o.k. got too cocky thought i knew it all-boy was i mistaken!

[myrandaandkids]

i have nubian alpine crosses for milking, and purchased a saanen to beed next fall, yesterday her previuos owner called and said she was getting rid of my doelings mother who was still in milk from her last kidding and giving over 1 gallon per day, and normally this saanen being of show quality would go for much more, she knows money is tight for me right now and since i have bought a doeling and a buckling from her before wich are both parented by her doe she would sell her to me for only $100!! of course i said yes, then she asked me if i knew how to milk a saanen, i said oh yeah, no problem, im sure i can milk any doe around after milking sylvia(my first nubian, a real kicker). well i was wrong, this doe is so well behaved, stands perfectly still, even after growing tiered of eating, but i never realized how short a saanens handels are, theres so little to grab, and her utter is so huge there isnt much room to work with, aaarrggghh.i milked her for 15min and only had 1 and 1/2 quarts, but her utter was still so full i almost expected it to burst, i need to do a better job tomorrow, so i need some help with my technique i guess? it deffinatley wasnt the same as my nubian/alpines, and i thought up untill now a milker is a milker is a milker, so i humbly say i was wrong. any help out there for a frustereated and slightly arogant dairy goat farmer?

[chas]

Boy you is in trouble
If teats are not longer than three fingers they had better have loose spincters holding that milk in there!
I have a lamancha/pigmy that way and she's my easiest at milking time.
I would try her for awhile but if it took me more than 10 min. she would find a new home.Her offspring could turn out like her,double trouble.
At her age it aint gonna get any better!
Chas

[Terry W]

a friend of mine has already told me what to look for in teet and udder shape/size in order to avoid just such a problem!! Thanks for the reinforcement of that leson!!! She also told me to avoid teets that ere not pointed DOWN-- said the ones that stick out sideways tend to develop mastitis and just never can strip the udder properly.

[myrandaandkids]

SHOOT!!!this stinks!!! but on the other hand event though it takes more work to milk her a friend told me to push and hit the back and sides of her utter a few times during milking, and doing that the last two milkings has given me 2and1/2 quatrs each time so she is giving over a gallon each time, and she is patient with me and stands still through it all, and her milk is the best ive ever tasted, so i believe the extra amount of work is worth it

[tltater]

Though I haven't used this myself (but will!) this may help you with milking her in particular. Udderly EZ Milker This was designed to milk horses so should work well on a short teated goat!

Good luck!

Tracy
Souhtwestern, NY

[goatkid]

If you can afford a used portable milking machine, it will make the job easier.