# Touch me not to milking goat



## SonRise Acres (Jan 13, 2019)

We have a Nigerian that I believe is pregnant. She’s my best mama goat we have. She literally takes a nap, stands up and makes 2-3 quiet cries, delivers her babies, nurses them, and never bats an eye. She always has strong healthy babies.

BUT she doesn’t like us to touch her (pregnant or not). We got her a few years ago from a very hands off owner. I would like to milk her when it’s time. We have a milking stand. She will come to feed. She will let me gently pat her if the choice is patting with feed or no feed and no patting. Any chance I can turn her into a successful milk goat? Quantity is there. 

If so, steps to making it happen.


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## Hens and Roos (Jan 13, 2019)

Can you be with her when her kids are born so she bonds with you?


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## SonRise Acres (Jan 13, 2019)

Hens and Roos said:


> Can you be with her when her kids are born so she bonds with you?



I have attended every birth, handled her babies from day one, and nothing has changed. She doesn’t ever run from me, just takes a step back if I attempt to close the gap between us.


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## Mike CHS (Jan 13, 2019)

Will she eat out of a bucket or bowl that you are holding?  We have sheep but I have been able to tame our wildest ewes by letting them eat out of something I'm holding.  It took a whole lot of times before I felt she was trusting enough to let me get hands on and she will never be 'tame' but she doesn't back off when I'm near her.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 13, 2019)

I will suggest this -- it has worked with mini horses and will apply to goats.  I have 2 does that are similar to what you describe of yours and I need to work with them, as you will yours.

When the animals have not been handled a lot, they are very apprehensive of you.   It is always a longer re-train with an older animal.   So I have put them into their stalls, gave feed, and began talking, approaching, petting.  At first 2X or more a day.  At first you won' t get much beyond the neck & shoulders.  As they calm to this, extend your reach.  It will take a while, start ASAP.   The smaller area limits their ability to run, move away and if you are calm and slow they will respond at some point.

There was one who was about 2 & half wild but, learned I was not going to hurt him.  This one I actually had to halter and hold for about a month to just pet his neck.  Eventually he was agreeable to my haltering & un haltering, lifting legs and working hooves.  Never was friendly to everyone but, would come to ME and accept handling.

Once the doe will let you handle, lead her, feel her all over, you can go with the milk stand and so on...expect resistance but, eventually it will work.   I've had a couple does who were fine to handle but not happy with actual milking.  Of course the feed bucket helped and holding a leg  helped.  Since they were tame, the milking was just acceptance of it.   Only took a week or so for them to begin to come thru the gate when it was their turn and RUN to the milk stand.

Hope we are both lucky to convince these girls to cooperate.
One of mine is fine with leading and petting, just not ready for feeling tummy and beyond but, I'm half there with her    Other one -- if she doesn't come around, she'll be sold as a "cull".   Just can't keep but so many.  Plus, not sure if #2 is bred.


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## SonRise Acres (Jan 13, 2019)

She will eat out of anything. The girl likes to eat.  She’d eat out of a bucket held by a stranger.


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## SonRise Acres (Jan 13, 2019)

Mini Horses said:


> I will suggest this -- it has worked with mini horses and will apply to goats.  I have 2 does that are similar to what you describe of yours and I need to work with them, as you will yours.
> 
> When the animals have not been handled a lot, they are very apprehensive of you.   It is always a longer re-train with an older animal.   So I have put them into their stalls, gave feed, and began talking, approaching, petting.  At first 2X or more a day.  At first you won' t get much beyond the neck & shoulders.  As they calm to this, extend your reach.  It will take a while, start ASAP.   The smaller area limits their ability to run, move away and if you are calm and slow they will respond at some point.
> 
> ...



I am going to work this.


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 13, 2019)

You can often times have standoffish goats that will come up to be milked. Once a routine is established, they’ll come up to be milked. How many goats do you have? Will you have several in milk? Once she realizes that good things come from being brought up to milk, she may just do it willingly. I know several folks that have had very skittish Nigerians but have no problem milking them. 

Everyone that posted gave you some really good info! 

We have one very hateful Nigerian. She is NOT a joy to work with. She’s a brat. Hates to be touched. She was sam raised and not handled by the breeder. If you go to deworm her, she’ll bite. Just a total brat. But I can still grab her collar, but not everyone can. When we pulled and bottle fed her kids, she turned into a completely different animal. She looked at me as her kid and was the most enjoyable goat. Sometimes I’d let her out of the pasture and she’d just hand out. Really nice doe. 
After she was dried up she was still a bit of a brat. When she raised her own kids she was horrid- wouldn’t let us milk her. We learned not do that again! 

Since she is such a good momma, I doubt you are wanting to bottle feed. If you are able, try to be there at kidding and let her “clean” you also. Might help her bond. 


@Mini Horses gave you some really good info! We’ve done something similar with goats that were nearly feral. It helps immensely!


