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Instruction Sheet from Maggidans Milker:

The Maggidans Milker makes it simple for anyone to milk nearly any type of livestock.  It is a great way to collect colostrum for emergency feeding or for freezing for later use.

High quality food grade and medical grade parts were used in the construction of this device.  Using this Milker is probably more sanitary than handmilking.  However, no claim of safety for human or animal consumption is made for the milk obtained by using this milker.  We recommend pasteurizing milk.  Please use your own discretion.

The 20 cc teat cup should easily fit any Pygmy or Nigerian Dwarf goats, some sheep and some regular meat or dairy goats.  A larger teat cup is available and can be easily substituted for milking sheep, dairy goats, llamas or horses.  Remove the plunger from the barrel of the 50 cc syringe.  Remove the small teat cup and the plastic fitting from the hose and press the hose directly onto the 50 cc barrel.  The teat should not completely fill the teat cup; it must be at least 1 inch from the bottom to keep from blocking the teat orifice.  If the teat cup is too narrow it can cut off the milk flow, use a teat cup of adequate size.  Overpumping and creating too much vacuum can potentially harm your doe.

To Use Your Milker:

Wash and dry the udder and teats.  If the doe is nursing kids it is sometimes helpful to hold one of the kids in front of her where she can nuzzle it to help her relax and let her milk down.  See the How to Handmilk instructions on the back of this sheet.  Hand milk one or two squirts out.  This clears the natural plug at the end of the teat.  Examine for stringiness, blood or clumps that may indicate mastitis.  Any method of milking takes practice.  Your results and the goat’s comfort with the procedure will get better every day.

    Figure 1                       Figure 2                       Figure 3                                        Figure 4

We use the pump set at the highest setting, 12.5 cc.  You may find that using a shorter stroke and being able to pump more often more comfortable for you and your doe.  If you are not using a Maggidans Milk Receptacle you will need a food grade container to hold the milk.  I recommend a container with a lid.  Hold the teat cup onto the teat firmly pressing upward and pump once or twice to establish vacuum and start the flow of milk. The teat will be drawn into the cup, the top of the cup should be against the udder and there should be at least 1 inch clearance at the bottom of the cup.  It is better to use a cup that is slightly too big than one that is too small.  The teat cup will stay on by itself once vacuum is made. See Figure 1.

Pump and release SLOWLY to maintain the flow of milk until it stops.  You can bump or gently massage the udder downward to encourage milk letdown until the udder is emptied, removing the teat cup temporarily may help too.  Do not over milk. There is no need to strip the udder, especially if the doe is nursing kids.  If you wish to extract all of the milk you will have to finish by hand stripping.  Press upward onto the udder with your thumb where it meets the teat cup to break the vacuum before removing it from the teat.  Do not pull it off without doing this.   See Figure 2.  Lastly, wipe off the teats and use a teat dip unless the doe is also nursing kids.

To Clean Your Milker:

Fill a 2 to 4 cup container with lukewarm water, place the teat cup opening into the water and pump to rinse out the Milker.  See Figure 3.

To wash, pump warm (not hot) soapy water through the Milker, dish detergent works well.  Thorough washing and rinsing is necessary to keep the tiny one-way valve in the tip working properly.

To disinfect, add ½ teaspoon bleach to 4 cups of warm water and pump that through the Milker.  More bleach is not better; it can harm the o-rings and plastic.

Finally, pump lukewarm water through to rinse, pumping to remove as much water as possible from the Milker.  Remove the clear barrel and set both pieces aside to dry.  Hanging in from the handle letting the tube and teat cup hang downward will promote better draining and drying.  It is recommended to completely dissemble and wash the milker at least once a week.  See Figure 4.  Do not try to remove the metal valve from the plastic barrel of the pump, it is glued in.   A drop of vegetable oil can be used to lubricate the piston o-ring, do not use mineral oil!  Allow to dry thoroughly, lubricate the piston o-ring and reassemble carefully before storing your milker.

If you suddenly lose vacuum this is most often due to a tiny hair or bit of milkstone holding the one of the valves open.  Hold both the teat cup and the nozzle end in soapy water and pump the handle several times. Then pull it out of the water and pump to see if normal function has been restored.  If not try it again. This will often dislodge the obstruction.  Now remove the clear barrel and thoroughly flush it in case the obstruction has been sucked back into the barrel just waiting to block the valve again.  If this doesn't do the trick, remove the clear barrel and look down inside it toward the nozzle end.  You will see 3 tiny holes; insert a toothpick through one of the holes and "work the valve" while flushing to dislodge the obstruction.

 HOW TO HAND MILK
From the Book Starting Right With Milk Goats by Helen Walsh

1) In milking follow the same routine at each milking. Be gentle. Strangers - and the family dog tend to make a doe "hold up her milk." Keep them out of the barn or milk room. After milk pail and wash pail are ready, be sure your hands are clean.

2) Wash the goat's udder in chlorinated warm water - from 120 - 130° F. The udder should be washed just before milking. Use a separate washrag for each goat.

3) Have a roll of paper towels handy to milking stand. Dry the goat's udder and your hands. Wet hands can cause a chapped udder –and worse.

4) Milk can run out of the teat into the pail or back into the udder. So first close your thumb and first finger so the milk cannot run back into the udder.

5) Next close your second finger­ and the milk should squirt out. Discard the first stream-it will be high in bacteria.

6) Close the third finger. Use a steady pressure. Don't jerk down.

7) Next close your little finger. . . squeeze with whole hand.

8) Now release the teat and let it fill up with milk.  Repeat the process with the other hand. . .

9). When the milk flow is near to stopping, nudge the bag to see if the doe has let down all her milk.

10) The final bit of milk may be stripped out. Take teat between thumb and first finger.

11) Now run down length of teat. Milk high in butter fat usually comes at end of milking. But prolonged stripping is bad for the teats and udder.

12) Strip cup: the first milk is milked into the strip cup. If the milk is "lumpy" it will not pass through the strainer.

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