I don't know why everyone seems to think a Jersey is the only breed to have for a milk cow. ALL cows make milk. I've only ever had beef/dairy crosses, and I couldn't be happier. A good friend of mine milked a Hereford cow for years, and she was sweet and gentle and gave wonderful, rich milk. I know lots of people with Jerseys that end up with problems (too much milk, metabolic issues, needing LOTS of supplemental feed, etc.) that I never have. I live in South Dakota, though, and our winters are harsh. I'd have to keep a Jersey in the house with me during the winter. My beef crosses (Jersey crossed with Hereford or Angus) are tough, hardy girls that overwinter just fine here, raise a big fat calf for me every year on a grass/hay diet only, and give PLENTY of very delicious milk for me to drink, make cheese and butter, etc. I went with a Jersey/Hereford cross for my first cow BECAUSE I was new to cows and didn't want a lot of problems, but I had such good results with her and all her progeny, I don't think I'd ever want a pure Jersey. And that is my very biased opinion, but it's been formed over 14 years, so I have learned a few things along the way.
You're in Kentucky, though, so winters wouldn't be such an issue with your cow. Just be aware that a Jersey will make a LOT of milk, and a calf won't be able to take enough for you to milk only once a day, at least for a few months. Not milking her out fully could (not
will, but
could) lead to mastitis, and that's just an ongoing pain in the butt if it happens.
As far as that EZ-Milker, if it's the hand-squeeze thing with the jar and the large plastic syringes for cups, just don't. They only suck, there's no pulsation, and if used on a regular basis, can ruin a cow's teats. If you can hand milk, do. If you have to have a machine, pop for a good one with a pulsator, a pump, a balance tank, etc. They're expensive, but they last forever and are worth their weight in gold. I have arthritis in my thumbs, so I can no longer hand milk. I have a Surge belly milker with a Gast oil-less pump that I've been using for the past 11 years and have had zero problems with. Yes, I have to wash it when I'm done, but at least I can still milk my cows. Without it, I wouldn't be able to. And it doesn't take much more time to wash it up than it would to hand milk and wash the pail.
OK, I just looked up the Ultimate EZ-milker, which is the same as the Udderly-EZ (the bad one I talked about above) but with a pump so you don't have to hand squeeze to get suction. But it doesn't pulsate, and while the lady in the video I saw said it works great on her goats, I would never use it on a cow, but it's up to you. Constant suction with no release every second isn't good for teat or udder health (and I think a Jersey would make way too much milk for one of those, anyway - you're probably going to get 3 to 4 gallons a day her first year and significantly more in subsequent years).
Here's a pretty good video showing how to use a belly milker. I really like this style of milker - it's easy to use and easy to clean up afterward.
Sheesh, I forgot the link, duh. Here: