Help--Goat laying down in the stanchion

[ChksontheRun]

We bought a herd of 7 goats from a woman whose husband recently died. They were semi wild when we got them, and in 3 weeks have progressed very nicely. We sold two--a doeling and a whether leaving us with 5-- One dry doe and her 9 month old doeling and buckling, and one doe in milk with her whether.

So on Friday, we finished our stanchion and started getting both does in it for feeding. The Doe in milk is standing in it to eat her oats, and although she kicks a lot, has been milked 3 times with varying degrees of success. But I do consider this huge since only 3 weeks ago they would not come near us. The other dry doe has a bad habit that I want to break NOW. When she gets in the stand to eat, which she does nicely. She sits or lies down almost immediately. She will not stand to handle her hoofs, or to even touch her belly. Indeed, she sits even before being handled. She cant even eat her oats because the food is too high for her to eat when she sits or lies down, but her head is almost being hung in the stanchion. We really want her to learn to stand in it before she has to be milked in the spring. Help!!!

So far, we have tried putting a pail under her--she lays right on top of it (ouch), lifting her back up by her rump, putting our foot in that space.... Any ideas? We do have a hobble on order for the other kicking doe to see if that helps--would this help with lying down?

 

[ksalvagno]

The hobble won't work for the lying down part. I would just continue to put the pail under her so she can't lay down. Another option would be to develop some type of belly sling but I'm not sure how that would work in a milk stanchion like it works in a chute.

 

[freemotion]

You might make a sling out of a single strand of baling twine. I'd think you'd need to make in uncomfortable enough that she gives up, but not dangerous or harmful to her.

Goats sure are tough, and does nursing kids are impervious to pain it seems.....according to one of my does who lets her huge, horned doeling nurse and cut her teats with her teeth. I had them weaned for a month, then my fence was shorted out by the stupid pigs and they got together for old times' sake. Sheesh.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

great work on getting the milking done!

to pass on some wildly useful - and spot on - advice i got early... be The Boss Goat.

don't take any shenanigans from Miss Lay Down or Miss Kicks A Lot. my goaties know the meaning of a sharp "NO!"

wonder if you could use a saw horse or something other than a pail (if that isnt working)?? can you pick her bottom up (is she big)?

or have a helper hold her up? somewhere there is a thread called "kicky milker" and we talked about the oh-so-useful "Hubby Hobble"... maybe you can have someone hold her belly up if she tries to sit down? and then special treats when she is good?

and if she wont eat.. maybe you can make sure she is mighty hungry before you take her up there?

 

[helmstead]

Been there! Took a cinder block and lots of patience, but after a couple days, she gave it up...

 

[ChksontheRun]

Thanks so much for the encouragement and ideas. I am happy to report that tonight was a good night Miss Kicks a lot (Uhoh) was milked for 650 ml of milk with only 3 or 4 episodes of kicking, but with much less fear. And Miss Lay Down (Amber) only layed down once but stood to eat her food all gone today. We just focused on giving her lots of attention and making it a good experience since we don't need to milk her. And on top of that--little Bridget our 9 month old doeling spent her first few minutes on the stand today and with only a little screaming, ended up standing to eat her food too.

A good night tonight.

 

[freemotion]

"Will work for food!"

Kate, that is a seriously funny picture!!! (the only smilie that fits this situation...)

 

[Jupiter]

I am so glad you asked! Cecily is bratty on the stanchion, and we fight to keep her on all 4's too. She kneels and keeps her butt in the air even ignoring the grain and BOSS. There's hope after all!

 

[glenolam]

congratulations on the new herd and the progress! I, too, have a kicky milker - the hobble worked great on her as the 'I AM THE BOSS GOAT' attitude. For some hilarious reading, search "kicky milker" on this forum...

One question I had - you said you have a dry doe and her 9 mo old doeling and buckling....I assume this means the buckling is 9 mos old as well and living with the other does? I ask because you may be asking for trouble leaving an intact buck who's of breeding age with your does. Is this the case? If so - you might want to consider putting him with the wether in a completely separate pen.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!

 

[Ariel301]

Since you have that tall solid wall behind the stand, you could try a sling around her belly to make it uncomfortable to lay down. Screw a metal tie ring into that, and use a lead rope or other rope that isn't going to break under pressure, loop it under her belly and attach to the ring so that you can get it loose again fast in an emergency. It should be snug but comfortable while she stands, but cause her a lot of discomfort if she tries to lay down. It might or might not work, I used it to break a doe I used to have who was both kicky and would start thrashing around on the stand when I touched her udder, she'd fall off the side of the stand and flip the whole thing over!

I use a hobble for kicky milkers, or if I have an assistant handy, make the doe milk standing on three (or sometimes two!) legs until she gives up and learns to stand. My helper will hold up one hind leg pretty high so she can't use the other to kick. I had one doe who was still super strong and would kick with both hind feet like a horse, regardless of hobbling, so she would have to stand with one front leg up and one hind! It broke her in a few days, she realized it was easier to eat her food if she just stood still.