Wild milk goat

6e · #1 03/13/11, 08:25 PM

We took in a Saanen milk goat who I think has the potential to be a good milker, but is on the wild side. We did our best to befriend her before she freshened, but no luck and I thought, well, she'll settle down after she kids. Here we are 3 days fresh and we still have to catch her every time we have to milk which constitutes cornering her, catching her, fighting her to the milk stand, picking her up and putting her on the stand as she refuses to get on it on her own, and then she spends the whole time snorting at me, kicking the bucket over and just generally being a pain. I hate to sell her as I think she could really be a good producer, but would you take the time on a doe like this? Do you think she'll ever get the hang of it?

My thoughts were to give it two weeks and she should be in the routine of it, but now I'm beginning to doubt myself on that and wonder if she'll ever get the hang of it, or this catching routine is going to be it forever. LOL

The Tin Mom · #2 03/13/11, 08:32 PM

Do you have time to just sit in the barn with her & let her get used to you? My kids sit with our new kids a lot - but they don't milk, so it wouldn't do any good in your case. I don't have the time, so, sadly, I would have to let that girl go.

You might see if she improves. I hope so.

nehimama · #3 03/13/11, 08:33 PM

It's only three days? Myself, I'd keep working with her. An established routine really may help.

I consider myself a sort of a "pro" at milkstand training, and I just had one EIGHT WEEKS FRESH, who FINALLY can be milked without hobbles! I'm not particularly patient, just needed the milk, or I'd have sold her. She truly was a trial.

I'm not saying your girl will take 8 weeks to come right for you, but I'd still work with her.

Good Luck

francismilker · #4 03/13/11, 09:03 PM

With milkcows, it's amazing what a dependancy on feed will do for you. I've had some heifers before that required an all out western round-up to get them in the barn come milking time. They were getting enough grass or hay to keep their belly full and had no desire for the feed I offered. It wasn't until I penned them in a dry lot with water only that they decided the feed was a treat. Once I started this regiment, I kept doing it for about a week. The only feedstuff they got all day was the hay/grain provided in the milk barn. It didn't take long for them to become addicted to grain.

Now, that doesn't mean that they ever became great "people" persons. They just needed the grain as much as I needed their milk so we met in the middle.

Just an idea.

CaliannG · #5 03/13/11, 10:17 PM

Francismilker may not be a long-time, all guru-goat person, but that is exactly what I would do.

Limit her hay and feed between milkings so that she is *hungry* by milking time. It'll mean her production is lower while you train her, but a bit thin in the belly does WONDROUS things for getting critters to do things without a fuss.

This works for goats, sheep, cows, pigs and horses. I have a gelding that came to me EXCEPTIONALLY shy (abused) and *smart*. Decided he didn't want to come at all to people, in case they might want to ride him.

It's amazing what a little food will do for something like that. After a while of ONLY pasture...and the only grain or alfalfa pellets he got was from my hand, now all I have to do is whistle "Fly me to the Moon" (Frank Sinatra) and that horse could be 20 acres away and still come a'runnin'.

He KNOWS me whistling like that means grain.

6e · #6 03/13/11, 11:02 PM

Well, she did a "little" better tonight.....at least she didn't kick the bucket over, but still had to corner her to catch her. Then we have our other wild goat who hasn't kidded yet get loose and come to see where the other girls were and created all kinds of chaos running around in the milk area. Sheesh, what a night.

Also, we have a FF whose milk supply keeps dwindling. Any ideas on why? She's barely giving 1/2" in the bottom of the bucket. She picked up for a little while and I thought, "Ok, now she's going to milk" but now she's dropping again. She gets as much grain as she can eat on the stand, a mix of oats, corn, BOSS, and shredded beet pulp. Then she gets all the hay she wants. The only thing I haven't been feeding here the last week is alfalfa pellets as the co-op is out. Waiting on another shipment. Any ideas on what I can give her to up milk production? Is there a mineral that helps with milk production?

The Tin Mom · #7 03/13/11, 11:06 PM

What kind of hay? I have noticed here that, since my supplier has run out of alfalfa, the girls' have started producing less. I am supplementing with alfalfa pellets - but still have noticed a drop. Looking forward to May, when we can go back on the good stuff!

