How to milk a difficult goat?

Duckfarmerpa1

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Ok, first of all, Honey is a wonderful pet goat! She’s a lap goat who gives kisses, nibbles my ears and loves attention...so, she is in no way a problem goat. BUT when I get her on the milk stand, she turns into godzilla!! I hobble her. She sits. So, now I use a dog leash, that has a cozy pice of fabric padding where it lays on her belly and use it to keep her up against the wall. But, she kicks herself straight up into the air.,so, after a bit, the leash thing loosens up and works it’s way down to her bumm. Sometimes she evens manages to get the hobbles to her ankles. I lean my head into her belly cavity...just as Chris was taught to do when milking cows. It works great on all my others. I on,y use one hand at a time and use the other to try to soother her and hold the bowl, because she kicks it, steps on it, etc. it gets sooo frustrating! Many times I end up giving up before we’re completely done. She’s still nursing her kid..,who totally needs weaned! But I’m a bad goat mom who is wayyy to soft and can’t stand to hear them cry. I need to just plain do it..separate them, and tough it out. We rotated our fencing...land is a marsh right right now and the goats were having issues. Vet said to keep them locked up through the spring. We moved the fence to the highest ground, but there’s no grazing, and it’s still pretty mucky. I don’t really want to put anybody up there right now after the scare we just had! I could lock Hunny in a stall..but wouldn’t all the crying upset the other goats and the min8 pigs at the other end of the barn? Ok, so I can’t hang Hunny from the ceiling...it’s a semi trailer, roof is fiberglass...can’t have Chriss build anything too elaborate, I’ve been overwhelming him, and he’s feeding the sick piglet every hour. So, I need you’re wisdom and creativity on what you’ve done to get this wild goat to chill out! ok, thanks everyone!! Stay safe!
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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I lock up everyone! No one is around because they steal the food and try to nurse.....
 

Mini Horses

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I asked because I have had a few "new to milking" change their attitude if the kids were nowhere around OR right there at their nose. Every doe will be different and milking is a "personal" situation for each of them and us.

Dairies do not let kids nurse. Bottle fed, even if moms milk. I have never had the time for that, so I "co-share" the milk. When I do milk them, they may not let-down all for me for a few days -- save for kids? Probably. Normally, even when I totally take kids off of them, they still get a little less than fully co-operative -- even the regular milkers -- for a few days. Little yantzy but, no kicking or sitting -- just want to leave before the job is complete.

To be honest, I have never had one sit down! Oh, they have tried to get off the stand, move away, etc. Rarely have they kicked. I can say the worst ones to object have been the NDs....or mixed NDs. Have only 3 here who are part ND now. So, can I assume your little princess is an ND??? LOL

I'd bring her in often, handle the udder....let her go, repeat. as she fights, handle more & more, during same session. She must get accustomed to that first. A warm wash rag may be helpful as it can be soothing and mentally represent a warm mouth on them. Pull the kid...totally separate them. She needs to distance from the kid and the cries. Feed the kid grain while you milk her so no cries to hear, if distance cannot be had. She will want relief when the milk builds up but, will also slow production if not milked. If you need, stall her to have her available for easy access to feel ups. That's about all I can offer -- truly, milking is almost always consistant handling and a regular schedule. I begin the feeling process while taming a young doeling.

So -- in past years, I've also had to milk the meat goats and mini horses. The ones who we most often handled and imprinted at birth were the easiest to convince it was ok.
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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@Mini Horses ..nailed it, yes, ND!! One kid...my fat one!! I’m trying not to grain her since she’s so chubby now! I bought Hunny in Jan..I’ve felt her up, rubbed her, etc, before I was ready to milk her, due to the kid...getting her ready for the stand. She didn’t like it then either. I absolutely have been getting my kids ready since day 1! I can stall her from now on, but I they will be able to still hear each other, because my barn is a semi trailer...and only 53’ long. If I lock her outside, she’ll be with the buck. Getting pregnant would be great...but that doesn’t solve the milking issue. So, is stalling her, in a noisy barn, or putting he4 with a buck a bette4 option? Oh, I have one more, that that puts her alone, and then she would bawl.....

so you really milked a mini horse? Hmmmmm...that’s dedication!!❤️😀👍
 

Mini Horses

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so you really milked a mini horse?

Several times. When I raised them for show, sales, etc -- you always want colostrum on hand, no matter the animal -- if possible. Plus there were times when a foal didn't suckle well, at first. Yeah, I delivered a few, went inside and turned a few. Plus other things that were necessary for a successful breeding herd/farm. And mini donks, also. I've been around the block, lady! :old:lol:

For you, I guess your noisy barn. Just keep at it and eventually she will agree or she will be nothing but a producer. Don't be so "nice" use a really stern "stop it!!" command and yank the collar. They must learn commands and respond -- much like training a dog. When mine want to dance, I reprimand fast....then praise them for stopping and continue the job. Honestly, most of mine will milk just tied next to a fence. But they have a "place" to go, be fed and get milked. Creatures of habit. If milking several, always do them in same sequence. Trust me, they know who's turn it is -- to be fed, milked, stalled, etc. Don't go out of order unless an emergency.

When I used to have young stallions training to hand breed, they had to maintain their manners. If they got rank in any way, I removed them from the mare. Didn't take long for them to realize the prize was only attainable if they were "good boys"

All mares were stalled at night. Rations were in their stalls, then 30 mares...& foals if nursing...were allowed into the aisle of the big barn. They went to THEIR stall door and waited for it to be opened.....now you had to start at same stall, and follow same pattern EVERY time. They all stood for their turn. It was amazing and orderly. Habit....it is the secret.
 

frustratedearthmother

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I'm going to tell you a secret. Some may say that it sounds mean, but it's better than getting kicked and dealing with a rodeo. We all know that goats like to be UP on something. But, they want that something to be secure. I don't know what kind of milk stand you have, but mine has a slatted wooden base. I was milking a newbie one time and she kicked the bucket over and got the stand all wet. I was not so happy. So, the next time she danced around I put one hand on her hip and one on her rib cage in an attempt to sort of pin her against the wall. But, what actually happened was that when I put pressure on her she started slipping around on the wet wood. So, she planted her feet and stood still. If she danced again, I did the same thing....just gave a little shove (not a hit) just hard enough to get her off balance and slipping around. It didn't take long and she was planting her feet and not moving at all. I've used the same method on several does and it's worked every time. I just lucked into the method, but it works.
 

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