Anyone else's goat do this ?

horsepoor21 · #1 12/04/09, 08:03 PM

Our Saanen girl is driving me looney ! We got her this pat summer , were told she was 3 years old but with the clicking in her knees and her over all "look" I'm guessing she's older .

When we milk her she always "squats" funny , but it actually does make milking easier . Well , lately she's started to squat so far down that she's laying on the bucket which in turn traps my hands in there and I literally cannot get them out until she stands back up ! I'm not sure if its something to do with her hips ? Or if she's just being lazy ?

So now I'm tilting the bucket with one hand while milking with another . Slow process .....
Anyone ever had a goat do this ?

ShyAnne · #2 12/04/09, 08:22 PM

I do. I have one doe, Hollie, that squats pretty low. She does it for her kids also,lol. Although after a few minutes she straightens back up not getting lower.

Alice In TX/MO · #3 12/04/09, 08:32 PM

My LaMancha doe squats just a bit.

Put a five gallon plastic bucket under your doe's chest.

goatkid · #4 12/04/09, 10:39 PM

Diamond Dust does this when she's bred and trying to wean me.

pookshollow · #5 12/05/09, 07:05 AM

I read about a "trick" recently for goats that like to lie down, that may work for you. Take a long strip of cloth or a soft rope and tie it around her belly just behind the ribcage - not tight but snug enough that when she squats, it will tighten up and be uncomfortable.

Worth a try!

Ken in Maine · #6 12/05/09, 07:30 AM

Count her mature teeth... that will give you her age.

horsepoor21 · #7 12/05/09, 09:54 AM

Thankyou everyone for your replies !

She's not bred so she doesn't have that excuse to wean me ! LOL

But I will definitely try that trick with the rope ,thankyou !

Ken , thankyou ! How do I know which ones are the mature ones ? (can't say I've ever looked in her mouth before)

Ken in Maine · #8 12/05/09, 11:14 AM

It is always important to "know" your goats or any livestock that you have. That means you will be aware of any changes in their conformation or physical characteristics.

To "tooth" a goat is simple. Goats, like all animals with teeth have what we call baby teeth. A goat under one year old will have what some refer to as milk teeth. Those are the smallish teeth. When a goat gets to be about one year old they start getting their permanent or mature teeth. The first ones to come in are in the bottom center of the goats mouth. You will notice them because they will be much larger than the surrounding teeth. Every year after that they add one more set of teeth. One tooth on each side of the center line. All you have to do is count the large teeth. The first pair are one year old... the next pair is two years old and so on. Most goats will keep their permanent teeth but a really older goat will get what is called "broken mouth". That simply means that, as they age, their teeth will start to fall out.

I think that if you google goat teeth you should find pictures of what a goats mouth should look like.

I heard a story several years ago about someone who bought a goat and felt they got ripped off because the goat was so old it didn't have any top teeth. Goats do not have top teeth.

madness · #9 12/05/09, 03:41 PM

All of our does squat just a bit. Maxie started squatting real low one day. Had no idea what her deal was. I pushed he back up and kept going. She did it a second time...this time she did what she needed to do...pee all over the milk stand. Ugh. I know this isn't an issue for the OP, but if your doe randomly squats on the milk stand, there might be another reason! X(

Fias Co Farm has a pretty good age determination webpage:

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/age.htm

KimM · #10 12/05/09, 11:21 PM

I have a doe that does that, I push DOWN on her croup and she naturally resists and then stands.

crazygoatgal · #11 12/07/09, 02:10 PM

My very promising ff doe is doing this to me and I swear she is just trying to be obstinate and difficult. I believe she feels like since her babies are weaned she deserves a break. As much as I understand the feeling I really wanted to get some milk out of her. She and I are coming to an understanding though and we both win. I will have to post some pics cause I think she is a really nice looking doe and my first "Opie" baby girl. He is an awesome producer!!