# HELp..sore milkers hands,carpal tunnel??



## janette (Jan 27, 2010)

I have been milking for 4weeks now. A ff with teats about 1 1/2 " long. Using my thumb,and index and middle finger.I am getting the worst pain in the palm of my hand. I don't know if I can keep milking :sniffle It takes me at about 25 minutes to milk her. I have to keep switching hands, switching from teat to teat.... anyone have any advice, I can't afford a milking machine right now. God bless her she is being so patient with me probably the best FF in the world, I hate to give up :help2


----------



## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

Janette, 

don't have any advice, just sympathy  I have one of those but the udder looks very promising for next freshening and that's what I keep telling myself. It doesnt' take me anywhere near 25 minutes but I hear on you the cat size teats, especially if they don't point straight down for you. 

I do her at the beginnign of my milking line and end up with my easiest milker as my hands are tired by then. I found that milking each side separately (and yes, switching hands) is best and that it does get a little easier after the udder is not so tight and I can milk higher on the udder. Try different angles, different sides to milk her from. 

I ended up just taking a quart size jar that I hold way up below the teat and milk each teat into it and I can squirt at different directions as the jar is right there. I recruit a kid to help if needed to hold the jar. I found it easier to grab the teat right at the udder, tilt it some sideways and then squeeze, thsi way I am utilitizing more of my hand than just the fingers, that's torture. 

Jana


----------



## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

I take an alleve before I milk and use a lotion with eucalyptus in it on my hands. My hands do not hurt as much this year as last year. My pain is in my knuckles.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Sell her. There are simply way to many nice bloodlines with large teats to perpetuate this in you herd. Her daughters will have the same teats and their daughters, cut your losses now. Wild goats you can't catch, does with poor milkstand manners, little tiny teats they will make you want to get out of goats. Vicki


----------



## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

For your hands I would recommend stretching. Google carpel tunnel stretches and hand stretches.


----------



## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

A rachet ball. And Aleve. I start using the rachet ball about a month before the first doe is due. I use it four times a day for five minutes. Then the muscles in my hands are used to the squeezing movements. Tam


----------



## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

If it is carpal tunnel, it will wake you up at night with your thumb and first 3 fingers numb and pain shooting up your arm. If just sore hands, you will get past that with time as your hands strengthen. If CT, you can minimize those night wakings with wrist braces (sold at Walgreens, etc. specifically made for CT--Thak you LeeAnne for sharing that with me!) and eating less sugar, salt, and not eating too late in the evening (so your body has more time to process things without the swelling at night). We moved to a milk machine for my CT. I have found, though, that what is seen as "easy to milk teats"--big and long that you can wrap your whole hand around--are actually tougher on my CT than those tiny teats because it takes a greater range of motion to squeeze them out. So, before you chuck the goat, explore a little bit to see if big teats are better for you, if it's true CT, or if you just need a little time to gain strength. Also if CT, you will probably always experience some of it even if machine milking because you have to strip by hand, hoof trimming, etc. Janette, I hope it's just sore hands and you grow through it!


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Taking Aleve everyday for 10 months or year round? That can't be good for you. Vicki


----------



## janette (Jan 27, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the support and advice. I think I will toughen it out for awhile longer. The pain is not as bad now as the 2nd week, she is such a nice goat I try it for a few more weeks. Stretching sound like a good idea.


----------



## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

When mine were hurting (actually more like cramping in my arm, an annoying nerve sensation). Mom gave me some herbs for it and it went away. It's a mix of "Comfrey root, Oak Bark, Gravel Root, Mullein Leaf, Marshmallow Root, Black Walnut Hulls, Wormwood, Skullcap, Lobelia, Calendula Flowers, Slippery Elm." 

Man it's great stuff. I'll use it to keep from getting sore or if my knees start hurting.


----------



## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Well, here is how I solved that problem. I starrted buying the parts for a milk machine a little at a time. In a year I had everything I needed and put it all together and off we go to machine milking.

