# One cow milking machine question



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

Hi, I am wondering if someone can point me in the direction of those small milking machines for one cow? I have my Jersey that will freshen in August, and I am the only one in the family that is physically able to milk her. I am thinking with carpel tunnel this might prove difficult. I was wondering if anyone uses those small milking machines and what do they cost?

Thanks!


----------



## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Could you explain a little more??...Are you looking for an electrical/vacuum milker, or a manual hand operated one?

Build your own Milking machine


----------



## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

I have Delaval, bucket milker. It has a pump that makes the vacume and the I run a vacume lime to the bucket and it runs a pulsator, the two lines come from the bucket to the claw, one is for the milk to return to the bucket and the other is the vacume that comes from the pulsator. I paid $800 used about 8 years ago. I have since seen them cheaper but I had never seen one before so I scooped it up! 

To clean it I have the Delaval cleaning product (I cannot remember the name of it right now) I mix the powder in a bucket of hot water, suck it up through the system, then suck a bucket of clean water to rinse any soapy residue out. Once a week I take everything apart and give all the little bits a good scrub and put them through the dishwasher.


----------



## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

I have also ordered things from this site, it is manly for goats but you can easily adapt anything for cows!

www.hoeggergoatsupply.com


----------



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

Adron said:


> Could you explain a little more??...Are you looking for an electrical/vacuum milker, or a manual hand operated one?


I am sorry I wasn't very clear. I meant an electric/vacuum milker. : )


----------



## Onthebit (Dec 3, 2008)

www.portablemilkers.com is where i ordered mine from. 750$USD all rebuilt and he will modify to suit. There is also one rebuilt on Ebay. about same price


----------



## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

When I milked my Jersey/Red Angus cross, I used a Surge Belly Milker, yep that's really the name. The bucket hangs around the cow's middle attached to a belt. Here is an illustration. It doesn't show the vacuum pump.








It helped that DH had used milkers when he was a kid on the farm. He helped me get the pressure right.


----------



## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Be careful about the guy on e-bay selling milking machines. My folks ordered one, and within a couple weeks we were having trouble with it. The guy wouldn't answer any e-mails about the machine. They took it to a local man who repairs pumps, and he said it was junk. So they were out $650.

Also, check with your department of agriculture and see if they put out a classified paper. Ours puts one out about every 2 week. That is where I found mine, so I was able to try it before I bought it. There are usually alot of good deals in there on livestock and equipment.


----------



## George in NH (Jun 24, 2002)

I got mine from a man on Ebay; it works great. It sure beats milking by hand.


----------



## Onthebit (Dec 3, 2008)

well, I ordered my surge belly milker from www.portablemilkers.com I ordered it on Friday and it was here today! yippee....but my cow didn't have a calf yet. It looks great and well worth the money. I am very happy with the service i got and the booklet that comes with it tells exactly how to use it and maintain it and he also sells parts.

Oh yes and he made some changes so I can use it on Dexter cows. He is very willing to make it work for you!


----------



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

linn said:


> When I milked my Jersey/Red Angus cross, I used a Surge Belly Milker, yep that's really the name. The bucket hangs around the cow's middle attached to a belt. Here is an illustration. It doesn't show the vacuum pump.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for telling me what has worked for you. We had our Jersey AI this Fall from a Jersey bull. I do love the look of those Red Angus. There is one that lives down the road from us, and she is a pretty cow. She has had two calves since we have lived here and they grow so fast! Her first one was a heifer and last years was a bull. He sure was pretty! I was thinking of next time breeding our Jersey to that Red Angus bull.


----------



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

Onthebit said:


> well, I ordered my surge belly milker from www.portablemilkers.com I ordered it on Friday and it was here today! yippee....but my cow didn't have a calf yet. It looks great and well worth the money. I am very happy with the service i got and the booklet that comes with it tells exactly how to use it and maintain it and he also sells parts.
> 
> Oh yes and he made some changes so I can use it on Dexter cows. He is very willing to make it work for you!


That is great! Now just to wait until your cow freshens.....


----------



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

Oakshire_Farm said:


> I have Delaval, bucket milker. It has a pump that makes the vacume and the I run a vacume lime to the bucket and it runs a pulsator, the two lines come from the bucket to the claw, one is for the milk to return to the bucket and the other is the vacume that comes from the pulsator. I paid $800 used about 8 years ago. I have since seen them cheaper but I had never seen one before so I scooped it up!
> 
> To clean it I have the Delaval cleaning product (I cannot remember the name of it right now) I mix the powder in a bucket of hot water, suck it up through the system, then suck a bucket of clean water to rinse any soapy residue out. Once a week I take everything apart and give all the little bits a good scrub and put them through the dishwasher.


Sounds like a good one! I like things that are easy to use and clean.


----------



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

Farmmom and George in NH, thanks for telling me your experiences with ebay. I was just looking at this one on ebay this morning. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=230207180569

Was this the person either of you dealt with?


----------



## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Happyfarmwife said:


> Farmmom and George in NH, thanks for telling me your experiences with ebay. I was just looking at this one on ebay this morning. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=230207180569
> 
> Was this the person either of you dealt with?


No, this is not the one we had trouble with. This looks like a very nice machine.


----------



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

Thanks for letting me know this wasn't the one you had dealings with, Farmmom.


----------



## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

Caprine Supply, www.caprinesupply.com, also has small milkers designed for goats, but you could easily use them for a cow or two.


----------



## Happyfarmwife (Aug 3, 2004)

Thanks for the link tyusclan!


----------