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## frustratedearthmother (Jan 13, 2019)

Goat Whisperer said:


> She was sam raised and not handled by the breeder.


Better not let sam raise anymore babies!


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 13, 2019)

Oops LOL DAM raised! 

I had to keep correcting spell check, I completely missed it. 

I’m not against DAM raising at all, either  
We used to dam raise and had super friendly goats.


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## SonRise Acres (Jan 14, 2019)

Goat Whisperer said:


> You can often times have standoffish goats that will come up to be milked. Once a routine is established, they’ll come up to be milked. How many goats do you have? Will you have several in milk? Once she realizes that good things come from being brought up to milk, she may just do it willingly. I know several folks that have had very skittish Nigerians but have no problem milking them.
> 
> Everyone that posted gave you some really good info!
> 
> ...



We have pulled her kids before to bottle raise because letting her do it leads to stand off kids every single time. I don’t have to have lovey dovey pets, but if I need to doctor someone or work with them, I need to be able to at least catch them. So pulling her kids is the easiest. I would have sold get her long ago for all the trouble she’s been, but as I said she’s an incredible breeder who gives me colors from the father instead of her, never a sick baby, a strong birther, etc. She’s the perfect goat besides this one single issue.

I started working with her yesterday. I caught her off guard and managed to touch her face. She freaked that I touched her ONLY after enjoying it for 2-3 seconds. Lol.


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## lovinglife (Jan 15, 2019)

Take kids as they come out, helps to have someone to help you so they can get kids away from mom and cleaned up, let her lick you between kids, when she is finished take her to your milking area and milk her.  Have a pint jar and a quart jar, milk into the pint, hold it up close to her udder as you milk and don't stop when she dances around.  I have my girls in a head lock milk stand so they can't go anywhere.  Soon she will just eat her grain as you milk, may take a few weeks but she will come around.  If you don't have a milk stand you can tie her to a fence and on hands and knees lean in to her to keep her in one spot, she will dance and struggle but just don't stop, don't get mad or upset just be calm, sing a little song or hum or whatever you do.


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## canesisters (Jan 15, 2019)

Do you have a milking stanchion? 
I've heard stories over and over - with Cows - that a spooky cow will quiet right down in the stanchion.  Something about being caught / having the option to run removed.


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## SonRise Acres (Jan 15, 2019)

lovinglife said:


> Take kids as they come out, helps to have someone to help you so they can get kids away from mom and cleaned up, let her lick you between kids, when she is finished take her to your milking area and milk her.  Have a pint jar and a quart jar, milk into the pint, hold it up close to her udder as you milk and don't stop when she dances around.  I have my girls in a head lock milk stand so they can't go anywhere.  Soon she will just eat her grain as you milk, may take a few weeks but she will come around.  If you don't have a milk stand you can tie her to a fence and on hands and knees lean in to her to keep her in one spot, she will dance and struggle but just don't stop, don't get mad or upset just be calm, sing a little song or hum or whatever you do.



Music to milk by! I like it. 

We do have a milking stand. We try to make milking an awesome time for our girls. With my kids I take them to the stand with Mom. When they are old enough to eat things besides milk I take them, feed them there, and just mess with their tummies so it’s a non-issue when they are older. It’s just what they do for “treats”. 

I am going to work on getting her to the stand next week. Her kids will be pulled. We always pull hers or she raises aloof stand off offspring.


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## SonRise Acres (Jan 15, 2019)

canesisters said:


> Do you have a milking stanchion?
> I've heard stories over and over - with Cows - that a spooky cow will quiet right down in the stanchion.  Something about being caught / having the option to run removed.



I am going to begin working with her with the stand. Hoping she’s like those spooky cows. Lol


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## misfitmorgan (Jan 18, 2019)

We had one mini lamancha we gave up on for milking. You had to drag her literally all the way to the stand, she would not eat the grain and would sit down like a dog. So after dragging her and picking her up to put her on the stand you then had to hold her up and milk her. We gave up after a month of doing that twice a day, she never improved.

Some you just can't win it seems. On the other hand, we got a feral boer doe who i kept on a 50ft tether for about 3 months until she was tame and actually friendly. I would mess with her daily, feed her, pet her, just talk to her. At first she would just run around like a lunatic but as time when on she settled down. The whole time DH told me i was wasting my time. She isn't the most lovable goat but i can work with her.


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## Wispy55 (Jan 19, 2019)

I just love reading responses here, there is always such wonderful and thorough advise. Would like to add that we had a Lamanch doe just like you described. Even after kidding was not one to allow you to touch her except during milking. What changed her attitude was being stalled with a young expressively friendly nubian doe. Watching her herdmate always approach us and get treats and loves and kisses has changed her completely. She can and is skiddish at times but those are very rare now. Good luck with yours, it can be done!


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