liquid - the one for babies bottles. Then I use Terry cloth/muslin and a funnel to strain the milk into a plastic container with a lid - flip or screw top - I have a few different ones now, depending on what the shop has at the time.
Then I rinse everything thoroughly with hot water, squeeze out the straining cloth and soak it all in the Milton.
I drink it raw as I'm happy that I'm milking healthy goats and don't feel the need to pasteurise.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Dairy Equipment ... where to source ?
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2018, 10:19:49 pm »
I do have a stainless steel milking pail but used an ordinary jug and sieve, lined with muslin, for straining the milk. All go in the dish washer. I've always saved plastic milk bottles, well washed, to store/freeze it in and always raw. Pasteurising kills the good bacteria as well as bad. Unfortunately, now I've given up milking, drinking raw milk has spoiled my taste for shop goats' milk.


I preferred hand milking but do have a small one goat machine which I need to sell at some time. I also have a milk separator to sell. And the bucket.

Flump74

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Ceredigion
Re: Dairy Equipment ... where to source ?
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2018, 07:09:57 am »

I have a stainless steel ray meats style Billy can that I use for milking. Just because I had one, but it turned out to be a god send When I was learning as it has an extra little pan in the top that I could milk into and then transfer to the big can so i didn't spill it all if she fidgeted! It also has a lockable lid which proved handy too.

I don't think it will be big enough this year though as I should have 2 to milk once the kids have weaned!

I also drink it raw. I have  stainless steel funnel and use muslin to strain. Washing everything out with very hot /boiling water.

And I have some glass bottles that I use in the fridge, and washed out plastic ones for freezing any extra.

Oh and I have a lovely milking stand that a friend made me. It's a solid as they come, which was absolutely necessary when I was trying to milk my Boer cross previously. She was like Michael Flatley on acid!


Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Dairy Equipment ... where to source ?
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2018, 09:30:30 am »

White food-grade plastic buckets with snap-on lids a 5ltr one for milking into and weighing on hanging scales, a big 10ltr one to carry everyone's milk up to the house. Needs lid so no rain etc goes into it. Also much lighter than stainless steel and not as clonky/loud. I machine milk and strip out by hand. Milking stand - home made by OH, using a rough plan from Fiascofarm website. Strained through 8 inch milk filters (from Goat Nutrition) folded into a conical stainless steel strainer/sieve. All washed out wiht hot water and Ecover, occasionally put through the dishwasher. For storage  use 2ltr plastic jugs that Ikea used to sell, don't think they do them anymore.


I don't use Milton, except on the lid/tubes and cluster from the machine once a fortnight or so.

 

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