Well. My goodness, what behaviour on a milkstand!

[ani's ark]

This morning I dragged DH out to try milking for the first time.
Salma was very un-amused by the 'stranger' grabbing at her teats. She did however manage to stand still and scoff a double portion of grain while he fiddled about, getting half the milk (and belly hair) out, running over his sausage-fingers into the bowl, uurg. Cat milk.

Then after tolerating him, she turned into a bronco on the stand while I tried to finish up. My fault?!! She pooped on the stand (she NEVER does that). She twisted and danced and basically had a total b**ch fit. When I finally finished, she was still fighting - panting and tied firmly to the stand, which I've NEVER had to do since the first week I had her!
Then when untied, her ladyship put her nose in the air and sashayed slowly out to the paddock with about as much dignity as I have ever seen in a goat. What a madam.
Wonder how tommorrow will go.

[DarleneJ]

Well. I guess lil miss priss showed you!!!


PS. I hope you encouraged your husband. Mine was never interested enough to try.

[Rockytopsis]

Next time try it with you on the normal side and him on the other, with you milking one side and him the other. You talk to her and he does not. If she accepts that then swap sides after a day or so. Still he should not talk.

When she accepts that then he can milk with you standing behind him and both of you try talking.

May be a round about way but I find baby steps when changing a goats pattern helps.

I have my goat trained to get in the milk stand no matter which gate I open for her to come in, there was a little confusion at first but she got the hang of it. She has me trained which gate she will use when it is raining. LOL

[Minelson]

OH my! I hope it goes better today for you..Maybe she needs a royal crown or something

[coso]

Goats being goats !! Best thing he can do is milk with confidence. LOL Just like horses I believe they sense if you are apprehensive about milking. That is easier said then done though, especially if you have not milked much before. Plus the more he milks, the more the does get used to him. We all know how goats love change don't we !!!

[CaliannG]

Ahhh, you got to participate in your first milk stand rodeo!

I find goat bondage works well. I now pull all babies at birth, and bottle feed, so I don't have to worry about doing the milkstand rodeo anymore (the does associate me as their kid, and therefore think I belong there, instead of thinking that I am "stealing" milk from their kids), but I have participated in such antics in the past.

First, you need soft, cotton rope. Look up "Japanese rope bondage" or "Shibari" on youtube, and teach yourself how to tie those non-slip cuffs. They are pretty easy once you get the hang of it, and look kinda like a hangman's noose applied to a goat leg, except that no matter how much the goat tries to jump, kick, or pull, they will not tighten up and cut off circulation.

Tie all four feet of the goat to the milkstand. Then, put an upside-down milk bucket under her chest to make sure she doesn't try laying down while you are trying to milk her.

Then milk. She can't go anywhere or do anything. So you and your milk bucket are perfectly safe.

When you are done, pat her, scratch her, and tell her what a good girl she is and give her a cookie. Then release her. (Those things are easy releases, so it doesn't take much time to either do them or release them.

Repeat this process faithfully for every milking for one week.

At the end of the first week, only tie her back feet, and don't use the upside down bucket any more.

At the end of the second week, you can stop tying her up altogether. She won't need it any more.

And that, my friends, is how you cure a goat of milkstand rodeos.