I was having some serious joint pain milking a high producing doe with smaller teats and smaller orifices. But the machine milks her easily. Now my easy milker with the large teats and huge orifices can't be milked with the machine very well but she is so easy to milk. Now genetics. Her daughter freshened with little teeny tiny teats. Without the machine I would be milking with one finger and my thumb.

I feel for you though since I hand milked for many many years.


----------



## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

As you get through milking her and over time, her teats will lengthen and you hand will get stronger. By this time next year, you will be good to go; you will have the strength and experience to get through the next FF with small teats. I had a doe a couple years ago where I had to do the same as you, except what I found easier was to milk with with my last three fingers and rest the index and thumb up on the udder. It was less painful for both of us and she milked out faster. This girl was milking over a gallon too. Now, this doe is one of my best producers. Take your doe and breed her to a buck for the mammary qualities you need to improve on her.


----------



## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

Have you thought about one of those pump style EZ Milkers? I think it would be around a 150.00 investment but may be worth it. From what I've read about I think it can be pumped a few times and it builds up pressure so there is not a continual pumping action needed.


----------



## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

janette, I FEEL your PAIN!

I have been hand-milking small teated does for 6 years now.

I am sure some of the old-timers on here remember all my posts about how long it took me to milk my string of 6 goats with 5 of them small-teated. I would just cry. They all gave over a gallon and a couple of times I was not done til after mid-nite with me having to pasteurize and bottle-feed too.

My hands would scream in pain as I would try to empty those super-engorged udders but I would just keep on keepin' on...for years. The older does now have larger teats. I let them dam-raise bucklings which would stretch the teats (but you have to keep after the udder or it will get uneven).

Vicki has good advice if you can bear getting rid of your doe with small terats. I could not do that. I used a few good bucks and the next generations had larger teats and milked much easier.

Just hang in there and know you are truly not alone. Be careful because you will break things as your hands get stronger...like handheld can openers and mens hands when you go to give a handshake


----------



## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Feral Nature said:


> janette, I FEEL your PAIN!
> 
> I have been hand-milking small teated does for 6 years now.
> 
> I am sure some of the old-timers on here remember all my posts about how long it took me to milk my string of 6 goats with 5 of them small-teated. I would just cry. They all gave over a gallon and a couple of times I was not done til after mid-nite with me having to pasteurize and bottle-feed too.


I remember, you scared the crud outta me! I was watching my ff's, hoping they wouldn't have those little teats lol


----------



## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

It was a horror show! But now those does are old pros.


----------



## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm glad it worked out for you in the end. You deserved to reap some rewards after all that!


----------



## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

Yep, I am out the door right now to milk "Spice". She was the worst one of the lot. She is now a 5th Freshener and is nursing HUGE triplet bucklings. I will still get 4 lbs once a day. And she milks so much easier....unless she is over 12 hours in milk and then it is so tight it is almost impossible so i don't let that happen!


----------



## Pam V (Jan 3, 2009)

I feel your pain, too.
I kept a doeling from a nice looking doe that unfortunately had huge cones for teats on her second freshning. This year her first daughter freshened. I would squat behind her admiring and singing her praises. "Look how tight the udder is! Look at the escutchen! Look at those teats. They won't be like her moms!".......But the week she was due the realization hit.....How can they be so small! I thought that they would grow as she got closer. 
and then I did the stupid thing...not noticing that she has dry teats... from the buckling on her I suppose. Now I am not only milking for the first time some itty bitties but am doing a rediculous pose of curving my arm around the belly to grasp the far teat so that it puts the least movement on the crack. Aargh! The Pain! She will be two weeks fresh on Sunday and I have noticed a difference in her orfaces-thank god they are opening more. The crack is healing, and she had a buckling to leave on her to help me out(but that doesn't help that crack, I think). He is looking like good BBQ for later. 
Diane- I'll think of you with each milking...I'm getting stronger...stronger...pain is gain!


----------



## deJardine (Apr 29, 2009)

I make an infused arnica and st. johns wort balm and can send you some to try if you would like... it might help with your pain...


