Does who just won't hold still for milking

[Ernie]

Y'all ever have any does who just won't tolerate milking?

I've had some who were placid but this one Nubian I've got just won't stand for it. Not at all. I milk her the same as the others, on a milking stand and I even have hobbled her back legs but she kicks and fights and gives me no end of trouble. Two years now and I've not been able to calm her down and she's making the morning milking experience into a miserable one.

I've tried playing soothing music, I've tried talking to her. I've tried a whole host of tricks and techniques and I can't seem to latch on to anything. I'd say it's time to make her a meat contributor, but she's the boniest of the lot. She gives about a half-gallon a day, but you've got to fight for every drop!

[Jyllie63]

Well...none of my does are easy milkers. My nubian is the one I am milking right now and she's been pretty easy (this is the first year that I've milked her) until the last couple of days. She doesn't want to eat the whole bucket of grain anymore which in turn causes her to kick and thrash on the milking stand. She's starting to get on my nerves!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Life is too short......

Hobbles.

Try milking from the other side or the back.

Make sure she's not claustrophobic. I had one goat who could NOT tolerate being in a closed in area.

[Chaty]

My Nubian dont like the milk stand so I just squat by her as she thinks I'm her baby anyway and she stands with no problem. Some dont like the stand and some do as my other girls do, I think this 1 had a bad experience on a stand before I got her and she does great without being in a stand. I do have 1 that sometimes stomps sometimes and I just say "NO" and if that dont stop it a slight tap to the leg that got lifted and if that dont stop it a swat but not hard. It does get their attention. Basically the only time they dont behave is when flys are buzzing around and we have a dance. They dotn like flys...Other than that they are good even the FF that I dont even have to close the stantion on her and she is wonderful. You need to stop the bad habits before thay really get started good.

[chamoisee]

She's probably got hypersensitive boobies. Seriously. I am not kidding. Some of them just do. And while she throws a lot of kids, what if her daughter turn out that way too?

[christie]

My Nubian doe was busy on the stand, So some one told me to push her so she thinks she's going to fall off, and that did the trick!! she holds still real nice. And she is cautious off the edge. So ant time she acts up I give her a nudge and she stands great!

[Ernie]

I've watched this one nurse babies out in the field and she doesn't even stand still for them. I remember thinking what an awful mother she was when she'd kick newborns in the head. I'd have gotten rid of her a long time ago but she throws twins and triplets regular as clockwork. I think I may sell her as breeding stock or keep her as a meat producer. Other than the milking I get along pretty well with her.

[steff bugielski]

I've gotten to the point that if they will not stand still in a few weeks they are gone. I have too many calm milkers I don't have to deal with a trouble maker. Now if she was producing a huge amount of milk maybe but for a half a gallon a milking noway.
Stop milking her and fatten her up.

[nehimama]

Sounds like it's time to let that one go, or at least not milk her any more. Let her raise meat babies. Milking should be a pleasant chore, in my opinion, anyway.

NeHi

[Painted Pony]

Originally Posted by Ernie

I've watched this one nurse babies out in the field and she doesn't even stand still for them. I remember thinking what an awful mother she was when she'd kick newborns in the head. I'd have gotten rid of her a long time ago but she throws twins and triplets regular as clockwork. I think I may sell her as breeding stock or keep her as a meat producer. Other than the milking I get along pretty well with her.

If she does not properly raise babies because she is not letting them nurse I wouldn't sell her off to become someone else's problem doe. Throwing twins, IMO, is not such a are quality that she's worth keeping if she's a bad mother or bad milker. I agree that 1/2 a gallon is not worth that kind of attitude.

I had one doe that would get fidgity on the stand. I smacked her hip and told her "NO" until she stood still. I also aim a fan towards us so I am sure none of the girls are actually kicking at flies during milking. When I first start putting them on the stand I leave them there while I do barn chores. I can see them so no one struggles and gets hurt, but they quickly learn patience and stop fidgiting all the time. Milking should be enjoyed not dreaded.

[Idahoe]

A half gallon isn't worth the headache IMO, unless it is your only family milk.

I had a goat that kicked and fussed and I "spanked" her with a thin cedar shim, it made more noise than sting, each time she kicked or bucked. Sometimes I sat there and spanked away, trying to pair up the kicking and the spanking in her brain so she'd get a clue that kicking/bouncing around resulted in pain and a loud smacking noise.

She eventually did settle down, but I had to be really consistent and willing to whack her behind each and every time or else she'd push her limits.

She was a total PIA, and if I didn't love her so much, I'd have culled or retired her.

Good luck, sometimes we don't have much choice in the animal, if we rely on them and don't have money to throw around for a different milker.

[billooo2]

When they first freshen (and start getting milked for the first time).....I NEVER let loose of the teats........I even had one throw herself off the milk stand and tipped the milkstand over. If you let go of the teats, then you are rewarding their bad behaivor, and it will only encourage them to do more of it. They usually figure out pretty quickly that no matter what they do, I will not let go of their teats. I can be very patient for the first week or so of being milked. Once I think that they know what is expected of them.....and they want to act up, they get a firm, "NO," followed by a "nudge" (as mentioned above) or a slap. From my experience, once they realize that their bed behavior is not going to get them what they want......and may result in something unpleasant, then the bad behavior usually goes away. Occasaionally there may be a "battle of the wills." If they "throw a fit" about being on the milkstand........I sit back, sip on a cup of coffee, talk quietly to them......and wait for them to either give up or get tired. I never let them off while they are having their "hissy-fit." (There is no point in rewarding bad behaviour.)