6e · #8 03/13/11, 11:13 PM

Oh I'll be glad when the pasture comes back in!

Right now we're feeding a mix of different kinds of hay depending on what the man has. Sorghum is the main hay that the girls like. Also feed grass hay, Lespedeza hay, Brome hay or whatever he has.

billooo2 · #9 03/13/11, 11:29 PM

I have had does that were not used to being handled. I put them in small pen, ao that they cannot run from me.
As a rule, I do not chase goats. If I have one that does not want to tbe caught, I use a 1/2 length of livestock panel.....and "trap' them in a corner. They get less agitated than when chasing them. IMO, chasing them may be reinforcing the habit of running from you.
After they realize that they get grain, then they usually want to get on the milk stand.
Kicking the bucket, etc........I tie a length of rope around one rear foot, and tie it to the back of the milk stand. I tie it so that the foot is just slightly back further than normal. It is not so far back that she is uncomfortable, but far enough so that she does not have enough "balance" to kick with her other foot. I seldom have had to do it more than 3 days.

6e · #10 03/14/11, 12:20 AM

We don't "chase" her. We corner her. LOL Once she goes into the shed, the door is so small that there's no going around us and then she tries to hide another another goat. We just grab her collar and then drag her out and even with grain, she won't eat. She just stands there and snorts at me the whole time I'm milking her. LOL

dm9960 · #11 03/14/11, 05:50 AM

I've been having the same problem with a FF of mine. She is real sweet, tame and all, but her milk supply has dropped dramatically. I was worried about her health until I caught one of our meat goats' babies helping himself and she was letting him! Think it's time to build another pen.

nehimama · #12 03/14/11, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dm9960

I've been having the same problem with a FF of mine. She is real sweet, tame and all, but her milk supply has dropped dramatically. I was worried about her health until I caught one of our meat goats' babies helping himself and she was letting him! Think it's time to build another pen.

LOL! That explains a lot, doesn't it?

billygoatridge · #13 03/14/11, 03:40 PM

I've had a couple that started out wild. I tied a longer chord on to her collar that we could grab or step on to real her in. We also only grain them on the stand. After about a week to two they learned they were going to get caught and get a treat on the stand. Each day you could tell they gave a little less resistance to being caught. Once they got where they would allow you to catch them or they came out on their own the chord/rope came off. I've got another that always has been resistant to being caught, but after a weeks repetition of getting grain on the stand she will come out when you open the gate and put herself in the stand. Still don't want you catching her out in the lot though.

6e · #14 03/14/11, 06:18 PM

I wondered about putting a long line on her since we use that technique with horses that don't want to be caught. I may put that on her.

oberhaslikid · #15 03/14/11, 06:40 PM

It takes Patients and time by 3 weeks she should have it down pat.
They know when your uptite or tense.

I have been working with a FF that was on the wild side and Iam now in my second week. She has finally figured it out on how to get up there.I was so sore for the first week I didnt know how much more I could take.
I had to lift her rear on the stand.I have to still go in and grab her collar.The whole time saying her name. Then once in the milk room she hops right up there and I lock her head in. I pet her all over as she eats. Just to let her know I wont hurt her and to get use to being touched.
I train mine to come by name. I open the gate saying the name and usually in the same milking order.They jump up and I milk .I release the head gate and they return to the gate .I open and the next name is called.

wintrrwolf · #16 03/14/11, 06:43 PM

When I first started milking my saanen who had never been milked before, we went through the goat dance, though she never ran from me, even when she had to have known I was going to milk her. Sugar has always been a grain hog. I gave some of her grain on the stand. I also use the maggidan's milker so she could twist, dance and kick all she wanted I was going to get the milk no matter what. After about 2 weeks of consistent milking she settled down, I have to say she got even better once I moved the milking stand out and away from the other goats. Oh and at first she would not get on the stand so I clipped her to the back part of it close to the wall so if she started to move around to much I would shoulder her to the wall. After I changed the location of the milking stand all I had to do was open the gate and she would run and hop up on the stand, I would close the headgate and get down to cleaning and milking. But this all took a couple of months. You may not want to invest that amount of time, but my Sugar was worth it especially when I was getting a gallon+ a day.