# Milking goat problems



## Jesusfreak101 (Apr 4, 2018)

OK so I am still quite new to this whole milking business for the most part we have it down. My doe is a first time freshener she would not let her kid eat at all. When I milk her she does kick quite a bit sometimes more then others. Her tears point directly in to the hollow area of her legs which I believe is what  causes her to kick when milking.... I don't like her where the tears point it makes it frustrating to milk her. My husband wants to build a new milk stand with what he calls stir ups to keep her from kicking. She doesn't kick out or crazy she stomps more accurately described whic h is still annoying. I have been milking her for a month, she still does the stomping which can hurt when finish milking her by hand at the beganing I use a small milking machine. I just don't think my husband idea for tieing her legs will help in the past when I hobbled her she would freak out more so I stopped and for the most part she has calmed down but would like her to stop completely.


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## Mini Horses (Apr 4, 2018)

If you lift a leg it will make it extremely hard to kick/stomp.  You use a machine, the hand milk to empty. I believe the hand touching her leg is maybe a problem for her -- ? --  Have you tried holding her udder with one hand, to move from leg, then milking with other?   Try massaging udder with machine attached, for last of it??   Is she out of feed, add hay.

These are things I have done.   May help.


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## Terry Farha (Jan 25, 2019)

I am new to this website and i am trying out to figure out how to ask a question? But my question is, I have goats are giving me a hard time milking them when they get on stand. I have to run after them first thing and catch them. Once i catch and put on stand they start squatting and i have tried everything. I put corn while they are on stand i still having bad luck. Can someone give me some suggestions.


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## babsbag (Jan 26, 2019)

Patience. That is about all you can do. If you are feeding corn on the stand I would change it to a better feed. I use a dairy goat feed from a local mill. If you can find a sweet feed that that goats LOVE they will start to come to get milked as they want that feed. If you find a food she likes she won't be able to lay down and eat at the same time; problem solved.


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## Jesusfreak101 (Jan 26, 2019)

I don feed corn, I feed two parts barely two parts oats one part sunflower and one part calf Mana and sometimes some beet bulp. However when I was training my doe daisy I use (based off southern by choice and Latestarter advice and what I had) I used two lead ropes and tired the under her blly and over my mil stand but mine has a roof over top. Here a picture not this doe doesnt have to be tired she use to when she would kick but she didn't lay down like daisy.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 26, 2019)

Terry Farha said:


> I am new to this website and i am trying out to figure out how to ask a question? But my question is, I have goats are giving me a hard time milking them when they get on stand. I have to run after them first thing and catch them. Once i catch and put on stand they start squatting and i have tried everything. I put corn while they are on stand i still having bad luck. Can someone give me some suggestions.


First,  welcome to Backyard Herds. You have come to the right place to ask questions and get some good advise.

As far as kicking goats, my first two LaMancha’s were kickers. It was SO frustrating, but eventually we figured out that we needed to die their back legs to the milk stand.  It took some time (as in several months), but eventually they got the message and stopped kicking. So yes, patience is the key.  Ours never squated down, so I’m not sure what to do about that.  I know @Southern by choice and @Goat Whisperer had a problem with that, at one time. Maybe they have a suggestion.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 26, 2019)

babsbag said:


> If you are feeding corn on the stand I would change it to a better feed. I use a dairy goat feed from a local mill. If you can find a sweet feed that that goats LOVE they will start to come to get milked as they want that feed.


I always milk my girls at meal time and give them their regular meal in a bucket. They willingly jump up on the stand and go straight to their bucket. Problem solved.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 26, 2019)

Bucket turned upside down under the belly. Make sure it is the right height, it should slide right under.
Work patiently. 
Those that are dam raising generally put up a fight til they are well trained in milking.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 26, 2019)

I like the idea of the upside down bucket, @Southern by choice. And patience is definitely the key. 

Another thought.  Whenever you put them on the stand, to do maintenance, give their bodies (including their udder) a good rubbing, so they get used to being touched. I go at them from all sides, including the back. Then when it is time to milk them they won’t be so sensitive about being touched. That will probably help FF when it’s time for the kids to start nursing off mom.


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## Terry Farha (Jan 26, 2019)

Jesusfreak101 said:


> I don feed corn, I feed two parts barely two parts oats one part sunflower and one part calf Mana and sometimes some beet bulp. However when I was training my doe daisy I use (based off southern by choice and Latestarter advice and what I had) I used two lead ropes and tired the under her blly and over my mil stand but mine has a roof over top. Here a picture not this doe doesnt have to be tired she use to when she would kick but she didn't lay down like daisy.View attachment 57484


Thank you but i am celiac and cant have barley so i dont feed my goats wheat, barley or oats.


