Touch me not to milking goat

[SonRise Acres]

You can often times have standoffish goats that will come up to be milked. Once a routine is established, they’ll come up to be milked. How many goats do you have? Will you have several in milk? Once she realizes that good things come from being brought up to milk, she may just do it willingly. I know several folks that have had very skittish Nigerians but have no problem milking them.

Everyone that posted gave you some really good info!

We have one very hateful Nigerian. She is NOT a joy to work with. She’s a brat. Hates to be touched. She was sam raised and not handled by the breeder. If you go to deworm her, she’ll bite. Just a total brat. But I can still grab her collar, but not everyone can. When we pulled and bottle fed her kids, she turned into a completely different animal. She looked at me as her kid and was the most enjoyable goat. Sometimes I’d let her out of the pasture and she’d just hand out. Really nice doe.
After she was dried up she was still a bit of a brat. When she raised her own kids she was horrid- wouldn’t let us milk her. We learned not do that again!

Since she is such a good momma, I doubt you are wanting to bottle feed. If you are able, try to be there at kidding and let her “clean” you also. Might help her bond.


@Mini Horses gave you some really good info! We’ve done something similar with goats that were nearly feral. It helps immensely!

We have pulled her kids before to bottle raise because letting her do it leads to stand off kids every single time. I don’t have to have lovey dovey pets, but if I need to doctor someone or work with them, I need to be able to at least catch them. So pulling her kids is the easiest. I would have sold get her long ago for all the trouble she’s been, but as I said she’s an incredible breeder who gives me colors from the father instead of her, never a sick baby, a strong birther, etc. She’s the perfect goat besides this one single issue.

I started working with her yesterday. I caught her off guard and managed to touch her face. She freaked that I touched her ONLY after enjoying it for 2-3 seconds. Lol.

 

[lovinglife]

Take kids as they come out, helps to have someone to help you so they can get kids away from mom and cleaned up, let her lick you between kids, when she is finished take her to your milking area and milk her. Have a pint jar and a quart jar, milk into the pint, hold it up close to her udder as you milk and don't stop when she dances around. I have my girls in a head lock milk stand so they can't go anywhere. Soon she will just eat her grain as you milk, may take a few weeks but she will come around. If you don't have a milk stand you can tie her to a fence and on hands and knees lean in to her to keep her in one spot, she will dance and struggle but just don't stop, don't get mad or upset just be calm, sing a little song or hum or whatever you do.

 

[canesisters]

Do you have a milking stanchion?
I've heard stories over and over - with Cows - that a spooky cow will quiet right down in the stanchion. Something about being caught / having the option to run removed.

 

[SonRise Acres]

Take kids as they come out, helps to have someone to help you so they can get kids away from mom and cleaned up, let her lick you between kids, when she is finished take her to your milking area and milk her. Have a pint jar and a quart jar, milk into the pint, hold it up close to her udder as you milk and don't stop when she dances around. I have my girls in a head lock milk stand so they can't go anywhere. Soon she will just eat her grain as you milk, may take a few weeks but she will come around. If you don't have a milk stand you can tie her to a fence and on hands and knees lean in to her to keep her in one spot, she will dance and struggle but just don't stop, don't get mad or upset just be calm, sing a little song or hum or whatever you do.

Music to milk by! I like it.

We do have a milking stand. We try to make milking an awesome time for our girls. With my kids I take them to the stand with Mom. When they are old enough to eat things besides milk I take them, feed them there, and just mess with their tummies so it’s a non-issue when they are older. It’s just what they do for “treats”.

I am going to work on getting her to the stand next week. Her kids will be pulled. We always pull hers or she raises aloof stand off offspring.

 

[SonRise Acres]

Do you have a milking stanchion?
I've heard stories over and over - with Cows - that a spooky cow will quiet right down in the stanchion. Something about being caught / having the option to run removed.

I am going to begin working with her with the stand. Hoping she’s like those spooky cows. Lol

 

[misfitmorgan]

We had one mini lamancha we gave up on for milking. You had to drag her literally all the way to the stand, she would not eat the grain and would sit down like a dog. So after dragging her and picking her up to put her on the stand you then had to hold her up and milk her. We gave up after a month of doing that twice a day, she never improved.

Some you just can't win it seems. On the other hand, we got a feral boer doe who i kept on a 50ft tether for about 3 months until she was tame and actually friendly. I would mess with her daily, feed her, pet her, just talk to her. At first she would just run around like a lunatic but as time when on she settled down. The whole time DH told me i was wasting my time. She isn't the most lovable goat but i can work with her.

 

[Wispy55]

I just love reading responses here, there is always such wonderful and thorough advise. Would like to add that we had a Lamanch doe just like you described. Even after kidding was not one to allow you to touch her except during milking. What changed her attitude was being stalled with a young expressively friendly nubian doe. Watching her herdmate always approach us and get treats and loves and kisses has changed her completely. She can and is skiddish at times but those are very rare now. Good luck with yours, it can be done!