Overweight doe ??'s milkstand grain

crowinghen · #1 05/31/06, 10:13 AM

Our older milik goat, Molly, is herd queen, and as such she is the food hog. She's getting very round. We have it worked out for the alfalfa, so everyone gets their share, but when we milk her, she gets done with her grain before she's milked out. MDH is the milker, and he's very quick at it, but she finishes her grain first, then starts to dance on the milkstand.
Should I try hobbles, or is there another option I'm not thinking of? If I get hobbles, is there any difference between the Mink's hobbles with velcro, or the kind without? Big difference in price. Or perhaps someone has an idea for home-made...?
open to suggestions, Thanks!

Susie

TexCountryWoman · #2 05/31/06, 10:17 AM

Yes, some goats are food-hogs! I add alfalfa pellets to the food-hogs grain on the milk stand to give me time to milk them out. That way they only get their grain ration plus a bit of extra alfalfa which is good for them anyway. it will take them longer to eat their grain that way, with the alfafa pellets cut into their normal ration of grain.

Cara · #3 05/31/06, 11:27 AM

If you put a couple good sized rocks in the feeder, they have to work around them to get the grain and it takes them longer to eat....giving you time to milk.

mpillow · #4 05/31/06, 11:29 AM

here's my method....cheap and easy

Put your milk stand up against a wall.....get her up and locked in....tack a nail to the wall (long nail bent to use as hook) about 1 ft above her rump....take the rear leg on the side you sit on to milk and use a piece of baling twine or similar tied in a circle(long enough to pull her knee up to top of udder high) and hook to nail hook her leg at "knee" spot....where thigh and long leg bone meet...and then hook other end on nail...if you can have someone else talk to her and scrath ears and chin and keep her bowl full as you milk.....she is going to hate only having 3 legs to balance on and will learn to be a "LADY" on the stand....

After about 3 times my new gals are turned into Ladies....

Another way to look at it....if you were going to trim hoofs in the rear....thats how you want the twine to hold the leg....clear as mud??

KSALguy · #5 05/31/06, 11:50 AM

if she stands still while eating, ad the alfalfa pellets, that way she doesnt get more than her fair share of grain but also has enough to eat, alfalfa is good for her anyway

dezeeuwgoats · #6 05/31/06, 12:25 PM

I also have some difficult milkers. The awful thing is - it seems they are getting worse, not better. I guess I need to try some of these ideas. I used to be able to just milk, but now someone has to hold a back leg up. I have two, who are now trying, and succeeding on hoppng on one leg into the milk bowl. I am considering hobbles, but don't know if they are effective or not. I used to really enjoy milking.....

Think a bullet might work? (kidding)

frustrated;
niki

KSALguy · #7 05/31/06, 12:29 PM

if they are dancing like that try the nail in the wall trick, i have seen that work well even on non milkers from a meat herd that we had to get colostrom from

dezeeuwgoats · #8 06/02/06, 07:59 PM

Looks like I'll have to move my stanchion - it isn't by a wall!

niki

mpillow · #9 06/03/06, 07:57 AM

Rocks about 1-2 inches in the feed dish slow them down too....I dont feed anymore grain or anything...they just learn to like it

ozark_jewels · #10 06/03/06, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dezeeuwgoats

Looks like I'll have to move my stanchion - it isn't by a wall!

niki

Having the stand against the wall REALLY helps with unruly does or breaking yearlings to milk!!

dezeeuwgoats · #11 06/03/06, 01:32 PM

Right now, my stanchion is in the middle of my lawn! lol Don't have a barn or anything. It is just a metal stanchion - so it stands on it's own. I guess I could move it up against a building or something.

My dh moved our badly behaved goat to the back of the line - in other words, she was first, and now she's last. Seems to have humbled her a bit. Part of the problem is she is simply humongous. Our biggest nubian doe, and heaviest milker - and it is difficult for anyone but him to really handle her - she even took him for a 'drag' once! Don't get me wrong - she is sweet, not mean - just an 'amazon woman'.

My other problem milker is just sensitive. She's always been that way - super sensitive to flies, or whatever. I sure would LOOOOOOOVE a milk room! I'm thinking about one of those mosquito tents.

On another note - my two yearling first fresheners - perfect angels on the milk stand from day one!? Weird, huh?

Niki