I have never milked before but want to start so I'm shopping for a goat. I would prefer an experienced milker to help me learn but none are for sale. I found someone with a saanen toggenberg cross doe that is due to kid for the first time soon. Am I setting myself up to fail by getting a doe with no milking experience? I'm going to see the three does they have for sale on Sunday so I can see their dispositions and the parents. I don't want to make a big mistake but I think his is my only choice to get going.
first freshener or experienced
- Thread starter islpet
- Start date
fortheloveofgoats
Overrun with beasties
If it were me, I would get one that is experienced, especially if I didn't have any experience. Although, it can be fun for the both of you to learn together. Just depends on if you are ok with learning together, and if you have the patience. Hope it all goes well for you.
ksalvagno
Alpaca Master
You will just need more patience with both of you being first timers. While getting an experienced one would be nice. Sometimes they just aren't available. I guess it depends on how long you want to wait. If you get a lot of support from the breeder, that will help. Also if they would be willing to teach you how to milk and maybe come over a few times and help milk their does. Then you would get the practice. There are plenty of tips on threads here to help with first time milkers. It is not the end of the world if you can't get an experienced milker. Most people sell their problem milkers and hang on to their good milkers so you need to be very careful about buying an "experienced" milker anyway. Good luck on your search.
- Thread starter
- #4
That is exactly what I've run into with experienced milkers for sale. They have all had feet problems or mastitis or pretty much name any fault physical or behavior wise. I didn't think anyone would sell a "good" milker. The place I'm going to see the goats seems like they are going to have at least a real good first timer for me but I may bring some extra cash and see if I can talk them out of a more experienced milker. I have someone who is buying organic feed from me that milks so they could possibly help me out with the learning (me and the goat). The little voice in my head keeps going on that this may be a mistake getting a first freshener but I'll go look and then decide. Thanks for the advice.
ksalvagno
Alpaca Master
Most of the females that I bought were first timers. While there was frustration involved, all my girls are milked and are now good on the milkstand. You just have to focus on the end result and figure out different ways to get it accomplished if they give you a harder time. Even the seasoned milkers are going to give you a little bit of a hard time when you first start milking them. Goats do get used to that certain person who milks them and when someone new does it, they can give you a hard time.
Good luck!
Good luck!
- Thread starter
- #6
So, it sounds like possibly I'm not going to get exactly what I thought with an experienced milker. I guess the issue may be with hand milking and the fact that maybe the goat won't like me even if I was an expert. Interesting. I guess with machine milking it's not so personal with the goat since it's not hands on. Looking at it from that way, I would maybe not be successful with a doe that had been machine milked over hand milked. I got a lot of really good insight from your couple of replies. I think I will go see the goats and see if I click with any of them. If they like me and I like them maybe that's good enough to start and we'll move on from there. Sounds a bit like a blind date.
ksalvagno
Alpaca Master
I had a female that wasn't friendly. She would give me a hard time hand milking her but did just fine on the machine. I got the milk out of her either way but we both had a much better time when it was with the milking machine. I have another one that isn't friendly but does fine on the milk stand. Either hand or machine milking. As long as food is in front of her.
I did get one experienced milker that was always hand milked. At first she gave me a hard time. I was a first time milker and she just wasn't used to me. I did lose milk initially because she would step in the bucket or kick it. But now I can hand milk or machine milk her with no problems. But I'm sure she would give someone new the hard time she originally gave me. I have one other experience milker that I bought and she also gave me a hard time initially but luckily by the time I bought her, I was experienced and she settled down for me quicker than the first one. So your experience does make a difference whether the goat is an experienced milker or not. At least in my situation, that was the case.
It has also made a difference in getting first timers used to milking. When I was new at it, there were many tears shed and much lost milk. Now that I have the experience, those new girls don't give me the hard time for as long. I think your confidence has a lot to do with it and also you feeling in charge. I'm the boss and they WILL be milked as far as I'm concerned now.
I did get one experienced milker that was always hand milked. At first she gave me a hard time. I was a first time milker and she just wasn't used to me. I did lose milk initially because she would step in the bucket or kick it. But now I can hand milk or machine milk her with no problems. But I'm sure she would give someone new the hard time she originally gave me. I have one other experience milker that I bought and she also gave me a hard time initially but luckily by the time I bought her, I was experienced and she settled down for me quicker than the first one. So your experience does make a difference whether the goat is an experienced milker or not. At least in my situation, that was the case.
It has also made a difference in getting first timers used to milking. When I was new at it, there were many tears shed and much lost milk. Now that I have the experience, those new girls don't give me the hard time for as long. I think your confidence has a lot to do with it and also you feeling in charge. I'm the boss and they WILL be milked as far as I'm concerned now.
- Thread starter
- #8
fortheloveofgoats
Overrun with beasties
islpet said:
We would love to see pics!
DKRabbitry
Ridin' The Range
I just got into goats last year, and I started with a doe that had never been milked before, and who has little bitty teats and tiny orfices so she took FOREVER to milk out. I had never milked anything before either soooooo... It was definetly a learning experience for both of us 
But to tell you the truth, I built a better relationship with her than I did with the super-easy used to being milked/handled one. I have also gotten an experienced milker who was a PAIN for me and would kick all the time. She just wasn't used to me and wanted to see what she could get away with. I told her I was queen and this is how it works around here and she stopped kicking. But I am sure it really depends on the goat & the handler. Yes, I lost a lot of milk, but I was willing to take part of the blame for that and try again. I even had a pail dumped down my boot! Now when I get the wild little doelings, I let them out on the stand regularly and get them used to being touched while there is yummy food there.
But to tell you the truth, I built a better relationship with her than I did with the super-easy used to being milked/handled one. I have also gotten an experienced milker who was a PAIN for me and would kick all the time. She just wasn't used to me and wanted to see what she could get away with. I told her I was queen and this is how it works around here and she stopped kicking. But I am sure it really depends on the goat & the handler. Yes, I lost a lot of milk, but I was willing to take part of the blame for that and try again. I even had a pail dumped down my boot! Now when I get the wild little doelings, I let them out on the stand regularly and get them used to being touched while there is yummy food there.
