How to train a new milker?

[craftymama86]

Ok, I feel I may have a lot of work coming my way, lol. We got a Nubian this month and although she's getting use to us pretty quickly, coming up to be fed but not use to being pet, I need to train her to walk to the milking stand... Which we still need to build, lol. Also, should we start that now or wait til after she freshens?....This will be her first time so we're both new to it, lol.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

We are milking for the first time this year and we have all new milkers...
Kalamity Jane had freshened years before we got her but this was her first time with us. She is the herd queen and totally resents being milked (never been milked before). I threw tons of milk to the cats because she stuck her foot in so many cups....I ended up using a measuring cup to milk and holding it in one hand while milking with the other, keeping the cup closer to her body helped keep her foot out and I got to be quick about maneuvering the cup away from an incoming hoof. She mostly settled down after I bought a new girl in milk that just hops up and sticks her head through the stand like a pro. The new girl also gives twice as much milk so I think she felt threatened! I already found her replacement! She does still sit in the occasional cup and yesterday and today I was a little slow, so the cats got some goodies, but the last few weeks she was really good. Even jumping up on the stand.....we still have to catch her first, but we had to pick her up and plop her on the stand so many times, I thought it would be forever!
Spellbound was freshened and trained to the stand already when I bought her and she is so much nicer to milk! She comes to us for love and hops up on the stand, puts her head through the bars and waits. The person I got her from trains them with raisins and animal crackers! Sooooo worth it! She was a bit of a rodeo queen the first several days, but now we are good. In fact tonight Reeses babies were flying through the stand while I was trying to milk and they both stopped and grabbed a few swigs from auntie Spelly but boy was she surprised.....and none too happy! I was cracking up! She kicked them both off so I finished milking and I let her down.
Reeses is a FF too and the last few weeks before she delivered, she would would hop out of the big girl pen, up onto the stand by herself for some grain when we were done with everyone else. I think she realized they were getting something good and she needed some too. We didn't lock her in then, just petted her and fed her. She was really pretty wild when we got her, so I totally took advantage of the chance to touch her with her distracted! Now I do lock her in some and try to milk just a few squirts so she gets used to it, but we are dancing still! I just keep at it. She will eventually get it!
Good luck with your new girl!
Kat

 

[craftymama86]

That's cool you have one that gets right up there for you. I'd like to, eventually, get a Nubian already being milked. I'm sure it'll cost a pretty penny but it would be nice.

With the kicking problem I saw somewhere where someone slipped something like a really thick but cushioned "rubberband" onto the back legs to keep them from kicking. Maybe someone else who has tried it will post their opinion on it.

So funny about those 2 kids who took advantage of Spellbound being on the stand. Sound like something our previous Pygmy kids would have done. I was trimming their mommas' hooves one day and they did the same thing and boy she could have kick the tar out of them, lol.

Your girls sound like a fun adventure, LOL. I hope they all do well for you. Hope to see more on this thread.

 

[mama24]

I got 2 girls in Dec planning on milking when they kidded. Only 1 was supposed to be pregnant and I was going to alternate breeding years to keep one in milk. Well, they both ended up being pregnant and the younger one that wasn't supposed to be kidded first, almost 3 weeks ago. I had to chase her around and fight with her, and I finally gave up after about 5 days. It just wasn't worth it. My other girl kidded yesterday and hopped right up onto the milking stand about an hour ago when I filled up the feeder. She stood still and was great! I also got a LOT more milk from her in under 10 min 24 hours after having her first baby than I did milking for 20 min 5 days after my younger doe kidded! I think she was too stressed to let the milk down properly. Anyway, the point of my story is that some does will tame very well and will be a dream to milk, and others, not so much. lol. Good luck! If your doe is already coming and eating out of your hand, you are on your way! My little doe who is skittish would never eat out of my hand without something in between us, like a chair or a fence. lol. My big girl who is being good, learned very quickly that being friendly means treats and rubs and scratches. I'm still keeping my skittish doe, she's the one in my avatar. She's gorgeous, and her first kidding, she gave us an equally beautiful doeling. So I'll keep her as a breeder and hope she throws friendlier babies!

