# First time goat owner and milking



## Danceswgoats (Jan 28, 2019)

I have 4 does, 3 pregnant one to give birth in a month or less, this one will come to me if I'm holding sweet feed in my hand but if I try to touch anything else besides get head she starts turning and avoiding me; the other two are skittish and it's hard to get a hold of them. I've been trying to use a short chain leash on the fence to teach them to eat from the small feeder with sweet feed and hay while I thouch them, I've had some success with this method. I'm wondering if it would be better to let them have their baby's and not milk them and rather teach their kids instead. I've been reading lots here, I have come upon similar threads but thought about asking some questions for my particular situation.
Thanks, EZ.


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## GLENMAR (Jan 29, 2019)

It depends. That's a lot of bred does invested in to not milk them. Did you get them specifically to milk?? Most of our dairy does were bottle raised kids. This makes them friendly and they fun TO you rather then away. If you don't bottle feed your kids from these does, they may be the same way. If you want to tame them, I'd try leaving collars on them so you can catch them easier. Confine them to a small pen, so you can catch them, and handle them and give treats as much as possible. The other option is to sell them with their kids and invest in a couple of good quality trained and in milk dairy does.


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## Latestarter (Jan 30, 2019)

When the does kid, you want to be in there covering your hands and arms with all that glorious afterbirth and birthing fluids. You want to handle those kids and let mom see you doing it and smell/lick her fluids off you. You want to become "one" with those kids so mom sees YOU as one of her kids. Get in there and help the kid latch on. Get your udder caresses in while that kid is nursing and mom is licking it clean. Check those teats to make sure they aren't plugged. Spend some time getting close to new mom and babies. Within days, you should start attaching her to a fence or putting her in a stanchion and start training her to milk. Easiest if done when they are hungry, like morning, where you can put some grain down for them at the same time. Just MHO...


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## Southern by choice (Jan 30, 2019)

What breed are the goats?
Have the goats ever kidded before?


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## Danceswgoats (Jan 30, 2019)

Hi this goats are Nubian goats mixed with Nigerian dwarf they look more like a Nubian though. I will try to be there when they give birth I just hope I catch them on time. The little one that I have is very friendly and always lets me touch her body without issues the other three adult females will let me touch them if I am holding them and the biggest one will let me approach her and touch her head but nothing else and that is the one that will probably give birth within this month. I will try my best 2 make them trust me I was just looking for advice on how to do it. I have no intentions of giving them back.
I bought the goats for two purposes one for milk and the other is for therapy it helps someone in my family. I believe dad if I can't make this one's let me milk them their kids will be much more familiar with me and will allow me to do so when the time comes.
Thanks everyone for the advice and thoughts.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 30, 2019)

Ok, so you have Mini Nubians. (That is what you get when crossing a standard Nubian with a Nigerian dwarf)
A few thoughts.
If these were mine I would be there and catch kids at birth and bottle feed them. This does two things.
First the dam now looks at you as the "kid" and generally just knows they need milked... they bond with you.
The kids will be highly social and puppy like.

Sometimes goats do get very stand offish when pregnant due to hormones. So if you do work with them on the stanchion just keep in mind this can actually be really stressful for some, they don't want anything touching their udder. 
Right now we are checking our goats as we are going into kidding season. Many of these does are seasoned milkers and have kidded 4.5,6 times and are great about miliking and being touched ( we show our goats so they are use to this) but right now they will dance and hop and and do anything to prevent us from touching their rear, or udder. They are pregnant and protective. LOL

Some does that are already skittish and then kid and dam raise end up raising skittish kids even though you are handling them.
If they are hands off now it will be worse once they kid and you try to milk them (if dam raising) because they won't want you taking from the kids. 