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## Terry Farha (Jan 26, 2019)

Jesusfreak101 said:


> I don feed corn, I feed two parts barely two parts oats one part sunflower and one part calf Mana and sometimes some beet bulp. However when I was training my doe daisy I use (based off southern by choice and Latestarter advice and what I had) I used two lead ropes and tired the under her blly and over my mil stand but mine has a roof over top. Here a picture not this doe doesnt have to be tired she use to when she would kick but she didn't lay down like daisy.View attachment 57484


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## Terry Farha (Jan 26, 2019)

Problem is I am celiac and dont feed my goats barley, wheat or oats.


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## Terry Farha (Jan 26, 2019)

Devonviolet said:


> First,  welcome to Backyard Herds. You have come to the right place to ask questions and get some good advise.
> 
> As far as kicking goats, my first two LaMancha’s were kickers. It was SO frustrating, but eventually we figured out that we needed to die their back legs to the milk stand.  It took some time (as in several months), but eventually they got the message and stopped kicking. So yes, patience is the key.  Ours never squated down, so I’m not sure what to do about that.  I know @Southern by choice and @Goat Whisperer had a problem with that, at one time. Maybe they have a suggestion.





Thank you


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## Terry Farha (Jan 26, 2019)

Thank you


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## Terry Farha (Jan 26, 2019)

Devonviolet said:


> I like the idea of the upside down bucket, @Southern by choice. And patience is definitely the key.
> 
> Another thought.  Whenever you put them on the stand, to do maintenance, give their bodies (including their udder) a good rubbing, so they get used to being touched. I go at them from all sides, including the back. Then when it is time to milk them they won’t be so sensitive about being touched. That will probably help FF when it’s time for the kids to start nursing off mom.




DO you use a machine to milk them or by hand?


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## Devonviolet (Jan 26, 2019)

Terry Farha said:


> DO you use a machine to milk them or by hand?


Both.  I have a single teat pump, that I use intermittently. It is battery operated. In other words I let it build pressure just long enough for it to start pumping and then stop the pump. Milk continues to go into the jar. When it stops, I pump for a 5 or 10 seconds and stop the pump. Towards the end I take it off and hand milk.

All of my does, this year, will be FF. So, in the beginning, I will hand milk, and then gradually add the pump.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 27, 2019)

Terry Farha said:


> Thank you but i am celiac and cant have barley so i dont feed my goats wheat, barley or oats.



Do these products affect you if not eating them?   Because they are excellent for goats, specially milking ones.  I buy steamed, flaked barley and crimped oats to mix.


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## Terry Farha (Jan 27, 2019)

Devonviolet said:


> Both.  I have a single teat pump, that I use intermittently. It is battery operated. In other words I let it build pressure just long enough for it to start pumping and then stop the pump. Milk continues to go into the jar. When it stops, I pump for a 5 or 10 seconds and stop the pump. Towards the end I take it off and hand milk.
> 
> All of my does, this year, will be FF. So, in the beginning, I will hand milk, and then gradually add the pump.



Sometimes i wonder if they dont like to be milked because of the pump. My uncle is stubborn old man LOL and keeps telling me it doesnt bother them. But i think it does personally.


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## Terry Farha (Jan 27, 2019)

Mini Horses said:


> Do these products affect you if not eating them?   Because they are excellent for goats, specially milking ones.  I buy steamed, flaked barley and crimped oats to mix.



Yes they effect me because it will be in their system.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 27, 2019)

Terry Farha said:


> Sometimes i wonder if they dont like to be milked because of the pump. My uncle is stubborn old man LOL and keeps telling me it doesnt bother them. But i think it does personally.


I wouldn’t start them off with the pump, as a first freshener. I would start hand milking them, to get them used to being touched.  Eventually, I would start the milking session milking by hand. Once the fullness has gone down some, I would put the pump on for just aa few minutes, to get her used to it. Then, I would go back and finish her off by hand. I would then eventually work up to longer and longer periods, until she was used to it.  I wouldn’t milk her dry, with the pump, though, as I would think that might hurt her, at the end.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 28, 2019)

Terry Farha said:


> Yes they effect me because it will be in their system.



Interesting.    I would have thought the food/nutrition/production process within the animal would clear it.   Learn something new everyday.

Often milk lactose is a problem for those with celiac.  Even the thoughts of gluten can bring fear.   It's a health problem for you in many ways!   I can see you are dealing with it


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## Latestarter (Jan 30, 2019)

Greetings and welcome to BYH @Terry Farha from NE TX! So glad you joined us. Sorry for the issues you're dealing with though. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. You'll get to "meet" folks at the same time. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Oh, and we all love pics, so post them anytime you feel the need! Please make yourself at home!


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