Milking a first freshner?

[mousebandit]

(Is that the proper term? FF?) Anyway, Millie had her sweet little kids Jack and Jill, and I know - Kiko / Boer is NOT a dairy breed. But I don't need tons of milk, I just need to fulfill my inner dairy farmer. :baby04:

She is pretty friendly with me, and I can *usually* milk her a little by hand when she's eating her grain (me squatting down next to her). We tried bringing in the milking stand the other night, and she wasn't having ANYTHING to do with it. My hubby and sons lifted her, er I mean encouraged her, up onto it, and we got her to stay there for about 5 minutes. She was facing backwards, and kneeling on her front knees. Didn't make for the easiest milking session!

We left the milking stand in there with her and Zephyr (pregnant) and the kids, hoping they would get used to it, and jump up and down on it and stuff.

I am going to try her again today, just to get both of us used to it, but do you guys have any suggestions??

Thanks!

Tracey Mouse

[HazyDay]

let her bag up till it's hard and hurts, then they seem to love being milked, works on cows and did it with my alpine cross doe. After about 1 week of fighting they just want feed! My nubian she was never milked before (raised 2 sets of kids) and I wanted her a milker. I tried for 2 hours then tied her to 2 fence posts and pined her to a wall! after that she let me milk her!

[DocM]

It's just a toy if you leave it in the pen. Most successful milkers have had their goats on a stand from the time their little heads fit in the stanchion. Hoof trimming, petting, but most importantly, with my girls, all their grain is fed on the stand. Period. Even if I'm not milking, they get their grain on the stand. They associate feeding time with the milk stand and don't care what I'm doing "down there" as long as there's food in front of their face.

[southerngurl]

My little nubian was so easy to get started milking. Once she figured out there was food to be had, she didn't care what else was going on.

Now before I had the milk stand, she was horrendous, kicking, squatting, laying down ect. But I made the stand, put food in the bucket, led her up there and she chowed down while I milked. The next day she knew what was going on, and now I just just lead her into the shop, and let her go and she trots to the stand and hops up there.

[moosemaniac]

I can only suggest a stiff drink.

Ruth

[mousebandit]

LOL to the strong drink!!

This leads me to a related question (to the milking, not the drinking!) -

Do you all keep collars on all your does, and do you lead them by using a leash? Or do they all just follow the feed bucket? I'm having visions of trying to wrestle these mamas by their horns, like the day we picked them up!!

Tracey Mouse

[BlueHeronFarm]

All of our girls wear plastic chains. If you get it up under their head-chin area when you lead them, they usually come right along.

[HazyDay]

Nice does! buleheron!!!! Love them wanna sell? Yes all mine have collars, and lead very good. The one im milking now was shown as a kid, and never got shown as a milker so she can be quite hard at times to lead. (out of a pen) but all I do is open the door and call her. She runs in and stands there for help (little brat) I take her lead. and she jumps up (front legs only) Then I take 1 leg and set it on the stand, sat up and, up she goes!
Not all of my does are like this! she is the only one! I only do it becasue the guy i got her from sold her to a guy, who doesn't care for them. And she hurt her eye and leg some how and doesn't do to good when fat and Preg! but shes doing much better with all the vitimans I have been giving her!