First Milking!!! With Question.

[YoungOne]

OK, I admit, I AM STILL SUCH A NEWBY!!

The girls kidded on Monday and Tuesday of last week so Saturday I built a stanchion and the wife and I did our first milking.

Well we now know what "she's a dificult milker" means!!!

Molly, the two yr old, was sold to us a herd reject for a great price. I AM NOT COMPLAINING! They told us that Molly hated being milked but we realy wanted to start goats and she was cheap and bred.

After 45 minutes we finaly figured out a method that seemed to work for us. My wife would sit on the stool and milk while I sat behind Molly holding both rear hoofs. We got about a 1/2 quart from her that first time in exchange for a kicked knee (wife) a crumped thumb and cut hand (me). We then put Rosie, the 9 yr old gift from the sellers, on the stanchion and what a difference! 1, 2, 3 kicks to test our will and then just resided herself to eating her hay and grain. Got almost 1/2 quart in about 25 min.

Needles to say I fashioned a rear leg hobble that holds the rear legs back and gives very little play room and it worked much better Sunday. By Yesterday both girls were up to about a quart each.

I'm pretty happy with how things are going.

Question???
Do the quantities sound about right (average)? Molly is also feeding twins and Rosy is also feeding triplets.

[Alice In TX/MO]

It's my impression from previous posts that if you have triplets, you let them have all the milk.

I may be wrong, and I hope someone else posts.

[mpete]

yeah!! I know what its like to have a difficult milker... I had to teach my previously abused/neglected alpine to milk and then as soon as she hears her kid, she will start bucking... lol.. She has an undesirable udder to begin with so when I get her milked out I feel like I just won the whole war with her... Congrats on your win!!
I get 2 quarts out of her in the mornings with her kid being separated and about 1.5 in the afternoon. Her kid is 2 months. As the kids grow, they will take more milk. Each doe produces different.

[nehimama]

I was disappointed with the quantity from a couple of FFs here, being still relatively new at this. To my pleased surprise, I found out that production starts increasing a few days to a few weeks after kidding (with these particular does, anyway). I also know what it is to deal with a "difficult milker". Good for you for winning "the war".

NeHi

[Gailann Schrader]

Usually with my does when they freshen? They have too much milk for their babies. I let my babies on the does and then milk out what the babies don't - if your babies start ACTING very hungry or not growing well? You're taking too much. You may not get any milk when they get a little older. THEN you'll get it all when you wean them!!!

Good job on the difficult milker. I have two Wild Child does that I have to rope to get caught. Then the milkstand is a "tie the back leg(s) down" to milk. BUT they are getting calmer and calmer. Once they decide that I'm not going to kill them and they calm down? A curt "NO!" stops most of their shenanigans. Don't give up. It may take a bit before they look FORWARD to the milk stand (if they ever do... LOL)

Good, clean, fresh, delicious milk that doesn't cost $4+ a gallon will be your reward!