Total failure drawing blood - again

[Alice In TX/MO]

We tried again to draw blood on our Nubian for testing. She wrestles and heaves and hops.

I called in reinforcements and a Registered Nurse. Three of us tried to restrain the doe, and the RN tried to draw blood.

Complete failure.

Can you give a goat a sedative? We have Lorazapam and Xanax.

[mygoat]

back the goat into a corner and straddle her at the shoulders. Pull the head directly up and hold on to the beard/chin so she cannot look other than up. IF she hops, have the restrainer 'sit' on her withers Even my most wily does don't fidget too much with this way.

[Cygnet]

It would be safer to throw her and tie her than to sedate her. Do you know anyone in your area familiar with goats, who can show you how to safely put her down on the ground?

If you throw them, they usually quit fighting after a few moments. As a bonus, they're generally better behaved overall when you let them back up. :-)

[Tracy in Idaho]

Do you have a milk stand? I've done plenty a doe by myself in one. If she fights, just pin her head to the side of the headgate with your hip or shoulder!

But if you have someone tall enough to stradle her like suggested above -- that would work great.

Tracy

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Yep Tracy I could just see someone straddling out big does...perhaps Michael Jordan would have long enough legs

You can totally control the front end of a goat with her head up and one of her front legs bent at the knee off the ground. She can't do much on 3 legs. Letting her win like this means the next time it will be worse. Or collar her, snap her head high on a cattle panel, her with her side to it, not only with her head up, but tie her belly right in front of her rear legs to the cattle panel also. I work on big bucks like this, and once you win one time it's quite amazing the change of attitude they have.

Rose, don't let her get away with this! vicki

[jBlaze]

uh, can we say Nubian.
(hehe I had to do it, really, couldn't stop myself! lol.)