New doe refuses to get on the milk stand?

[freechicken]

Help please! We brought home a new doe last night, a second freshener, who is in milk. This morning was her first milking here and it took quite a bit of persuading to get her onto the milk stand. She isn't sold on the grain we offer, yet at least, so that's not an incentive for her to get up there. We did try everything we could think of to lure her up there. This evening was much worse... she started balking three feet away from the stand. We tried to be patient, gave her lots of time, tried coaxing, but after 15 minutes my super-strong husband just sort of hefted her up there. Ugh. She stands just fine for milking once in place, so I don't think that's it, and I know she was used to being milked on a stand at her previous home. What gives and what do we do?

Also, she isn't giving much milk yet, which I'm attributing to the fact that she's in a new strange place. The previous owner is recommending that we go to 3x a day milking for a while to bump production. I'm ok with that except that if I can't get her to willingly climb onto the stand by Monday, I don't know how I'll accomplish the mid-day milking while my hubby is at work.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[michickenwrangler]

Just keep heaving her up there; she'll eventually get tired of it and hop up on her own. Don't get frustrated, don't yell and scream. Just heft her up and go on with your routine. She'll get the idea. It may take a few weeks, be patient.

Note, this is not fun when doing this with 150lb 32" tall Saanen does. Odd thing was, it was the EXACT same stand; their previous owners gave it to me.

 

[freechicken]

Ok, we'll just keep heaving.... it's just that I'm six months pregnant! Hoping today is better than yesterday.... I'm bringing half an apple with me.

 

[DonnaBelle]

When your husband puts her up there, try to grab her tail, (don't you be pulling to hard) and tug it forward also.

When we want a goat to go somewhere, DH grabs the collar and pulls, and I pull forward on the tail, it really works.

Feed her on the stand, put some Black Oil Sunflower seeds in her grain, she'll get the idea pretty soon.

I've got a doe that all I have to do is open the door to the milk room, call her name, here she comes, jumps on the stand and commences eating while we milk.

DonnaBelle