What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters? (Cattle - Dairy)

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What can I use in place of those expensive milk filters for the milk strainer? Also, can I use baby wipes for washing the udder before and after milking or is it too cold or cause chaffing?

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), October 21, 2001

Answers

Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

Hi karen,

Yep, you can use those baby wipes, i use the anti bacterial ones. As for milk strainers, you could use anything from a sheet or pillow case cut up, coffee filters or old panty hose, I like the panty hose best myself. use them when i run out of strainers. hope this helps.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 21, 2001.


Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

the filters are not that expensive 7cents a peace if i remember right its been a long time ,i rinse mine thoughly after use and pop them in the freezer and then reuse them you cant realy wash them out because when they dry they spoil but by freezing the bacteria dont spoil the milk residue periodicly use a new one id be leary of using the wipes due to the perfume in them it could cause a off taste

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), October 21, 2001.

Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

You can filter the milk or not filter at all if you are using it only for yourself, but if anyone else drinks your milk, you morally should use the proper filters. I'd hate to think about the bacteria in old pantyhose! Gross! Pillow case? Only if washed in bleach. There's good reason for every state in the union to have strict laws on the production and handling of milk. It is an ideal breeding place for bacteria.

If you want to save money, don't use baby wipes! Mix up your own udder wash, put it in a spray bottle, and use cheap paper towels. Wet the paper towel with several squirts from the spray bottle and wipe down the udder. Use a fresh one for each doe to avoid spreading mastitis.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), October 21, 2001.


Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

I use the milk filters, which really aren't that expensive...here they come in boxes of 100 for $5.95. I also use baby wipes, but when I open a new box of them I add several "glugs" of dairy disinfectant. Works great for me!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), October 21, 2001.

Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

Gee Skip, NO...... thats why states have dairy laws? What a novel idea!!!!!!!!! Being Grade A we are bound to VERY strict laws and we adhere to them dearly, also we loose money if we have a high SSC. Now, I know this post sounds like I am blasting ya, well.... guess I am. But I want to mention, which I didn't in my earlier post that I assumed (Ok, assume means," make and a** out of you and me!") but that this was for home use. Otherwise I would not promote the use of pillowcases or panythose. When I first began straining milk yrs ago for our own use these were tips mentioned, why even Mary Jane Toth will say use pillowcases for straining the whey if you can't find cheesecloth in her book! And guess where I got those tips from????? Countryside Mag yrs ago!

Do ya think folks are smart enough to know they have to wash and bleach them? I sure would hope so, but then again...... theres the exception. Thanks for pointing out that there may be some who are not aware that you have to wash the pillowcases and pantyhose, excellent point!

Now, as for anitbacterial baby wipes, we never had an off taste to the milk when we used them, but that is OUR EXPERIENCE. Now we use special wipes for dairies.

Here is a homemade udder wash recipie. Ok, so now criticize this!

BABY WIPES 10 cup Container (ex: rubbermaid, w/lid) 1/2 roll of Bounty paper towels 2 Tablespoons of Baby Oil 2 Tablespoons of Baby Bath or Antibacterial Palmolive ( dishwashing liquid ) 2 cups of water Cut roll of paper towels in half, remove center cardboard, mix liquid ingredients, poor on top of paper towels. Each roll of towels makes 2 containers of wipes, which will last about 3 weeks. I have found that a heavy duty paper towels, works better like the brand, Bounty.

You can filter the milk or not filter at all if you are using it only for yourself, but if anyone else drinks your milk, you morally should use the proper filters. I'd hate to think about the bacteria in old pantyhose! Gross! Pillow case? Only if washed in bleach. There's good reason for every state in the union to have strict laws on the production and handling of milk. It is an ideal breeding place for bacteria. If you want to save money, don't use baby wipes! Mix up your own udder wash, put it in a spray bottle, and use cheap paper towels. Wet the paper towel with several squirts from the spray bottle and wipe down the udder. Use a fresh one for each doe to avoid spreading mastitis.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 21, 2001.



Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

to clean the udder before milking, if she's not very dirty, I brush her off with my hand, and then use a warm slightly wet terry wash cloth to wash her off. If when I get to the barn, I see that she has aimed her udder smack dab to lie in a manure plop,(which happens very rarely) I head back to the house for a bucket of warm soapy water and several more wash cloths, plus a dry one to dry her off. I made these terry wash cloths out of old towels, which I picked up for a song from a laundry service. They last a year, at least.

For straining the milk, I always use bounty towels. One towel folded in fourths and opened into a funnel down into the jar works well. I just fold the excess down around the edge, and hold the rim while pouring out of the bucket with the other hand. No other brand will work besides bounty. Of course, I always pitch the bounty towel after using. The towels cost a little over a penny a sheet. Storage of that roll of towels is also important. Have it up in a holder on the wall, to protect it from absorbing any spills on the countertop.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), October 21, 2001.


Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

I have seen the places folks milk their goats, and yes, a sanitary box of baby wipes is the best answer. After milking spraying the teats with about 10 sprays of water with a little Chlorox added, seals the teat and keeps out bacteria, while the doe finishs eating. Alot of the milking chores fall to kids, because goats are so easy to handle, having handy convienent things like this gets them used. Washrags in soapy water just moves bacteria from one goat to the next. I use the el cheapo onces from Wallmart or the dollar store, just no alchohol. But then of course we don't live in the freezing weather either! Also be very careful using udder butter/salves it can trap straph between the grease and udder! Papertowles unless in a container get dirty in the barn, shed, garage, carport and tent that most folks milk in. Yes some of you have nice air conditioned milk rooms, sparkling shiny stainless steel! I would die of asthma being in a room with the door closed with a goat! So its wet ones, and bleach water spray, when selling milk I walk each bucket as it fills to the house and strain it. I use stainless steel screens to strain my milk, my husband got me from a checmical plant. I do not have the patience to use papertowles or coffee filters for straining. A very well known cheese maker in Houston uses silk scarves, she is Muslim. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 21, 2001.

Response to What Do You Use For Milk Strainer Filters?

We use baby wipes, the same recipe as previously posted, for udder wash and for our new baby. We use milk filters to strain, but when we run out, we always grab a bounty paper towel.

-- Sheryl R. Clifton (BryrPatch35@aol.com), October 21, 2001.

Our Amish friends always used the bounty paper towels to strain their goat milk...

-- Joyce Dingman (FriendsPatterns@juno.com), October 21, 2001.

I use paper towels. I usually get those kind that are a tad longer than the regular ones, cut them in 1/4's and place one inside a small strainer. The strainer I have is a plastic one, I think I got at Wally World, and has a plastic screen. It has a handle like a spoon, and two prongs to hold it on top of whatever you are using it to strain into. It works great for the milk, and fits the top of a wide mouth gallon jug. As for udder wash, I use clorox and water. Wash cloth dipped in it... and in a reusable Tupperware Sippy cup and lid to dip teats in. I usually dont dip the udder... as they won't fit in the sippy cup. (Sorry, I couldn't resist)

-- Bear (BarelyKnow@aol.com), October 22, 2001.


Bear, not to pick but..if you dunk the teats of doe number one into the sippy cup, you put the cap on and anything from your hands and the does teats goes into the cup and sits on the mouth of the sippy cup. Now you milk doe number 2, she gets whatever doe number 1 had on her teat, because it accidentaly touches the outside of that cup, and doe number 3 etc. Teat dipping and using plastic which is uncleanable, in the milk room is going to bite you on the milk stand one day. That's why we spray, I have watched others milk, at shows and their barns and it simply isn't sanitary especially when you are rushed. Spray! And you never ever reuse a washcloth, because you dropped it, or counted wrong, or do you use the same wash cloth to wipe each udder, putting the dirty rag into the dirty water...........see what I mean? Wet ones! Have you seen the really cool loop sparyers that spray in all directions around a circle sprayer, they even have holsters for them you can wear in the milkroom! Hoard's Dairyman Magazine has ads for the REAL wet ones made for cattle as prewash individual towles. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 22, 2001.

Good pointers Vicky. I have visited too many people that do dip the teats and it seems like they always have someone with mastitis. We use a spray and individual paper towels (or individual whatever you choose to use) and have never had a problem and typically have SCC under 10.

-- Leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), October 22, 2001.

Re straining: Are there chemicals in paper towels to make it absorbant or inks from the printed varieties? Should we be concerned that this would leach into our milk when we're straining?

Re baby wipes: We use unscented baby wipes to clean teats before milking. I buy them at BJ's wholesale and it is 8.99 per case. I think it's 480 wipes. That's less than 2¢ per wipe. Just have to remember to bring the box into the house during the winter so they don't freeze. We also use FightBac antibacterial teat spray after milking. I've only had a mastitis problem 2 times in 5 years. Also have to remember not to let the can freeze.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), October 22, 2001.


I bring a bucket of warm, slightly soapy, water to wash the udder. I milk only one cow. I cut a new cotton baby diaper into fourths to use as a strainer. Hand wash with anti-bacterial soap and line dry between use. {the cloth, not the udder}

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), October 27, 2001.

Karen, As former dairy farmer and herdsman, as well as someone who's kept dairy animals on a homestead level, I recommend to err on the side of caution. Commercial strainers are not that expensive from the local feedstore or catalog though the shipping will probably make the store mor economical). This is milk we're talking about; the idea of someone straining it through their old socks doesn't help public impressions of dairy products or home raised foodstuffs. I also recommend that you wash the udder with a warm solution of water and disinfectant reccomended for the purpose. Teats should be dried with a single service paper towel. If your'e concerned about cost, get really cheap towels. even regular roll towels will serve the purpose. After milking, you should dip or preferably spray the teats, making sure that if you treat more than one animal, there is no contamination from one to another. Please note these are not expensive things to do; you shouldn't skimp on the safety of products intended for human consumption as well as the well-being of your animals. You have a great investment in your family as well as your cows or goats.

-- Phil Wolf (wolf@surfglobal.net), October 28, 2001.


You know I am really impressed with a few of the replies to this question, didn't realize there were so many "experts" out there on this. Impressive. Too bad that 2 can't comprehend what they read! Yes, I am being fecious and punchy, but geeze, I am so tired of others insulting folks.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 28, 2001.

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