# Thinking out loud - home made milk pumps



## golden (Aug 16, 2008)

Hello, all. My girls are due to kid next month and I've been thinking about making a home made milk pump. I found the following design, and am thinking of modifying it: Goat Milking Hand Pump | GardenPool.org

First, I don't like the fact that the milk goes through those tiny tubes - seems like they would be impossible to keep clean. Also, the 'cup' that goes onto the teat seems like it would be uncomfortable. I'm thinking there may be a way to modify this design with the breast shields they make for women, but am having a hard time making it work in my head. Has anyone here done something like this? Thanks in advance.

Melissa


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## gunsmithgirl (Sep 28, 2003)

My homemade pump is kinda like that one. I bought a $32 vacuum pump from auto zone and the vacuum lines on mine are the same as the one you linked to. I just clean mine out right after milking and run dairy sanitizer through them. I use a 35cc catheter tip syringe for the teat cup. (my goats are Nigerian dwarfs if you are milking bigger goats you may need a 60cc syringe) and it works great.


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## bbbuddy (Jul 29, 2002)

I have milked with a maggidans milker for years, but every 1.5 years or so the spring in the handle would break, not fixable. I got tired of replacing, so bought a milker similar to the one you showed off ebay for $69.00

It came with very stiff large tubing that I suspect was purchased at a home Depot or Lowes. Hate it as it is, so I have ordered replacement tubing from maggidans.com.

Since I have so many years with maggidans, it's gonna take some getting used to this type. It is definitely slower than the maggidans, I could hand milk just as fast if the durned teats were bigger, but if I try to hand milk when the udder is full I get milk dripping down the side of my hand from the short teats. 
After this new milker gets a bunch of the milk out I end up hand milking the rest.

I prefer the maggidans overall, except for the spring breaking.

If the automotive pump breaks too, i will go back to the maggidans.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

You can get replacement tubing of any size at a good hardware store.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

$10 goat milker

Combine Simple Items to Make a Milker for Under $10! by Hughlene Dunn from the July/August, 2007 issue of Dairy Goat Journal. Presenting information, ideas, and insights for everyone who raises, manages, or just loves goats.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)




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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Henry Milker | Goat Milker | Goat Milking Machine


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> $10 goat milker
> 
> Combine Simple Items to Make a Milker for Under $10! by Hughlene Dunn from the July/August, 2007 issue of Dairy Goat Journal. Presenting information, ideas, and insights for everyone who raises, manages, or just loves goats.


I actually made one of these myself it is very simple and still have it as a backup pump for when my maggidan's gives me trouble. Maggidan's milks nice and quick which I like.

With the gardenpool one I thought the "cup" was to large for the teet size and it did seem kinda slow. 
Maggidans Milker


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## bbbuddy (Jul 29, 2002)

Alice, the spring in that milker you made will break, it's the same type spring as the maggidans.

I got new tubing from maggidans, it's soft and flexible as spaghetti noodles, makes the Henry's type milker much nicer. Still nowhere as fast as the maggidans, but if it lasts rather than "almost scheduled" breaking I'm good with that.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Never had one break.  I guess everything *might* break at some point. Just not my experience.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

If you use breast shield for humans, and the does teats are normal sized, you have to use the XL or XXL (30mm and 36mm) to fit, or else the teat gets sucked down into the tubing.

Tried that using a human breast pump. Didn't work so well.


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