getting goats to behave like you want - how?

[cathleenc]

Lots of upheaval in our barn has led to my one milking doe, Sally, being a real pain all of a sudden.

Sold the dominant doe, have a new buck in rut in the barn, cut back on the milking doe's grain. All together wrecked havoc on what she knows and expects. We only have 2 does and the other is only 10m old.

How do I get my milker to behave? How do you effectively correct goats? I know how to for dogs, cats, and somewhat for horses - but what is the 'correction' language for goats?

Sally is stepping, hopping, kicking, and even bucking on the milk stand. Will try leaning on me if I slap her on the side. She has always had a tendency to give a half hearted hop at the end of milking - but she is full blown kicking now.

Sally is also pulling HARD when led by the chain collar. She is usually sweet and docile about being led.

My attempts at correction have been to slap and yell NO when she misbehaves on the milkstand, to try and remember to say nice things to her when she is behaving well. If she's a turd on the milkstand I leave her there while I finish chores - maybe 20 minutes. If she's good I take her out and return her to her stall asap. To stop her everytime she pulls when being led and either back her up and make her restart at the point of misbehavior or to circle her around to the point of misbehavior and start over. Last night I firmly put her nose straight up into the air and walked her that way. She hated it.

I am really unsure as to whether I am being effective or using the right approach. Got any advice? and yes, I cannot wait to return this buck to it's owner in another 10 days after the girls get bred.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I made hobbles for my kicker. It took a couple of weeks for her to settle down, but she did.

I made mine from canvas and wide velcro. I sewed a double thickness canvas strap that is the same length as the distance between her hind legs. At each end is enough velcro (both the hook and loop strips) to wrap around her leg, above the hock. It's a lot easier to get on and off than buckles.

Here's what they look like if you buy them....
http://www.caprinesupply.com/shop/?p...bacf6b0d517865

I also have a wide velcro wrap that can go around her ankle (the closest to me when I'm milking) and a bungy that goes from that wrap to the leg of the milk stand. This keeps her from moving away to the far side of the milk stand.

I don't have to use the hobbles any more at all.

[mpete]

it sounds to me like she is trying to be dominate over you since the other doe is now gone. She see's you as part of the herd. Try flipping her and keeping her down until she submits.