An example- We have a doe that came from a farm where they dam raised and the kids didn't get as much attention as others that dam raise. Add to that the does mother is a jerk. The doe that we have is a brat. When she went to kid for the first time we pulled kids at birth. She thought w e were her kids, able to milk her and she became affectionate etc. Her kids were always kept separate and they were bottle raised.
It was nice to have her affectionate and easy to milk.
Next year family had the flu during kidding. Everyone was so sick and exhausted, I couldn't get her two boys on the bottle but managed to get her doeling on. I ended up just putting her two bucklings with her out of sheer exhaustion. She dam raised. Not only could we not milk her but she reverted back to a complete brat. Don't touch me, don't even try to milk me... it was awful. 

For some getting them on the stanchion and working with them can work but with already skittish does that don't want to be touched this can be tricky. Bonding can come with milking and that is why I recommended the pulling of the kids and bottle feeding.

There is always more than one way to do something so do what will be best for your situation. For me I am not into fighting with goats. 
I always want my experience and theirs to be the best with as little stress all the way around. Since we have done dam raising, co parenting, and bottle raising I just have the luxury of knowing the pros/cons of each.

Would love to see pictures! We all love goat pics!


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## Danceswgoats (Jan 30, 2019)

Thank you so much for your reply I needed this. Some of the terms you use I don't know them so I will have to look them up figure out what it is you're telling me. If I bottle feed the babies can I use the same milk I take from the goat and give it to them from the bottle?
The goats will let me touch them if I am holding them but as you said the one that is ready to give birth soon will not let me touch her rear for any reason even if I have sweet feed on my hand to feed her which she loves.
If nothing else works I could bottle feed the babies with regular milk after they drink the colostfrom her. 
Thanks EZ


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## Mini Horses (Jan 30, 2019)

Yes -- you can and should use the dams milk.  Not only is it less expensive, it's there and you want to milk anyway.  If milked she will produce "what you take" and that will be more than the kids need.  Goats will produce what the "milker" takes, up to her maximum capability.   The dairies pull kids just because they have the doe for milk, a kid is "just" how they get her into milk.   Of course, the first couple of weeks, you won't want to drink the milk as the colostrum and heavy creams are there, the kids need it and you won't like how it tastes -- think & sweet.   

Keep handling the one due soon.  Once she kids, you will probably be able to milk her without a huge issue.  Worth a try.  The others, do keep handling, you may be surprised.

Good luck, keep us updated.  We love to know how things go.  PLUS -- pictures are always nice.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 30, 2019)

Danceswgoats said:


> Some of the terms you use I don't know them so I will have to look them up figure out what it is you're telling me.


Ask away. 



Danceswgoats said:


> If I bottle feed the babies can I use the same milk I take from the goat and give it to them from the bottle?


Absolutely.  When we "pull" (meaning just take kid away immediately as we are present at birth) we milk the colostrum and give to kids and we continue milking and give milk to the babies until weaned. Sometimes if a person has a goat that has too many kids and she doesn't have enough milk then they will often buy cows milk (whole milk) from the grocery store and use that.

As far as continuing to make friends- keep at it and do what you are doing. Slow, gentle and with kindness.  
Not sure how long you have had the goats, so it could be they are just getting use to the strangers... could be they didn't have much hands on, lots of scenarios. I agree with @Mini Horses  but I would use discretion with the pregnant doe. If too much handling is stressing her you don't want her to go into early labor/abort. Use your judgement. 
Being present at birth and helping clean off kids etc is a bonding time for all involved.


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## Danceswgoats (Jan 31, 2019)

Thank You for the schooling, I still have to make a milk stand if I get to milk this goat but I would like to at least make good friends with this goat and the others for the next time if it doesn't work this time. 
I was also thinking about making a separate stall for the goat to give birth, I bought them a couple weeks ago and they are sort of friendly but they've never been milked and had human contact but not enough to be touched on their backs or udders. The lady who owned them before was very thorough with the feed and handling but never milked them. Also they are not small at least not all of them, I believe she said they are Nubian/la Mancha/Nigerian dwarf mix or something but they mostly look like a Nubian to Me. I will try my best to become close with them.
I'll upload some pics, the beautiful lady on the avatar pic is my fiance, also the reason I have goats. They make her feel happy and she can focus on something positive plus she's lactose intolerant and the goat milk seems to not bring stomach aches.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 31, 2019)

Having a separate stall for kidding is a really good idea.
Most people do use a kidding stall. 
I am sure they will come around. Cool you two are in this together.


