I like my Hoegger half moon bucket ok as far as a REAL milk bucket goes. I got a 6 qt ss bucket from TSC for a fraction of the price that works just as well though...and it's also seamless and has lasted several years. The Hoegger bucket doesn't get kicked over as easily because of it's weight and shape. It really depends on what you get used to I think. The half moon hole can be challenging to aim into if your goat is jumpy or has tiny teats.

 

I have also heard that you need to find a used Hoegger bucket, that the quality of the new ones are not that of the old ones. Mine is only 20 years old or so Vicki

 

Mine is about 3-4 years old....never had a problem. It's build pretty heavy I think. Maybe the recent ones are bad...??

 

Tractor Supply has good SS buckets, but they don't have the crescent moon lids.

 

Jeffers has good SS buckets

 

Yep the older Hoegger's bucket is the one you want the new ones are made of lighter stainless not quite as heavy duty as the others. I do not like the Jeffers pails or TSC pails, those tall ones I just can use. Especially if you have a doe with long teats and isn't quite as tall as the others, not good.
Autumn

 

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=10025&cat=2,33140&ap=1

This is where I got mine. I got the larger one with the lid.

 

Revival Animal sells stainless steel pails for very cheap, but they are not "very cheap" . They work great, and are seamless. They don't have a lid. They have 2 qt, 6 qt, and 9 qt ones. Here's the link - http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p/1172-Stainless-Steel-Pails.aspx

p.s. - I called them before buying it and they said it was not seamless. Maybe they changed before I bought it, but it sure is!

 

Wow Christine - that is a great price on a stainless bucket w/ lid. I think I might have to order one. I have been using plastic ice cream buckets :duh but as I am gradually adding to my goat accessories this will make a nice future purchase. The next thing I HAVE to buy is some clippers. We have our first show at the end of May - no clip except for udders.

Anne

 

The buckets from Lee Valley are really good quality for the price and I sure like the lid on rainy mornings.

Ginger

 

the lee valley buckets look very nice. They are two inches taller than the hoegger and half the price.

I tried to find the hoegger bucket on ebay with no luck. It seems like good milk buckets no one parts with!

So now another question. Ho important to you is the half moon lid? I don't want stuff in my milk, but is it more of a hassle to milk with the lid on?

I want to actually be able to drink non goaty milk. (though I will not be drinking it often - too fattening!) I have strained it, cooled it quickly and have also put heavy duty paper towels rubber banded over my tiny milk pail to strain it as I go (which has milk dripping everywhere as the towel absorbs and one of my girls milk is so heavy it breaks the towel before it completely strains). I really think it would help if I milked directly into a REAL strainer. I'm seeing that the big hoegger strainer is 10 inches in diameter, and so is the pail. Can I milk with the strainer on the pail? That would make it about 9 inches tall. Watchya' think?

Thanks!

 

I usually strain directly after milking. Reason being if you milk into a strainer you are milking over all the "junk" that falls in as you go...I think you end up with more bacteria in the milk in the end.

To answer your question...9 inches should be fine for most goats.

 

If you brush her belly off and wash her udder and then milk and take it in the house and strain through a filter I don't see a problem with not having a half moon lid. I'd hate to know I had to sit there and hit that little hole. I like resting my hands on the edge of the bucket and milking without really having to think about anything.

 

I have the hoaggers milk bucket with the half moon lid.
I hate that lid. I can't hit the hole every time and the milk splashes up in my face .
I have the filter pan that goes in it and the regular lid for the bucket but it does not fit over the filter pan.
I hold it on with a bungy. I bought a half gal bucket from someone on here but my doe that I am milking this year gives way too much milk for that little bucket so I went to Atwoods and bought a seamless, gallon size stainless bucket for under $10. it was in the pet supply section. I milk and then pour the milk into the strainer pan.. I am going to see if the larger bucket at Atwoods will be the right size for the strainer pan to fit into because if I am milking more than one goat the hoaggers pan won't be big enough. I won't need it till next year though.