Milking area almost ready

[Blessings Farms]

 After almost a year we have our area almost ready. We designed a cable racket sytem
to raise and lower the deck for the cattle or goats. Using old time santion heads from
milking parlor with fold down bar for goats. Alot of metal and welding but whant it to
last. Sure hope it works well. We have been looking at a two gallon portable milking
unit has anyone used somthing like this ? Any info would be great.

[Deleted]

I milk. I use a delaval bucket milker. Post a link or picture to the ones that you are looking at so we know what kind you are talking about.
If you are talking about a belly milker I would pass on that.

[Blessings Farms]

Mike this may sound funny. We are looking at a cordless unit made by
Dansha Farms in Florida. Only thing is it seems alot of parts are from
china .
At this point 2 gallon plus a day is more than enough. We freze extra
in one gallon glass jars and this uses same.
I would like to use with my Dewalt 18 or 20 volt sytems we have now and
they are looking at that for us.
We realize the posible maint. on off brand but with cost low risk. If this
cost about 3 times I woul feel better but someone need to try and have had
good reviews so far.
I am a striaght forward tell you as it is guy so please be the same.

[Deleted]

not going to sugar coat it this is junk. Please do not use it or anything like it. You could make the same thing for 20 bucks.but you would not want to.
Milking is not as simple as just providing strait suction which is what this does. If it was this simple milking parlors would be cheep not 100s of thousands.
A milking machine squeezes and sucks and then then releases about once per second. Like a calf would. A trained milk cow or goat enjoys it once they get use to it. The google I found of this showed them trying to use this on a goat and one person was holding the goats back end and legs off of the ground. That is because it hurts and the goat is not going to accept it.

Teats are very tender and complex. strait suction will cause capillaries in the teat to pop this causes pain and scar tissue in the teat making them hard and harder to milk as the animal ages. Likely to cause mastitis do to the constant injuring of the tissue. 
There have many versions of this all are bad. 
this would be similar to what I have. www.ebay.com/itm/like/262034476627?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82
I think my pump is a half horse which I would say is the minimum for a single milker. 
there are a lot of milkers out there but you have to look. I would go for a refurbished one to save some money

[lakeportfarms]

Listen to what Mike says, Dave...

Your cows are too big of an investment for you to play around with anything that is less than 100% tried and true when it comes to their physical health, and as Mike says you want to simulate as closely as possible nature, and how a calf would nurse. I know the equipment can be expensive, but it, like your cows, is an investment and with regular basic maintenance will cost you far less in the long run because it it built to last. Please don't cut corners! Look around, and I'm sure Mike, with all his experience, can give you a lot of very good guidance if you find something that looks like it could be a good deal.

Hans

[Blessings Farms]

Thanks guys understand. Mike would this be similar to the Duval we used
years ago in the milking stalls ? Is your vacuum by stand our in a room
and piped and does cold weather effect it ? If I recall right the tank and
all mechanics were in heated room.
Your expelnation was good now I understand the look I get when hand
milking like what are you doing stop.

[Deleted]

same thing smaller scale.
many dairies also have and use these smaller single cow ones in case they need to milk one that can not get piped into the bulk tank. Like for one that has mastitis.
The only thing that stays outside is the pump and it is mounted to the top of my stanchion. The rest goes inside and cleaned up everyday. The only part that you do not clean is the pulsator that attaches to the top of the tank. I use a utility wagon like this www.kotulas.com/deals/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10602&storeId=10152&productId=45957&langId=-1&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=40-83596726-2&utm_source=google_pla&utm_medium=Outdoor-Living-Lawn-Garden&utm_content=46438
put the milker on it role it up next to the stanchion and hook up the vacume hose. the milker stays in the wagon while I milk so it is up off the ground. When done unhook the vacuum hose and pull it back to the house.
I stop milking by December So dont milk in sub zero but as the mornings get colder you do need to adjust the pulsator speed it will slow as it gets colder.  
 

[lonecowhand]

Hi Mike, The milker unit link on Ebay is only the unit , Dave will have to buy a pump as well , right? Any suggestions there?
Looks like some of those cheaper offers shown there bite you on high shipping,
Bill

[Deleted]

yep you would also need a pump. mine is a half horse vein stile pump. I would say that is the minimum. It does have to be a pump designed for milkers not just any vacuum pump. milker pumps are designed for high flow not high vacuum.  they are also designed to be run for long periods of time.