Eloise is EXTREMELY hard to milk! I need help!

[Mini-M Ranch]

Resurrecting this old thread to say that I have started milking Oreo since her triplets have all gone to their new homes. This is only our third day, but it still pretty much requires three people to get the job done, and I am not able to milk her out because it takes me SO LONG to do it. If she didn't twist, kick, try to jump off the stanchion with her head still in there, etc., it COULD go a lot faster.

I'm hoping she settles down soon because her milk is pretty yummy. I plan to milk her in the mornings, but right now it is taking an hour to get about a cup from her. ugh. She's a mini, though, so a liquid measuring cup really isn't too bad.

I tried a hobble, but the one I have won't get small enough to squeeze her tendons. GRRR! So, now we are down to me milking, my son petting her and talking "love" talk to her while she eats, and dear husband practically sitting on her and holding her legs still. It's really quite a scene. lol.

Hoping it will get better...but I have my doubts. Part is her, part is me. I am new to milking and I'm sure it would go much better if I could just DO IT! lol.

Anyway, wanted to check and see how you and ELoise are getting along?

 

[glenolam]

Thanks!

Since I haven't separated her and the twins, I'm getting just about 8 oz, sometimes less. The kids are 4 wks, so in about another month or so I'm going to force a weaning by taping her teats each day after I milk. That is, unless they miraculously wean themselves....Eloise's son from last year nursed until he was 8 mos old! I don't have the space (yet!) to separate them and work full time, so once a day milking is where we're at.

I posted another thread about adding probios every day to her grain as she seems so much calmer and interested in her grain when I do, so for now I'm just sprinkling a little here and there since the little jar is $10! I got a hobble from Hoeggar's the other day and have used it twice (but she's a bigger breed, mind you). Each time I've been able to practice milking with both hands! The first time, she stood great for a while, then I think I didn't do it high enough so it ended up on the bend of her leg. Once she was done with her grain and wanted no part she yelled out (I think) in pain as she tried to jump around. But the next day she was great, too, so I'm keeping with the hobbles.

My milk is for soap right now - I use it in coffee, cereal, etc (I don't drink milk straight anyway) but I can't convince the family to switch from 1% store milk yet.

I also have another yearling doe that isn't going to be bred until fall, so I'm getting her on the stand now and pretending.....she's kind of like "what the heck are you doing????"