# milking sheep?



## Bytheyard (Mar 6, 2015)

I have two East Friesans that I have been milking for 3 weeks. This is their first season being milked and my first time to milk anything. My first go round at hand milking was laughable. I have watched youtube videos for hand milking sheep and me trying to milk them from behind hasn't went terribly great. SOOO...I built a milker. You know, the one with the fresh saver food saver. It worked okay, but it needs to be tweaked. SOOO...we bought an Udderly EZ hand milker. I thought it would be my saving grace.But I have honestly been dissappointed in it. I still have to hand milk them out. And I am okay with that. But it seems to leave quite a bit in there to hand milk. I have gotten pretty good at hand milking, but i have to do it one teat at a time so it takes longer. The ewes get agitated with so I do put hobbles on them. It takes me about an hour to milk the sheep. And I need to cut my time down. I think the one I built gets more milk out but you have to fidget with it the whole time so like I said it needs tweaking. Has anyone built one and can share your secrets? Or thoughts on the EZ milker? I am posting this in the sheep section too. Thanks!


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Sorry, I can not help you really with the milkers. I did build my kids a food saver milker last year to get them started, but I seen it as a starter milker and now will buy them a real one. Did not really have any real issues with it working though? I am intrigued with the whole idea of milking sheep, just never had any experience with milk sheep. The meat sheep I got are wild as deer, so I am not really sure how the milking deal works unless there are some very tame ones I just ain't got yet?


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

What does yours look like? I have one made with a mason jar and the food saver pump and it works well. You do still have to finish by hand as the teats kind of "deflate" when they are almost empty and you can't get the syringe to keep suction. I honestly can't tell you how long it takes me as I have a first freshener that doesn't like being milked and a second year freshener that I have to put a hobble on to remind her to stand still. Just have to put it on one leg, not hooked to anything and she will stand. Without it she is as bad as the first year girl.:facepalm:


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