----------



## maryhawkins (Jul 31, 2008)

Do any of you remember mention of Super Tonic on this forum? It was a cure all made from equal volumes of onions, garlic, habanero peppers, ginger root and horshradish root ground fine and steeped for several weeks or months covered with apple cider vinegar. I could not imagine getting such a concoction down a cooperative human let alone a goat. But I was fascinated with the concept and did make it. 

Well recently my mom began complaining of arthritis pain in her hands. As all these ingredients are anti inflammatories and natural pain soothers I mixed a few tablespoons of the elixir into "body mud" and had her rub it in to her hands every morning. No more complaints of pain! I tried it on myself first and could feel a pleasant heat in my joints after 10-15 minutes. Adding it to a good smelling thick lotion of any kind would work. Even better would be coconut oil or some other plain natural oil. Maybe it will help. God Bless, Mary


----------



## Pam V (Jan 3, 2009)

maryhawkins said:


> Do any of you remember mention of Super Tonic on this forum? It was a cure all made from equal volumes of onions, garlic, habanero peppers, ginger root and horshradish root ground fine and steeped for several weeks or months covered with apple cider vinegar. I could not imagine getting such a concoction down a cooperative human let alone a goat. But I was fascinated with the concept and did make it.
> 
> Well recently my mom began complaining of arthritis pain in her hands. As all these ingredients are anti inflammatories and natural pain soothers I mixed a few tablespoons of the elixir into "body mud" and had her rub it in to her hands every morning. No more complaints of pain! I tried it on myself first and could feel a pleasant heat in my joints after 10-15 minutes. Adding it to a good smelling thick lotion of any kind would work. Even better would be coconut oil or some other plain natural oil. Maybe it will help. God Bless, Mary


WOW! Can ou post it again. My DH is starting to get arthritic hands and it would be nice to give him some relief. He doesn't complain but I can see when they are bothering him. We like natural remidies but will use otc too. He has hemophelia so avoids painkillers that thin blood so this sounds like the thing to use.


----------



## hyamiranda (Jul 24, 2009)

I don't know much about it all, but my FF this year started out the same way. I didn't have a hard time with her, but my father-in-law, on the rare occasion he milked her toward the beginning had the hardest time with her. She's developed quite nicely now, thank goodness. 

I've been dreading the time when our third doe kids because my hands are still sore, but my husband has me doing daily stretches that have helped considerably. Back in the day when I crocheted a lot, my wrists would get sore and I did some research into helps for that. You may want to look into "Handeze" gloves. They help with Carpel Tunnel symptoms. Good luck.


----------



## maryhawkins (Jul 31, 2008)

I tried finding the original post in a file I have for just that kind of thing but no success. I was hoping to credit the ones who originally gave the information. What I did was take approximately 1 cup by volume of each of the five ingredients and place them in a blender. I added enough Apple Cider Vinegar to make a fine slurry. Blend until really fine and add to a glass jar. I actually did this outside as I wasn't sure just how awful it would smell. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. Add more ACV to cover the slurry and put it into a dark area to sit for several weeks or months. I strained the solids out after a few months but could have done it much sooner. This was originally posted as a substitute for antibiotics for mastitis and others mentioned they used it for the whole family and it cleared up ear infections in their kids. 

I just couldn't even imagine getting it into anyone and was told it was mixed with something like apple juice or snow cone syrup. You may be able to find the original thread by searching for Super Tonic or a post by me as it is the only other time I have ever posted.


----------



## Oat Bucket Farm (Mar 2, 2009)

Here you go

http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php/topic,10331.msg110588.html#msg110588

and it was Ashley that posted it.


----------



## NavyWife53108 (Apr 14, 2010)

This might sound really stupid, but have you ever tried those stress balls or those things you squeeze to increase hand strength? I remember them being popular in the 90's when I was a kid.


----------



## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

That's neat about the supertonic helping the arthritis! 

I know several people who LOVE the supertonic, take it straight! Yikes! I put it in water, just to dilute the heat. It's very hot to me but some people dont think it's hot. I find about half the goats LOVE it with AJ concentrate, the others hate it. I put it in their grain usually that works. 

I'm thinking about trying grape juice concentrate for those who don't like it in the AJ.

I think everyone should have it on hand. It's wonderful for flus and colds too.


----------

