How to get a doe to be milked

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

So, argh, our new doe Sofia doesn't want to be milked. She sticks her head as far back as possible until she's at her widest part and can't move it, she'll sit down on her front knees/elbows, and jump and kick if you touch her udder.

If she cooperates, her milk doesn't come out! Takes forever to get to come out. We were told to put a heat pack on her and see if it helped but she wasn't cooperating today soo it could've worked could've not who knows.

How do you prevent a doe from laying down? I know for kicking, tie the back legs, but can't she still stand if you tie the front ones? And that's a lot of work, especially in the morning.

Agh.

 

[babsbag]

Do you have a milk stand? If not, get one. There are some plans online to build them. When her head is locked into the milk stand they can't lay down; that is the first thing you need to overcome. You need to find plans where the head gate goes to a "v" so the lower they slide their head down the tighter it gets.

If you make one like this make sure the cross board on the front is high enough where she can't lay down but yet low enough that she can get to her grain. Make the gap snug, it is amazing what they can pull out of.

I would only give grain on the stand, even it if is just grain and you don't milk. Let her know that that is where the extra good feed is. They can be incredibly smart and stubborn as I am sure you know.

They can hold their milk back if they want, stress is usually the cause so you need to get her to enjoy the time on the stand. I have very few that will stand still for milking in the field or pen, they do mush better locked in place on a stand.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

Yes we do have a milking stand, but it isnt quite like that. We'll attach a board to prevent her from laying down.

Well she's never had grain before us, so her owner obviously milked her somehow. We'll try just letting her on it and eat grain. She doesn't like eating while being milked

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Does your milkstand have a side-railing on it?

 

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

No why?

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

If it did, you could take a piece of wide cloth that is soft, and tie it around her belly and to the top of the side-rail of the milkstand so that she cannot lay down. My friend mentioned doing something like this before, which is where I got the idea from.

 

[babsbag]

Well she's never had grain before us, so her owner obviously milked her somehow. We'll try just letting her on it and eat grain. She doesn't like eating while being milked

I would really like to know how people even get milk from a goat with no grain. Most dairy goats do very poorly without a supplement when they are in milk.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

They just fed her hay and fodder. They've been getting 7 cups a day and she reached nearly a gallon last year.

The other goats mother and grandmother both gave a gallon a day. Anywho, I've been throwing in a handful of grain while they eat hay pellets (just compressed hay) to gradually introduce it.

Well if it's just gonna stress her and prevent milk from coming we'll wait. She does cooperate often, just takes so long she gets frustrated.

 

[babsbag]

And you have milked before ?? I had to milk out a doe at my vet's office one time, the doe was being treated for hypocalcemia but the kids needed fed as they had had no milk for about 24 hours. I had milked before but not very good at it. My vet laughed (she raises goats too) and said "give me that or the kids will die before you get her milked". She got about a quart in a few minutes, I would have gotten a cup.

If her udder is really congested that can make it hard to get milk out. Peppermint bag balm works good for that too along with the hot compresses you mentioned.

Does she have a kid on her?

 

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

Me yes but my mom has more experience and has been the one milking.

No the lady bottles all of the kids.