I know this is off topic, but there are lots of different things talked about on here...

I have two registered brown swiss which I'm selling. Please send an email to mondovifarm at gmail.com to learn more about them.

They're pregnant. I lost my job and I need to sell them. But if they don't sell, and they do produce, I need to milk them. Anybody out there with SURGE stallcocks or SURGE surcingles to sell, please drop a line.

Thanks for your attention.

-John in Mondovi, Wisconsin

Aren't there a lot of Amish up in that area? You should be able to sell them to them for a house cow.

Here's a novel idea. Sell one cow and keep the other. Graze her and milk her by hand. Take some of the money from the sale of the one cow and buy a couple feeder pigs. With the milk of the one cow, skim it and churn the cream making butter to sell to the neighbors for some pocket cash. Take the skim milk and feed the calf and pigs along with some for the house. Grass, being summer, is cheap feed and plentiful. By fall you can have one pig butchered for yourself and the other sell. This way being out of work you'll have at least a small amount of cash to work with and some good food to eat as well.

Only two? Why the need for a milking machine? My unkle milked 40 by hand.

Too bad you don't live closer to Va. I'd be interested in one.

when they coming fresh. you could possibly raise four bottle calves at a time off one if she milks five gallons or more a day..let the calves suck her..three at a time..one on each side and one in the back..it is simple to break them to this..you can do this and have milk and butter for yourself also..we have raised nine in one year off our jersey cow who milks..usually five gallons a day..you keep the calves seperate and let them nurse twice a day..

Uh, they're registered, Amish don't buy registered and they don't pay the money for them. Their dam (five back) won many prizes in Iowa.

Why the milking stuff? Well, I already have the surge buckets, the barn has a vacuum pump, and now I've figured out I don't need the stallcocks, really, I bought a hose and now all it looks like is I need the surcingles. Why milk by hand when all you need is one more part? What if I'm sick? It'll be easier to get help if there's a machine. And what if this ever takes off and I want to sell the milk? You can't sell milk around here if it's collected in an open bucket, state law.

Well, thanks for the help, anyway.

That is, their dams, each one going five back, has won prizes. They should be worth something to someone somewhere... At least more than what the Amish pay at the auction which is held twice weekly... usually they give away the males after the auction is over, it's that bad.

I confess-I found a Surge vacuum pump for $20. Have enough line and 8 Surge milkers and straps and my dad's two Universal (McCormick) milkers.

I'm going to go to machine milking, even if I don't add to "the herd". Right hip hurt like the devil yesterday-had to have younger brother and oldest son help with chores and also help load/unload a mare from the trailer.

Might even add automatic waterers to the hen house and broiler barn.

Have a rather significant birthday coming up next Monday. I can't do what I did at 50 but would rather be able to do some of it in years to come. Going to pace myself.

"Why the milking stuff?" Because it would take a person longer to set up and wash up aferwards than it would to just milk by hand. A whole barn full, OK. But just a few, give me a break.

By the way, Amish do buy registered. They will pay the price they are worth, too. Good many show cattle these days don't put it in the pail. I know. I've spent over twenty years showing/fitting Holsteins and Guernsey all over the US and Canada.

Milk collected in an open bucket is called class B. Good many pounds of cheese is made from it as well as other products.

tiff-you are right about the time to rinse and clean milking equipment. Faster to milk by hand with just a few. But please refer to my post about aches and pains.

Actually, lots of Grade A milk is used for cheese and butter, etc. as there isn't enough Grade B milk available. Nothing wrong with "B" milk. Used to be in the old 10 gallon cans. Can also be in bulk now as no creamery takes cans anymore.

The quality of the milk depends on the producer. Not on the grade of milk set by USDA standards.