 

[treeclimber233]

I posted a while back about one of my does being a real b**ch to milk. I finally realized she thought she was my boss as well as boss of the other goats. She would run over me and shove me out of HER way whenever she could. I went to the barn one day and decided I had enough of that behavior. Things got ugly at the barn for a few days. Now she has decided I am the big goat at the barn and has done an amazing turnaround on the stand.Maybe your goat does not realize you are boss and needs to learn who is supposed to follow whos rules. Rule #1: giving milk on the stand!!!!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I don't know why no one has suggested this, BUT, before your girls freshen you should be putting them up on the stand with grain and yummy treats and brushing them and petting them all over to get them used to the idea that they get yummy good things when they hop up themselves. That's the first step to training. I couldn't imagine trying to put a goat up there after she freshened with no work prior to having babies!

My girl is due in August and she is already crying when I don't let her out to get on the stand to get treats.

 

[Chirpy]

Lots of patience! You are in a great position, you have lots of time to make a great milker out of her. WhiteMountainsRanch is right on... start right not getting her on the stand. Make it FUN, give her treats, pet her, brush her - she will learn to want to get up on the stand. Start with a few seconds the first few days (if that's all she'll allow), slowly work up her time standing there. You have time now to be helping her learn what you expect of her when she's on the stand.

My milk does come when called to the gate, come through the gate (only the goat I called - the others wait their turn) and run (well, sometimes walk) to the milk stand because they know the feed is there (they LOVE their goat feed and only get it when on the milk stand). When they are done, I let them out of the head stall and they go right back to the stall and wait for me to let them in; sometimes taking a little detour checking out 'things' around the barn.

As they spend more time on the milk stand run your hands all over their bodies; especially around their udder/teats. After a few weeks of running your hands over their udders/teats, start to gently pull on the teats so she gets used to that feeling. (By pulling, I don't mean pulling hard and down but just moving them around and gently -- that's the key word-- squeezing them a little -- she just needs to learn what that feels like and that it's part of being on the stand.) But, do it slowly over time so they get accustomed to it and don't freak out. You want their experience on the stand to be happy and safe for them.

If you have a kicker there are several things you can do to stop that bad behaviour. A hobble (http://fiascofarm.com/goats/hobble.htm) is great. I have also used a soft lead rope and used a quick release tie and tied it onto each back leg and then tied it securely and tightly to the milk stand itself. They can't lift their feet so they can't kick. Anytime you use anything to restrain a goat (or any animal) make sure you can quickly release them if they get scared or angry and start to fight. You do NOT want to hurt them or make things worse if they start fighting. I've even had my teenage daughter hold a goats back leg up in the air behind it while milking an unruly girl.

One of the biggest factors in teaching a goat to milk and milking her once she's learned is your attitude. If you are relaxed and enjoying yourself -- it will make the whole experience far more enjoyable for you and your goat. They get uptight if you are uptight.

Have fun... milking a well trained goat is such a wonderful, peaceful experience.

 

[mama24]

I did try treats, etc, with my wild girl before she freshened and nothing really helped. however, now that I have been milking my big girl twice daily, my wild girl is more willing to get into the stand. I think seeing her lead goat behave for me did more to ease her fear than any amount of treats, etc. she just isn't impressed with treats, sadly. So even if you have one that is difficult, if your lead goat is will behaved, put your lead goat up on the stand first and pet and give treats even if you aren't milking her, and the others may well behave better after that! I've started milking my wild girl again just a little after I'm done with my other goat in the last few days. Her teats are teeny, though, and I just want her to be ok with it before her baby weans so i can continue to milk her. So I get very very little, maybe a cup in not much less time than it takes me to get 2qts from my big girl, who has nice big teats. Maybe she'll be better after her next freshening...