Shivering on the milkstand

homebirtha · #1 12/02/05, 07:58 PM

It's gotten much colder her in the last few days and one of our does has started shivering on the milkstand. It's usually just for the first 30 seconds or so, then she seems to settle down. But this morning, it went on for longer. Do you think this is something to worry about?

**mygoat** · #2 12/02/05, 08:06 PM

i dont worry about it. I tie all my goats to a t-post during feeding so that they don't steal from each other. It's just cold and when they can't move around they shiver to stay warm.

chamoisee · #3 12/02/05, 08:25 PM

Are your hands cold? I know I've had to milk my girls with cold hands before, and they weren't shivering until I grabbed their warm little titties!!

Sometimes they do shiver though, I'm not sure if it's also the loss of all the warm milk in their udders or what. I just try to milk as quickly as possible and not make them stand on the milking stand any longer than they have to. Oh- and make sure that they have lots and lots of roughage! That -not the grain- is what keeps them warm in the winter.

Also- it does help if you can bring them warm water or carry a bucket or really hot water and add that to their cold water to warm it up. It will save on feed, they will make more milk, and drink more if the water is given to them warm once or twice a day.

crazygoatgirl · #4 12/02/05, 08:26 PM

Just to ease your mind and so you know there is nothing to worry about I would take her temperature just to make sure that she isn't dealing with fever.

Rachel K. · #5 12/02/05, 09:12 PM

Its just the cold. Animals and Humans alike shiver to help their bodies warm up.

Charleen · #6 12/04/05, 07:31 PM

I notice that in our oberhasli herd, the girls' faces will puff up in the cold weather. Scared the crap out of me the first time I saw them like this, but then realized why.

Laura Workman · #7 12/04/05, 09:02 PM

They can keep warmer laying in some nice bedding than they can standing on a milk stand. Feeding more grass hay, without cutting back on anything else, also helps them to produce heat.

pookshollow · #8 12/05/05, 10:51 AM

I haven't had any shivering goats - yet. All of mine are quite woolly except the Saanen, who I'm milking. She doesn't seem to have grown any undercoat at all, but she is a big girl. She does do a little dance when I use the teat dip - even though I've been warming it up for her. I guess I'd do a little dance too! I've been taking hot (from the tap) water down twice a day, and they all dive into it, especially the little Alpine. I guess it's like me and my morning coffee.