# Gave my goat a little lesson



## that's*satyrical (Oct 17, 2011)

Hopefully it was the right thing to do. Lately after a few minutes of milking she decides she's going to kick her feet & jump about so she can't be milked anymore. Well, I shouldn't say lately she has done it since we got her. So anyways, I've been letting her get away with it for the most part. Mostly because she is new here & we are new to milking. After we got the hang of milking & knew we were doing it correctly we started having someone hold her hind feet while we milk. She still would try to act a fool sometimes even with us doing that, but it helped. So today I was completely on my own & want to try to start breaking her of this bad habit because I am going to be the one milking on my own from now on for the most part. So I raised my voice slightly & told her in a stern voice it was not acceptable. Pulled her leg firmly though not enough to hurt her and placed it back down in the correct place on the milking stand & began to milk again. I did this several times & she continued to act out occasionally. When she would stand still I would praise her with happy sounding words. She took off after a bit of this.  Literally tipped the stand over & went to run to her pen. I brought her back to the stand. I really think she is just being a brat because she was pretty much fine after that on the stand. I finished milking her out, praised her & gave her a treat. So is this the right way to get her to behave? I really want going to the milk stand to remain a pleasant experience for her, but I need it to be where I can keep my sanity as well!! Thanks for letting me vent here...


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## freemotion (Oct 17, 2011)

Be the Boss Goat!  Goats are tough, you have to be firm.  My first question is.....how on earth did she get out of the stanchion?  Sounds like your stanchion needs some sort of adjustment.  She shouldn't be able to escape.

You let her get away with it for a while, so you will have to be VERY firm and COMPLETELY consistent from now on.  Sounds like you are on the right path now.  What's up with the stanchion, though?  How'd she get out?


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## terrilhb (Oct 17, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Be the Boss Goat!  Goats are tough, you have to be firm.  My first question is.....how on earth did she get out of the stanchion?  Sounds like your stanchion needs some sort of adjustment.  She shouldn't be able to escape.
> 
> You let her get away with it for a while, so you will have to be VERY firm and COMPLETELY consistent from now on.  Sounds like you are on the right path now.  What's up with the stanchion, though?  How'd she get out?


I don't milk yet but I know a little of what you are going through.  Freemotion  I have a very hard time being the Boss Goat with my goats. Especially my biggest buck. He loves me and when I don't want him to rub on me he gives me sad goat eyes.  Good luck.


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## zzGypsy (Oct 17, 2011)

we've had difficulties with several goats getting them settled into the routine of milking.  one we gave up on, even though she produced a fair quantity of milk, she'd never really been handled before we bought her (our error) and after several months seemed to be getting much more skittish rather than less.  we sold her to someone who wanted to breed, not milk.

one would lay down after a couple minutes of milking... our favorite breeder sold us Misty at a good price because she'd come back from another buyer for this reason.  she knew we'd be able to handle this goat even though the previous buyer probably allowed the problem to become a habit.  when milking Misty, we'd go along fine for a bit but I'd have to stand to milk her instead of sitting... this was so the moment she started to crouch I could wedge my leg under her flank and belly and prevent her from being able to complete the lay down. then I milked her out with her propped on my leg and wedged against the wall.  we had 4 or 5 days in a row of this and then the behavior stopped, like she figured it just wasn't going to work, so she quit trying.  a couple of months later we had one more attempt, and she's never tried it since.  my hubby got a great deal of entertainment out of watching me milk and wrangle her at the same time... 

the last one of our trouble children is Steenie, she's always been skittish, but we've had her from 5 months, so we prepped by handing her legs, belly udder from the time we bought her.  still, once it came time to actually start milking her she'd kick, jump, hike her back end up so high it looked like she was trying to do a headstand, climb her hind feed up the fence (the side stop of our stantion), and bellow like we were killing her.  rather than fight with her, we decided to just prevent such silliness altogether.  we put a strap on the fence that went from about hock-high over her back right at the front of her hip bones, and then wrapped under the milking stool so she couldn't raise her back end from standing height.  and then we took a twist of soft 1" cotton lead rope and made  hobbles for her hind legs.  that way she couldn't jump up, kick, stand on her head or climb the fence. then we were especially easy and calm milking her, taking extra caution when she was full and possibly tender.  after a couple of weeks of simply preventing the behavior and making milking as pleasant and calm as we could, the behavior eased off and she started to settle into the routine.  we stopped using the hobbles, and a week or so later, stopped using the butt strap.  for a while, she'd still give an occasional kick, so you had to keep a hand on the milk bucket to keep it from getting tipped, but now she's all on board with the program, easy and calm on the milk stand.

in addition to milking protocol, I am clearly the Goddess of All Goats and every one of my goats knows it... there is no butting, biting, clothing nibbling or excessively bratty behavior around me.  this summer, my coming yearling buck decided it was time for him to move up the rank and lowered his head and moved on me... I spent the next hour reminding him exactly WHO is the Goddess of Goats!  I had to take him down and sit on him 7 or 8 times before he was convinced (not so easy with a 150 lb buck!)  but it's one of those things... as they mature, they will go through stages where they want to challenge for Herd Buck position... if you don't manage it when it occurs, you can be sure you'll be dealing with it daily.

anyway, I hope that'll give you some ideas for managing your reluctant milker.


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## that's*satyrical (Oct 17, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Be the Boss Goat!  Goats are tough, you have to be firm.  My first question is.....how on earth did she get out of the stanchion?  Sounds like your stanchion needs some sort of adjustment.  She shouldn't be able to escape.


