# Home dairy kit shopping list?



## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

I just realized how quickly my little Belmont heifer's pregnancy is progressing and with a sudden shock, it occurred to me that while I bought this cow to milk, and she will be milkable pretty soon, that I need to gather some things to handle and process this milk! :teehee:

I'd love suggestions on equipment experienced home dairy maids/men think I need and where to get it. 
In other words, I need advice for a "starter kit". 

I believe I need buckets, a secure halter to cross tie the cow, cheesecloth (in what quantity should I buy it??), bag balm for her udder, and any supplies I need to hold or process milk, cream, yogurt, butter and beginner level cheeses. 
I'd also appreciate tips for reasonable places to buy these items.


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## Lorelai (Oct 25, 2010)

Hmmm, well, I'm not a super experienced dairy maid, but I've been milking for awhile now (goats), and here are some things we keep on hand (your needs may vary slightly, because we have goats): a stainless steel milking pail, udder spray (to prevent mastitis, etc), a healthy supply of clean wash cloths for washing the udder before milking, a stanchion, healthy supply of half gallon Ball mason jars (I've found that Ace Hardware is the best place to purchase these, they will do free site to store if your local store doesn't stock them), plastic lids to fit your wide mouth half gallon jars, extra fridge? Not even joking about the fridge. I'm in the process of cleaning one out as we speak. We got it free, but I'm so happy to have the extra space for my milk projects, and I'm only getting ~2 gallons per day, I can't even imagine what my fridge would look like if I had a cow right now! I'll use it for other things, too, but primarily for milk and milk by products, so it's not taking up so much space in our primary fridge. Oh, and I just went to the fabric store and bought four feet of unbleached muslin (44" width), which I then cut into four equal sized pieces for cheese and yogurt straining - it's working well so far as an alternative to cheesecloth.

Probably would also be good to have some plans already in place for what you want to do with your milk, so if you want to make cheese, I'd order some rennet. I personally ordered from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, because I could get rennet with minimal additives. They have a lot of information and kits available as well, if you want to go that route. Online seems like the way to go when it comes to ordering this sort of thing. Do you have an automatic milker, or do you plan to hand milk? 

Hopefully someone else can recommend a good cheesemaking book... personally, I like _The Home Creamery_. An ice cream maker, or a good blender, might not also be a bad idea, because homemade ice cream is absolutely delicious.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I hope your cow is already broke to hand milk..mine was broke to be tied to the manger buy a short rope with a snapto the halter i'v got a antque milk strainer with a fine brass screen in the bottom it fits great on top of a widemouth canning jar .but I have used a clean terry cloth in a plastic funnel as well..my stainless steel seamless milkbucket 2:: and 1/2 gal. Size and a small plastic bucket with some dish wast in warm water and a wash cloth .I put the cows grain ration in the manger in yhe cow barn and turn the cow in I don't need to snap the up as she knows the routine buy now .I let the calf suck on the left side while I clean and milk on the right I'll get about 1 gal or a little less in the morning and 1/2- 3/4 in the evining I run into the house strain the milk in to either a 1/2 gallon canning jar or I have some of the big glass pickel jars that hold almost a gallon .I have a ice tea jar with a spicket on the bottom I use to save up cream for butter of ice cream the cream floats on top and I can drain off the skim milk throuhh the spicket.now I go back and let the cow out to pasture leaving the calf in the barn or as he gets older a bigger barn lot .the cow will'go and graze with the beef cows and return to the barn like clockwork .once they get the routine down .now reapete  but as the calf gets older if I need to leave towon for a few days I can just turn the calf out and let him have all the milk.but the easy to clean bucket and strainer and a good cold refridgeerator you don't need a bunch of chemical cleaners just rince and wash these things immeadeatly to keep them spotless and have a peg or nail in the wall to air dry these things .


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