I have had a couple goats that were pretty wild, and never became very tame........but they have perfect manners on the milkstand.

[Ernie]

Originally Posted by Painted Pony

If she does not properly raise babies because she is not letting them nurse I wouldn't sell her off to become someone else's problem doe. Throwing twins, IMO, is not such a are quality that she's worth keeping if she's a bad mother or bad milker. I agree that 1/2 a gallon is not worth that kind of attitude.

I had one doe that would get fidgity on the stand. I smacked her hip and told her "NO" until she stood still. I also aim a fan towards us so I am sure none of the girls are actually kicking at flies during milking. When I first start putting them on the stand I leave them there while I do barn chores. I can see them so no one struggles and gets hurt, but they quickly learn patience and stop fidgiting all the time. Milking should be enjoyed not dreaded.

Oh no. I'm not a believer in moving my problem animals off to someone else. She does properly raise her babies, and they turn out to be fine fat kids, but she only stands there for a few minutes at a time and lets them nurse. They quickly learn to eat on the run, so to speak, snatching some nursing whenever mom stops moving. I contrast that to other does which will just stand there and let the babies nurse until the babies are done.

I've noticed that when I'm drying her off she's much better behaved. If I let her get to the point where she's engorged and it's a relief to be milked then she's much more tolerant about being milked. However that cuts production down quite a bit and I don't think it's proper.

[southerngurl]

I believe that probably any animal can be conditioned to tolerate anything that isn't painful.

If you want to fix this, I would take time daily, expect about 1/2 hour or more.

Is she ok with you touching her side? Her belly? If so, pet it, and as you pet, work your way toward the udder. Right when you hit the spot she tenses or begins to fight a tad, stay in that spot, just petting and when she calms down or stops dancing, move your petting back to a comfortable spot. You would have to keep working like this for a while. Find a really positive place to stop. I would expect you would have to do this 3-5 days in a row, work up to milking. Just don't ever stop while she's dancing and DO stop when she doesn't. It's best if you can stop your advance when she's just getting tense, and not fully upset.

If she's just yanking your chain, I'm not opposed to a slap on the hip, it works.

[southerngurl]

Originally Posted by billooo2

When they first freshen (and start getting milked for the first time).....I NEVER let loose of the teats........I even had one throw herself off the milk stand and tipped the milkstand over. If you let go of the teats, then you are rewarding their bad behaivor, and it will only encourage them to do more of it. They usually figure out pretty quickly that no matter what they do, I will not let go of their teats. I can be very patient for the first week or so of being milked. Once I think that they know what is expected of them.....and they want to act up, they get a firm, "NO," followed by a "nudge" (as mentioned above) or a slap. From my experience, once they realize that their bed behavior is not going to get them what they want......and may result in something unpleasant, then the bad behavior usually goes away. Occasaionally there may be a "battle of the wills." If they "throw a fit" about being on the milkstand........I sit back, sip on a cup of coffee, talk quietly to them......and wait for them to either give up or get tired. I never let them off while they are having their "hissy-fit." (There is no point in rewarding bad behaviour.)

I have had a couple goats that were pretty wild, and never became very tame........but they have perfect manners on the milkstand.

Good advice.

[DQ]

Originally Posted by southerngurl

Good advice.

super dooper good advice.

[Goat Servant]

Yep, what Southerngurl had to say. Sounds like foreplay but you'll get further with that.
I also keep hold of the teats, talk nice to her even if she's being a pill. I also tell my girls when Im trimming feet what nice well behaved girls they are even if they being jerks.
Now here's another. If you are approaching her expecting to milk & are somewhat tense she is going to pick up on it.
Though you strike me as a pretty calm person.
Im only milking one. If I put her whole ration in at once she races through it coughing & gagging.
So I milk a little, stop to give her more grain and so on. When I sense her tensing up for whatever reason I pull the pail away & let her settle down.
Hope you find what works for you & her!

[Lizza]

We had one like that, she made milking something to NOT look forward too. Milking is a big chore and I don't like to resent an animal I have to see a few times a day. She was a beautiful doe with a great pedigree. We sold her cheap and told the new owners she was a pain in the behind and have the hobbles ready. Well, last time we saw them they said they don't know what we were talking about, she is wonderfully behaved for them. I am now certain she hated us. I don't regret letting her go, at all, that goat bit me once!

[Ernie]

I don't have a stellar relationship with this one animal, and I guess it shows. For some reason her personality just pushes all my buttons. Strange to let an animal get to you like that, but there we have it.

I milked her dry this afternoon and she was as mild-mannered as could be. I'm wondering if she overheard my negotiations with a neighbor for her this afternoon.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Yes, they do listen in on conversations!