Help? Two Goat milking questions...Nigerian Dwarfs

[chickylou]

We are soooo excited. We picked up our two pretty, but VERY SMELLY

Nigerian Dwarf milk maids today. I also got my first lesson in milking. I still need a bit of practice, I guess so we won't be drinking any of the milk for the next week or so until I get used to milking and I have all my equipment and questions answered. If you are knowledgeable about any of these, please, I'd appreciate your input.


1) Stainless Steel: On goat sites, they sell seamless stainless steel milk pails for close to $50 or more. When I went to Wal Mart today, I walked down an aisle that had stainless steel pots in small, medium and large for a LOT less. Is there some secret ingredient that makes the goat site ones more expensive? Can I use a small stainless steel pot with lid? or a bowl?

I also notice on the bottom of one it said, "Stainless Steel +Aluminum" would this not be acceptable for milking?

What do you all use for this purpose.

2) Milk Filters: I noticed they sell these filter pads. I was under the impression that all you need is a stripper cup with mesh wire. How do you use these? Do you milk into a cup and then just pour the milk on the filter pads into a mason jar?

Can anyone help me understand the process a little better?

Thanks so much. I'm sorry if I sound ignorant. Those are two pieces I'm not quite getting.

 

[ninny]

Nobody knows?

 

[helmstead]

I milk into Mason jars. Save your money, glass cleans just as well as stainless...but no...you can buy cheaper pails if the thought of shattering glass frightens you.

I use a metal hand strainer and coffee filters to filter my milk.

CONGRATS on your new goats!!

 

[lynlyr]

my neighbor uses an old coffee filter that sets in a funnel. the filter is the kind you can reuse. it all sets nicely into a mason jar. i am envious. would love to have a milk goat. good luck

 

[lynlyr]

sorry after she milks into a pail she filters. sometimes if the goat is rowdy she will hit the pail and send it flying,glass could break

 

[helmstead]

Quote:
Hobbles

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

I am SO getting hobbles on the first of the month. As for a milk receptacle, I use a plastic pail that was given to my kids (like the ones they use for making sand castles) and to strain I use old t-shirt material and strain 3 times.....

 

[PotterWatch]

I use a stainless steel milk pail. I bought a package from caprinesupply that included a pail, strip cup with a screen, a stainless steel strainer and 200 filters for it, and a can of fight bac spray. It cost me about $75 for that. I like having the pail because it has a handle that makes it easy to hang it on my garden fence while I get everything ready.

I don't want to use glass jars when I do milking (though I do strain my milk into glass jars for storage), because I do have a kicker. I use hobbles on her, but she still manages to swing a leg enough every once in a while and I'm sure it would send a glass jar flying. The pail is tall enough that my left hand keeps that leg from getting in the pail or sending it flying.

I like the strainer and filters that came with it as well. I may or may not buy a new pack of filters when I run out. I will have to see what the cost is compared to coffee filters. The strainer fits perfectly into my mason jars for pouring the milk. I don't think I would just use the screen on the strip cup as a strainer since occasionally little pieces of dirt get in the pail and I imagine dirt or a hair could pretty easily get through that screen...yuck!

 

[Skyesrocket]

I'm a one handed milker. What I like using is a mason jar mug. It looks like a canning jar, but has a handle and is used for a beer mug, I guess. I pour the milk off into a larger jar. Then, I strain through a coffee filter into jars.