# Goat will not let me milk her...



## Bedste (Mar 14, 2013)

We were gifted a difficult doe last year.  We somehow pressed in and she would finally let me milk her.  She has huge triangle teats and she hates to be milked but she gives more than a gallon daily.  I want to help her chill out and learn to be a nice goat.  She is three years old.   

she just kidded two weeks ago and she is worse than ever.  She actually lays down on the milking stand.  I borrowed a pump from the lady who she came from and that has really helped but she kicks and lays down and refuses to let me milk her.  One side is so big that she NEEDS to be milked.  Poor girl.

I do not want to ruin this goat.  She is trying to kick me.....  she is a lamancha and turns her butt towards me and kicks.  Such a challenge.

So now I put her head in tight and then I have to put her front feet in a tote so that the edge of it keeps her belly from laying down... and then I use the pump... she is still able to kick the pump out of my hand and knock things over.

If I can not make this a more peaceful experience I will have to sell her or something.  But I would like to try keeping her.  Should I run a strap under her gerth and lift her up a tad so she will stop kicking.... WHAT SHOULD I DO.?  All suggestions welcome HELP please...


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Mar 14, 2013)

*I had one that kept kicking at me and I could tell it wasn't from fear or other. I started swatting her on her hind leg as soon as she did it, and giving her a firm loud "no." Took a good week to put 2 and 2 together, but she did finally learn not to kick me while milking! She doesn't sound as bad as your girl though. Have you tried hobbles? That might help you a lot...*


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## michickenwrangler (Mar 14, 2013)

Have you ruled out mastitis? Especially since you mentioned the one side was so big.

My Alpine is a kicky milker (and ran half wild before I got her) but I got her to the point where we can do the milking without her sticking her foot in the bucket and me swearing at her. She was also quite the houdini and no matter what combination of hobbles and straps I put on her, she seemed to find a way out of them. 

I went in with the attitude of training, not "I need milk". Don't worry about the milk, don't cry or swear over spilled milk. When she started kicking, I put my shoulder into her and pinned her against the wall. And milked. Maybe only about 50% actually went into the bucket, the rest got all over me, her, the floor ... But no matter how she kicked and squirmed, I kept on working her teats. When she finally settled down, I would stop and pet her, took her off the stand.

Repeat the next day. And the day after, and the day after that, and another day if needed. Or two. 

Finally got her to the point I could milk her for a few minutes without throwing a fit. When she began to fidget, I would whisk the bucket away and milk into a mason jar (much more maneuverable)--one hand on the jar, other hand milking. At least this way I got some usable milk. Now I can milk her without any fuss so long as I am quick.

This method took a few weeks, it was not a quick fix, but neither one of us dread milking any more.

WMR made another good suggestion too. TRAIN the goat, the goat needs to learn that this is an unwanted behavior.


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## Bedste (Mar 14, 2013)

omg thank you everyone I feel so much more hopeful.....  train her and forget about all the milk for now.... wisdom


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## Mamaboid (Mar 14, 2013)

The most frustrating thing about goats is that you cannot let them know you are frustrated.  They feed on it.  Dealing with them is like 'welcome to the redundancy department of redundancy'.  If it is something they like or want to do, they will learn it in 2 tries.  If it is something they don't want to do, like be milked, they can be very 'stupid'.  Dumb like a fox is more like it.  Michickenwrangler has the right approach.  Do it, repeat it and repeat it again.  Don't worry about the amount of milk for a while, just make her stand.  If she squats, pull her up at the belly, if she kicks or bites, snap or open hand the offending part and keep milking.  Try to get her interested in something else like feed or hay, try the old 'carrot in front of the horse trick'.  Put a treat just so she can barely reach it and has to keep reaching forward for it.  They cannot kick if they are off balance, and she isn't gonna lay down if it takes her farther away from the treat.  Good luck and keep us posted.


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## ragdollcatlady (Mar 15, 2013)

I was just thinking last night that I should put up a pic of my rotten Jane when we milk....She is nice for the first side. I hold up her leg, off the ground, like a dog lifting his leg to pee, in order to milk the other side. It is fairly comical, but it works and is really pretty stress free now that we both understand this is just how we are going to do things. I am going to milk her and she will be a butt if I let her. So I don't. I am getting a full quart  from her these days (ND), so I figure we are good. She wasn't even  a pet before we got her, so she has come a long way.


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## kstaven (Mar 15, 2013)

Bedste said:
			
		

> omg thank you everyone I feel so much more hopeful.....  train her and forget about all the milk for now.... wisdom


It is good advice. Just keep milking and they soon learn that their tactics are not going to get the desired result.


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## Bedste (Mar 16, 2013)

we got a cinch strap and put it under her belly to keep her up and we pet her and talked sweetly and she allowed me to put the pump on her and milk her .  she does not want to be hand milked.  there is HOPE great hope....

I also raised the milking station so I do not have to break my back, and I pushed it up against a wall so that one side is blocked.  I did not realize I was doing so many things wrong.   I think with a little persistence and TLC that we are going to be ok


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## kstaven (Mar 16, 2013)

We deal with both cows and goats in a dairy situation and the only tried and true method comes back to. "This is your milking area. This is how it is going to be done. I am far more stubborn than you are."


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## Canadiannee (Mar 16, 2013)

lol kstaven... I love your approach!