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## Danceswgoats (Feb 1, 2019)

Here are our goats, or most of them.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 1, 2019)

Sweet!!!!!!!!!


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## MiniSilkys (Mar 5, 2019)

The that I have that kidded first this year was a kid from last year. I was there at her birth last year and she was a twin with a buckling. The buckling was super sweet. She let me pet her for a few weeks but after I sold her brother she wanted nothing to do with me. She would run as soon as I got close. When she was three months pregnant her whole attitude changed. I was able to pet her and feel her all over, even her legs. I would touch her udder everyday until she gave birth. The only time she wouldn't let me pet her was when she was eating. Her mama will let me touch her a stuff but it has to be quick until she is 3 months pregnant as well. Another doe is the same way, but her doe from last year will let me do anything to her. I can't get away from her. She will be a year in 1 1/2 weeks but she is not pregnant yet.


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## Georgia Girl (Mar 21, 2019)

Mini Horses said:


> Yes -- you can and should use the dams milk.  Not only is it less expensive, it's there and you want to milk anyway.  If milked she will produce "what you take" and that will be more than the kids need.  Goats will produce what the "milker" takes, up to her maximum capability.   The dairies pull kids just because they have the doe for milk, a kid is "just" how they get her into milk.   Of course, the first couple of weeks, you won't want to drink the milk as the colostrum and heavy creams are there, the kids need it and you won't like how it tastes -- think & sweet.
> 
> Keep handling the one due soon.  Once she kids, you will probably be able to milk her without a huge issue.  Worth a try.  The others, do keep handling, you may be surprised.
> 
> Good luck, keep us updated.  We love to know how things go.  PLUS -- pictures are always nice.


I am new also to milking, my plans were to let the doe raise the kids, I plan to take the kids away at night and milk the doe in the am and then let the kids in with her all day, I plan to leave them with her after birth for about 2-3 weeks and not milk her at all, letting the kids get all the milk.  My question, if I milk her in the am , will she still have some milk for the day for the kids and what do you think of my plan?


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## Mini Horses (Mar 22, 2019)

Yes, she will hold back some and make more within a short time.  Many do this "separate & milk".  Know that a milking doe needs more nutrition.  It takes a lot to make quantity and quality, real good hay &/or excellent pasture, plus quality feed on the stand.    You will be rewarded with excellent milk.

Also, some breeds will "milk thru", meaning they can milk longer than the 10 months you hear, doing well with no breeding/resting time. Some can skip a year of breeding & produce well, although generally less the last few months.   Not all will/can.   I have large Saanens and they are happy to do this.    Well, several of them.   If you don't keep a buck and/or keep only 2 or 3 does, it may be a way to keep milk and have fewer kids.  Some do this to "stagger" the breeding/production.   Each person has their own needs & plans.  Just saying, often the does will be happy to assist with your plans.


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## Georgia Girl (Mar 22, 2019)

Thanks


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## Fullhousefarm (Mar 27, 2019)

Georgia Girl said:


> I am new also to milking, my plans were to let the doe raise the kids, I plan to take the kids away at night and milk the doe in the am and then let the kids in with her all day, I plan to leave them with her after birth for about 2-3 weeks and not milk her at all, letting the kids get all the milk.  My question, if I milk her in the am , will she still have some milk for the day for the kids and what do you think of my plan?



This is what we do EXCEPT I milk them once a day before the 2-3 weeks. I don't worry about milking them out, or if I only get a few drops if they have 2+ babies. However, if you wait 2-3 weeks after kidding to milk you are likely to have quite the wrestling match with most does. They don't let down their milk and you will get quickly frustrated. I milk within a few hours of birth while all those hormones are in play and the does are almost always very compliant- even the ones that are more difficult later on. It will also let you feel that udder daily and catch any problems- like only nursing on one side, mastitis, etc right away. I've only given bottles to supplement a small triplet or quad with this plan. I don't supplement otherwise and the babies grow great.


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