Post by Rhein-O-Ranch on Feb 16, 2010 12:59:22 GMT -5
I have had several requests for pics of my milking setup.
Here are 5 pics of my setup from this morning. The nicest thing I like about it is that I can go out to my workup pen and milk an unruly or first time cow in the head gate.
Notice that we are using our show grooming chute for a head stanchion. Of course when we bought the chute we never dreamed that it would come in so handy or that we would be milking.... ;D One of the fun things about life on the farm is that you just never know what is around the next corner.
This is Bessie our Holstein. She is on her first lactation and is due in July. We AI'd her to a Jersey bull so she would have a nice small calf and hopefully we will get a heifer that will also be a nice milker one of these days.
This is the setup with the surge tank and pulsator in the wagon and the hoses going to the claws. There seems to be enough weight with this to pull down on the teats. I have been milking her this way for 6+ months now and we have had no problems. Hopefully I didn't just jinx her...LOL
Another view showing the vacuum pump and connection to the pulsator. Note the green valves close to the claws. These serve as valves and unions to join the 2 different types of hoses.
A little different view.
And a close up.
I got my machine setup to milk goats with the silicone goat inflations. I bought 2 surge setups off of Ebay. And the second one had the regular surge claws with it. So when I started milking I liked the idea of the hoses. Of course I didn't get a belly strap with any of the units that I got. So I combined the 2. The only improvement I will make is to get silicone hoses when these wear out. They stay flexible in the cold and are a lot easier to keep clean.
We carry the unit into the garage and put it into the shower and clean it out with a solution of dish detergent and chlorine bleach. The telephone shower head makes it easy to clean. Just rinse the outsides good and then hold it tight over the top of the inflations and let the water flush out the hoses. When the inside of the hoses start to build up gunk I got a cable brush from Hamby Dairy Supply to run thru the tubes. This really works great. We take a wash rag and clean the inside of the tank.
I hope this answers all Q's. If not I will try and answer any more.
Allen
Here are 5 pics of my setup from this morning. The nicest thing I like about it is that I can go out to my workup pen and milk an unruly or first time cow in the head gate.
Notice that we are using our show grooming chute for a head stanchion. Of course when we bought the chute we never dreamed that it would come in so handy or that we would be milking.... ;D One of the fun things about life on the farm is that you just never know what is around the next corner.
This is Bessie our Holstein. She is on her first lactation and is due in July. We AI'd her to a Jersey bull so she would have a nice small calf and hopefully we will get a heifer that will also be a nice milker one of these days.
This is the setup with the surge tank and pulsator in the wagon and the hoses going to the claws. There seems to be enough weight with this to pull down on the teats. I have been milking her this way for 6+ months now and we have had no problems. Hopefully I didn't just jinx her...LOL
Another view showing the vacuum pump and connection to the pulsator. Note the green valves close to the claws. These serve as valves and unions to join the 2 different types of hoses.
A little different view.
And a close up.
I got my machine setup to milk goats with the silicone goat inflations. I bought 2 surge setups off of Ebay. And the second one had the regular surge claws with it. So when I started milking I liked the idea of the hoses. Of course I didn't get a belly strap with any of the units that I got. So I combined the 2. The only improvement I will make is to get silicone hoses when these wear out. They stay flexible in the cold and are a lot easier to keep clean.
We carry the unit into the garage and put it into the shower and clean it out with a solution of dish detergent and chlorine bleach. The telephone shower head makes it easy to clean. Just rinse the outsides good and then hold it tight over the top of the inflations and let the water flush out the hoses. When the inside of the hoses start to build up gunk I got a cable brush from Hamby Dairy Supply to run thru the tubes. This really works great. We take a wash rag and clean the inside of the tank.
I hope this answers all Q's. If not I will try and answer any more.
Allen