milk let down?

[christie]

So I got my Goats Yeah!!! So now I am exhausted from milking and repairing all the weakest links in my fencing!
So my first couple times milking her definetly should have been on tape. She wasn't a milker just a mama trying to raise her babies.. Si i knew she wasn't going to like it but I knew I had to do it for her sake. She was engorged so much , it had to be painful. Needless to say she fought like a champ. Me and my husband holding her down , me trying to milk gently, getting kicked all the while of course, not a drop in the bucket , its just flowing out on the floor and out of the barn.
It would take 5-10 minutes for her to have a let down, where it would just flow. Every squirt took so long for the milk to come out.
So I brought her to the vet for the physical today, and told him my wild stories of wrestling w/ a goat for an hour 2xs a day. And he said not to milk her unless she lets down otherwise I will damage her!!{ I felt horrible of course..I was going gentle no pulling}
He said to but a warm wet cloth on her when and clean her up, massage some, and leave her for 2 min. when shes relaxed she will let down.. well I did that tonight It didn't go like that ..Though she is getting more fond of the idea of me milking her she still fought after her relaxation time. So I waited more, cried and massaged her neck and ears and cried { literally} and begged her to let me milk her, And the next thing I heard in my ear was her chewing her cud. So I figured she was relaxed, and gave it another whirl. She did stand there, but it didn't really get going for another couple minutes.,... or it could just be me not noticing that I could go faster.
No I don't have a milking stand- Silly me thought I wouldn't need one HAHA!
But I got the plans from fiasco, and all the materials so hopefully tomorrow I can get building!
And I am feeding her, but after a certain point of fighting she doesn't even eat anymore!She has been alot better the last 2 milking s
Anyhow is what the vet said true? What can I do different?How do I know she is ready to let down? And how do I know when she is finished?
I milk till her teats get wrinkly and skinny and I really have to kind of roll then in my fingers, and it slowly trickles out! But her udder though much smaller still is quite heavy.
I can't believe how difficult its been. I thought it would take me 5 min, I would gaily go to the barn, get come back w/ some milk, all before my own kids got up. Sadly I go out there, and come back in over an hour later , covered in filth , milk and hair. NO MIlk, Sore back, bruised wrists. With "my" kids screaming,and hungry, This has to get better with a table and some hobbles It has too! I hope!

[cathleenc]

congrats on your new goat(s)!

first, it will get better.

second, what kind of goat? How old is she? When did she freshen (give birth)? Was she ever milked - ever- before you got her?

I'd say the first thing is for you to calm down. Start petting and playing with her during non-milking times. Touch her all over, including her udder, at non-milking times. Talk to her. Make friends.

Where are the goat kids while you are trying to milk?

more info would be so helpful.

[manygoatsnmore]

Yes, it will get better. Hang in there! Some goats take longer than others to get with the program, but I've only had 2 goats that I literally could not milk - one was a Pygmy doe that did the Flamenco every time she was on the stand. I had other dairy type does, so I just let her raise her kids. She did a very good job of that - fat, roly-poly twins. The other was an Alpine-Nubian cross (best guess) that had to be in 5 point restraints every milking, lol. Other than those 2 exceptions, every doe I've had has eventually settled down and milked like a lady. Sometimes it just takes a while. Just write off the milk for a while and call it practice - use a high-sided milk pail (I use a stock pot) to minimize the amount of milk stepped in, kicked out, etc while you are both learning how to milk/be milked. Before you know it, she'll be letting down that milk as you wash and massage her udder and milking really will be much easier and more fun.

Oh, and the milking stand is a definite help!

[nehimama]

I whole-heartedly agree with the others' advice. Stay with it. It WILL get better. (It's getting a little bit better already, isn't it?) Fairly soon, you and your goat will settle into your own personal routine, and it will go smoothly. This I can almost promise. I've had a couple of "Rodeo Milkers" and they do eventually settle down. Remember; this is all new to you AND to your goat.

Please don't give up, and please let us know how it's going about a week from now as compared to yesterday.

A milkstand is a really good thing. So are leg restraints/hobbles.

NeHi

[LomahAcres]

It takes us 2 weeks, max to break in a new milker, most will stand well after 4 -5 days. Milk her twice a day, at the same time every day, this will get her letting her milk down for you. But it may take her a while to get into the routine of it. Until then bump her in the beginning of milking to encourage the let down, while milking, until the milk starts to flow. Also bump her good when you're done so you know you're getting all the milk to keep her production up.
Stick with it, it takes some work and a lot of milk mess, but you'll get there.

[Tallabred]

Christie - Thank you soooo much for your post. I am getting my new herd on Friday and you have made my expectations much more reasonable!