Hahaha!! She put her front feet up on the part that her head goes through & leaned forward tipping the whole stand forward. The part that her head goes through popped open when she tipped it (we have a hook & eye & the hook slipped upwards when she tipped it) That was probably a good thing she may have broke her neck otherwise!! 

Good to hear I am doing the right thing being tough with her though. I will keep working with her. Truthfully even after this one time of letting her know I didn't like it I think she was getting the jist of that by the end of our milking session. I'll let you all know how it goes....


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## Rebbetzin (Oct 18, 2011)

When I first started milking, the head goat would give me fits! I think she was just "testing" me.  She would wait until I had about a cup or so of milk in the bucket, and she would plant her foot right in the bucket! Or she would just be a brat and kick her hind legs at random times.

I made a "hobble" of sorts from some wide velcro for her back legs. Once I decided she was not going to get the better of me, she calmed right down and now she is great!


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## kstaven (Oct 18, 2011)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> freemotion said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You are on the right path. Grabbing the leg and firmly placing it is exactly what we do with cows that attempt to kick. They soon learn you will not tolerate their attempts to stop the process and they have to stand properly.


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## Roll farms (Oct 18, 2011)

You ARE the boss goat.  Be the boss goat.

If you start out accepting silliness, they will continue to try to snow you.  They're a bit like bratty children that way.  

A good swat on the rump / grumpy voice usually straightens my brat (Penny) out PDQ.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 18, 2011)

My girl is usually an angel on the stand, but the other day she ran out of feed (and I wasn't giving her more) and she starting acting a fool.  She started pretending to kick like she was swatting at flies (just stamping her feet) and I'm pretty good about using my arms to block her from the milk bucket.  Well, when she realized she really wasn't getting her way, she started kicking with both feet like a little brat, and she managed to tip the bucket over.  I was SO livid.  I yelled at her loudly (and she flinched) and I gave her an elbow to the ribs, not hard enough to injure her, but letting her know I was pissed.   She stood after that, and then we walked back to the pen.  I have no problems letting her know I'm pissed off at her for acting like an idiot.  She tries to get away with stuff she knows she isn't supposed to do (like running into the chicken pen to steal food).


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## Roll farms (Oct 18, 2011)

Would that be your Ob doe, Aggie?

Oh how that sounds like Penny.  Brats.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 18, 2011)

I feel for you. I have a milking machine and that solved a lot of problems for me. The milking machine finishes so fast that I don't have to worry about them running out of food and my problem children stood much nicer. Not to mention that my hands no longer hurt.


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## Queen Mum (Oct 18, 2011)

I use a very thick soft rope to make a hobble.  One loop goes around each leg just above the hocks with a short length between each leg.   It is the kind that tightens when she pulls.  It is tied back and behind on both sides.  It only takes about a week and she will learn that when she pulls forward to kick or get loose, the hobble will get tighter.  If she stands still it will remain loose.  The hobble will keep her from pulling forward, from backing up (because her head will be in the stanchion) and from stepping off the milk stand.  

At first she will be furious.  And bawl and cry and try to get loose.  You may have to hold one foot firmly and milk with the other hand.  You may have to even forego the milk bucket and just milk right on to the milk stand.   BUT in the long run it will be worth it.  

AND strip her out!  

Use a bucket with hot water and periodically wash down her udder and massage it. She will find this part to be a pleasant experience.  Keep feeding her until you are done.  

Then when done milking she will get a treat and brushed and loves.  Maybe even a hot bath on the stand with a towel down.

NO SMACKS OR HITS OR ANGRY VOICES.  Just calm firm, voices.  She needs to know that you are going to milk her no matter what, but that you still love her and you are going to get through this together.  Maybe even play some music at the same time.


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## hillbillycitygirl (Oct 18, 2011)

I have a brat too, shes almost 2yrs old and if some of my kids are around being noisy then she gets all crazy..stomping and kicking...or if she runs out of food. 

Your not alone..goats can be little brats at times, Mine gets a swat on the rump and a firm "NO!" I have found that using a smaller bucket helps me be able to get the milk out as fast as possible if she starts acting up. I have had her almost fall off the stand before...that would have hurt!


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## peachick (Oct 18, 2011)

I patiently clicker trained my jumpy goat....  but after a few sessions  I lost my patience  LOL 
I decided she was just messing with me and was going to do what ever the heck she felt like doing.....  so then I grabbed the squirt bottle (empty mustard bottle)  and squirt it at her head when she got stupid..... that worked real well.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 18, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Would that be your Ob doe, Aggie?
> 
> Oh how that sounds like Penny.  Brats.


Yep, that's her.  She's so good most of the time, but sometimes she thinks she should be able to do as she pleases.


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## Queen Mum (Oct 18, 2011)

hillbillycitygirl said:
			
		

> I have a brat too, shes almost 2yrs old and if some of my kids are around being noisy then she gets all crazy..stomping and kicking...or if she runs out of food.
> 
> Your not alone..goats can be little brats at times, Mine gets a swat on the rump and a firm "NO!" I have found that using a smaller bucket helps me be able to get the milk out as fast as possible if she starts acting up. I have had her almost fall off the stand before...that would have hurt!


Yes, they can be brats, but if you invest the time to train them that milking doesn't have to be a miserable experience, you don't have to smack them, ever.  And you don't have to race through milking, nor do you have to spray them with a spray bottle.  And they will get the point that it isn't about food.  They will learn that they can trust you on the milk stand for even miserable procedures and they will endure a heck of a lot more things than you think.  

They will tell you that they have run out of food, by moving, but they will also learn that kicking over the bucket is not the way to tell you that.  And milking will be a much more pleasant experience for everyone involved.  

Even the wildest goat can be taught that you are doing what is good for them and you can be trusted.  It takes patience, time and care.


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