I was a horsewoman long before I brought goats into our life, and I approach my goats with the same solid and trusty methods in which we train horses... "Make the wrong choice difficult, make the right choice easy" and kstaven said it perfectly with "This is how it is going to be done. I am far more stubborn than you are." LOVE IT!!


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## kstaven (Mar 16, 2013)

Last stud colt I tried this approach with years ago surprised me and put me through a fence. Patched myself up and went back to it. He was much better the next  time. I think the combination of renaming him horseburger and seeing the crazed look in my eyes helped.


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## Bedste (Mar 16, 2013)

kstaven said:
			
		

> We deal with both cows and goats in a dairy situation and the only tried and true method comes back to. "This is your milking area. This is how it is going to be done. I am far more stubborn than you are."


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## alsea1 (Mar 16, 2013)

Horseburger. Thats funny.
Yeah.  I put eye hooks on my milk stand for leg hobbles if need be. After a bit they decide they will just hold still and enjoy the feed.


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## DonnaBelle (Mar 16, 2013)

We had problems with different does being on the milking stand and starting to kick.

DH bought some hobbles, the velcro kind.  He put "eye" rings on the rear sides of the stand on both sides.  He puts a hobble on, and snaps the Clip on the hobble and spreads the legs that are tied down.  

This way they can't kick.  They are busy eating too.  After a while, they associate their feed with getting milked, and it makes a huge difference.

We have our stand against a wall also, and he milks from the rear of course.

DonnaBelle


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## treeclimber233 (Mar 16, 2013)

Last year I posted about my doe that refused to be milked.  She kidded when I had mono and the doctor told me to be very careful about getting punched/poked in the abdomine area.  Since my doe is a bit dangerous to be around when feed is involved I did not  try to milk her for 3 weeks after kidding.  Then it was a steady fight for 3-4 months with me not getting anywhere with her.  She would lay down on the stand and I could not lift her (full size nubian)  I tried putting things under her to keep her up, smacking her when she kicked and everything else everyone suggested.  She just got mad and refused to eat her grain.  I would take her off the stand and I refused to give her grain anywhere but on the stand.  Needless to say I gave up thinking I would try again this year as soon as she kidded hoping she would "adopt me" and allow me to have some milk too.   Skipping ahead to this year (already mentioned she is a bit dangerous when food is involved) I got tired of getting  run over and pushed around when I had food in my hands so I got a 5 foot piece of  PVC pipe that I use on her to keep her in line.  Took a serious number of solid  whacks before she got the message that she needed to keep her distance from me at feeding time.  Now I think she sees me as the boss at the barn.  The other day I thought I would see how she was about being touched on her udder.  I was totally blown away when she actually squatted for me.   It was only for a second or two but I now have hope that I will be able to milk her this year.  I am thinking she thought she was the boss and she decided I was not going to milk her.  I am  going to keep "messing" with her udder since she is not due yet so she will get used to my hands on her.


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## Bedste (Mar 16, 2013)

WOW good luck!  

I am so tickled to announce that I have successfully milked her three times.  I am thankful for all your advice.   Milking stand is up on cinder blocks making it about a foot higher.. so easy on my back!  Also borrowed DF http://www.maggidans.com/milker.htm.   Attached a wide lift strap with cinch and we place it under her belly to hold her up.  She stopped fighting and now milks very easily.  I also pet her and talk calm and sweetly..   100% turn around


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## michickenwrangler (Mar 17, 2013)

Glad to hear that you've made some progress. I'm sure it's been frustrating and even though this may sound weird considering it's a goat you're dealing with, but in a way it's hard NOT to take it personal.


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## Bedste (Mar 17, 2013)

yep I know.... 


tonight I put her up on the stand to milk her and put the girth strap on and washed her up and put on the milking machine..... she was fine... no prob.  The milking machine even got stuck so I finished her by hand... no problem at all.... I pet her and talked sweetly to her.... and she is wonderful.


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## Bedste (Mar 24, 2013)

JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT MY SWEET GOAT IS WONDERFUL NOW.
recap;
I called the previous owner to tell her ever since she kidded she will not allow me to milk her.  She lays down on her belly.  Her response was "You are not beating her hard enough"

that says it all....  


So I decided to shower this goat with TLC

I put extra food in the stand and I put a girth strap under her belly, talked sweetly and calmly and I used a hand pump...... 

after several days of doing this... the resistance became less and less....  she also comes to me to be pet during the day and I see that she is happier.

Now I do not even use the girth strap.  I forgot it one day and so did she.  I still have to use the hand pump but I am ok with that.  I want her to feel safe and happy.

Just wanted to share the good news.  And also she gives well over a gallon a day.

Thanks for all your help and advice.     You all have been very supportive and helpful and I am so glad that I posted my problem.  You saved the day and the GOAT.  This hand pump is the only thing that she will let milk her and I am ok with that  I have also started using it on the other goats because it seems to get every last drop and I am also coming in the house with less hay and hair particles.  Much cleaner way all around.  The milk goes into a sealed and covered plastic gallon jug...  so awesome.  http://www.maggidans.com/milker.htm 

The story is in the change of attitude in a wonderful lamancha who is now also happy and peaceful and approachable.  No telling what her issues where or how she was mistreated.  I am so glad she lives here now and I bet she is too!


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## michickenwrangler (Mar 24, 2013)

Good work.


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