You also gave my husband a good morning laugh at what to expect. Cathy

[DQ]

make sure your initial attempts are low pressure. I know being on a time constraint is one of the ways to make milking a stressful experience instead of a relaxing one. I put my 3yr old daughter to work "training" ff's by putting them on the stand and having my daughter just smush on thier udder, massage it and touch her. my daughter has a great time and is proud of being able to be helpful and the goat gets conditioned to allow us to milk her. and there is no pressure to "get the milk". maybe you could wait and take the kids out with you and have them do a "training session" before you attempt to actually milk her out. you could even have the kids work on her some more to get her milk down again to have another go. the actual act of milking doesn't get he milk down well. have you seen the kids nurse? they "bump" the udder quite hard, often even lifting the doe's back legs off the ground when they are older (not that I would suggest you do it THAT hard ) I would not keep actually trying to milk out the teat until the milk lets down, bump bump massage bump bump then check to see if the teat filled up. if you do that several times and the milk still hasn't let down than she is probably done milking.

[christie]

Thanks for the encouragement... She was better this mourning. Though I had to hold her body with one arm and milk w/ the other, So it took me a while still milking w/ 1 hand. Though she is really starting to like me The whole time She is leaning on me instead of me leaning her in to the wall! Still none in the bucket, She has a thing with the bucket, she will be going great where I think it safe to put the bucket down, and instantly the feet start going. So I am going to wait till my stand is built.
She is a 4yr Nubian. She was milked probaly 2 yrs ago, But she has primarily a show goat, That got to raise her babies. I don't have any of her babies, they wouldn't sell them to me. They sold me another 4month old doe from another mama! Thats wild as a deer! But thats for a different thread!! But soo cute!
Will post pics soon.

So should I bump her throughout the milking? How do i know when to stop? I don't want her supply to go down? If she was behaved-- How long should it take a newbie?
Thanks again.

[DQ]

I can usually get some milk to let down 2 times after the initial let down. you'll get alot from the first let down, a little from the 2nd and just a few squirts after the third. the teat will fill up slower and slower also. after that I figure she's through. if you are concerned about production it wouldn't hurt to milk her three times per day especially if she isn't giving much. it would help her get used to the routine faster too.

[manygoatsnmore]

Just give her a bump whenever the milk flow slows down. Different does take different amounts of "bump". If she lets down easily and has pretty good milk flow from her teats (good sized orifices), you can eventually get her milked in 5-10 minutes, including washing up, first milk squirts into strip cup, milking her out, and dipping teats. It's different for each goat - I had a doe once with tiny little orifices and it took FOREVER (30 minutes) to get a quart of milk! Too much effort for the result IMHO. We have good milking does now that can give a half gallon or better in about 5 minutes if my dd's milking, twice that if I am (being old, arms and wrists out of shape, etc ).

[CookingPam777]

Originally Posted by christie

Thanks for the encouragement... She was better this mourning. Though I had to hold her body with one arm and milk w/ the other, So it took me a while still milking w/ 1 hand. Though she is really starting to like me The whole time She is leaning on me instead of me leaning her in to the wall! Still none in the bucket, She has a thing with the bucket, she will be going great where I think it safe to put the bucket down, and instantly the feet start going. So I am going to wait till my stand is built.
She is a 4yr Nubian. She was milked probaly 2 yrs ago, But she has primarily a show goat, That got to raise her babies. I don't have any of her babies, they wouldn't sell them to me. They sold me another 4month old doe from another mama! Thats wild as a deer! But thats for a different thread!! But soo cute!
Will post pics soon.

So should I bump her throughout the milking? How do i know when to stop? I don't want her supply to go down? If she was behaved-- How long should it take a newbie?
Thanks again.

Have you tried in a non milking time putting a bucket under her and just waiting there if she kicks you can hold her legs down and put the bucket underneath. I could not help but laugh my other doe also has bucket fear hehehe! You can milk her all day long anywhere but as soon as a bucket or anything milk container gets near forget it. So I just took a baby bottle and milked in that because she couldn't see it. Then worked up in bigger objects and she began getting used to something being back there. She still has bucket fear and sits on the bucket but it isn't so bad. If I say her name she calms down. If you had a milk stand she would be pinned at least and you would just have to hold the bucket under her legs. Also some does just don't like putting their legs apart. In that case I work with them and put the bucket in front and kinda aim for the bucket. Not a lot in front but just in front of their back legs. So they don't have to hold their legs apart. Works for me. Hope it gets better for you. I have a doe I am just dreading milking next year.

[nehimama]

I've been known to use a stainless steel pitcher with a handle on it. You can pull it the second you sense that foot coming. You know, hold the pitcher with one hand, milk with the other.

Sounds like things are going a little better. It's going to keep getting better and better. You and the doe will figure out what works for you both. Just keep at it. You'll be enjoying nice, fresh goat's milk (non-foot) in no time!

NeHi

[christie]

yes we been getting milk, we just have to cook it!!! I have to work the bucket thing on am off milk time and see what she does.

[manygoatsnmore]

That's a really good idea, working with the bucket at off-milking times. I already handle doelings' udders from birth (I feel like some sort of pervert, lol) so that they are used to it long before that first milking, but I never really thought about getting them used to having the bucket there...thank you for a "light bulb moment"!