Milking ND FF - NOT a fun experience

LFmenagerie · #21 08/16/09, 08:07 AM

KayJay- That sounds like the way I hobble. I call anything that holds a leg a hobbler (what do I know) Eye hooks and a back foot hooked to each. That way the movement isn't completely restricted but the bucket is protected from forward leg movement.

**mygoat** · #22 08/16/09, 12:42 PM

When I start increasing feed in the weeks before kidding, I always do it on the milkstand and pretend to milk the doe. Then when kidding occurs, the does are used to me sitting next to them and 'milking' them. I've milked a 2 YO first time milker and 2 first fresheners with not a single skittish kick the first time... though if something 'scary' occurred (like a barn swallow, lol) then I'd have to move the milk pail quick.

cjb · #23 08/16/09, 09:33 PM

Hmmm... I am intrigued by that maggidan's milker thingy. I might have to have one. That would be a really romantic gift for my wife to get me for my bday or anniversary, yes?

Wags · #24 08/16/09, 11:08 PM

Check Ebay for a Henry's milker - he sells both the milker and the plans to build your own. I have the plans, just haven't had time to get one put together yet.

hoofinitnorth · #25 08/16/09, 11:45 PM

Oh boy, in my short 2 years with goats, I have had angels and devils on the milkstand! I started with the brats and really I just have to tell you, besides persistence and gaining their trust by spending a lot of "undemanding" time with them, I think it is a LOT of LUCK. My first three does were supposedly already trained to the stand. NOT! What absolute NIGHTMARES. Two were first-fresheners, one was a fourth-freshener. One first-timer kicked and bucked and screamed and hollered and just made it sound like slaughter time! The other first-freshener would lay down and look like she was stroking out! She was scared out of her mind! The fourth-freshener was timid and would squat, smashing my hands into the rim of the bucket. OY!!! It just took a lot of time for me to gain their trust and to improve my technique. In short order, they were all angels and I really don't know why, besides me spending lots and lots and lots of time with them not asking them to DO anything weird (like being touched against their desire to seek it out).

This year I have freshened three more first-timers and I cannot BELIEVE how good they are. At first two of them are NUTS. I thought they were be TERRORS on the stand. They spent the first 1.5 years of their lives at their breeder, hardly being handled, not unlike the other two first-fresheners from the year prior. I thought oh boy, I'm in for it! When I got them up on the stand for the first time, they were scared and would snort (they still snort sometimes) and squat a bit, one would slowly kick/catch the edge of the bucket with her foot and tip it if she was startled, etc. After a few weeks, I was amazed at the transformation. Even with kids on, I milk twice a day and I think they started realizing that it FELT GOOD to get a wash-down and get the milk OUT.

The third first-timer I've freshened this year really jumped on this bandwagon fast, partly because she is a friendly doe, but I think also because I started pulling her kids during the day very early on (week 1). That pressure building up was uncomfortable for her and since she is really easy to milk, I can empty her fast and she gets fast relief without too much fuss that goes on for too long.

Now I'm at the point where I can milk any of them without any grain. They march right up to the stand, hop up, and just stand there and chew their cud until I'm done. They get the grain in their stall afterward. LOVE IT! I hope your girls come around to you soon too. Good luck!

cjb · #26 08/17/09, 11:05 AM

Fizzee let me milk her out last night without kicking once so she is learning fast. I also discovered that she had a little gash on one teat and i was spraying it with mild bleach solution for pre-dip - OUCH!

LFmenagerie · #27 08/17/09, 11:30 AM

Heather-
Good reminder! You stated the most important thing. Gaining the trust from your doe. Bringing them on the stand just to get them there (The food factor really helps here).
If one of my doelings gets around the open door in the barn she is up on that stand quick. They know the food is there and they get brushed and attention....and feet trimmed occasionally. They know they are happy on that stand.

CJB- Sounds like you are doing great! We had a maggie dan. Used it on a doe with itty bittis and thought it was great. Still emptied her by hand after but it saved hand cramps and time.
Pam

Pony · #28 08/17/09, 11:41 AM

I was milking a friend's nubian for her a couple of weekends ago.

Sweet, darling doe, but her teats were so small and her bag so poorly attached that my hands started cramping. It took me 15 minutes to milk 1/2 a gallon out of her.

She didn't seem to mind overmuch, except for one day when the flies were just horrible, and were lighting on her like she was a rump roast. She kept twitching her legs, then finally kicked -- just as I was about done milking her. She got the bucket, and all that milk spilled all over the stand.

My hands ache with pain remembering...

Same friend has nigies and pygmies, and she intends to breed this doe to the pygmy buck, despite my offer of Bow Tie's services.

I do not want to know what sort of bag any doelings will have... Don't even want to think of it.

hoofinitnorth · #29 08/17/09, 09:36 PM

Woohoo! Go Fizzee & CJB!!! Soon you will be milking sans grain too!

cjb · #30 08/18/09, 12:31 AM

Poor girl still has a little cut on her teat from her kids' teeth. Milking just keeps aggravating it. I put udder balm on it after milking but it's not healing very quickly.

Pony · #31 08/18/09, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjb

Poor girl still has a little cut on her teat from her kids' teeth. Milking just keeps aggravating it. I put udder balm on it after milking but it's not healing very quickly.

Poor baby!

I wonder if that NuSkin stuff would work on her sore teat... If not, you might try some aloe vera, either alone or mixed with the bag balm.