lkmartin1230
Loving the herd life
What is an easy way to get a goat used to milking? They are all halter/ collar trained, and I don't have a milking stand. Any tips?
Training a milk goat
- Thread starter lkmartin1230
- Start date
ohiogoatgirl
True BYH Addict
build a stand or get your setup for how you will milk. personally i highly suggest making/buying a stand. when the goats are on the last month-ish of pregnancy start bringing them on the stand to eat their ration. usually doesn't take too long before the does understand they get food when they get on the stand. figure out when you will be milking and do the feeding on the stand at that time(s) so they learn the rhythm of it. if you have several does they will soon sort out amongst themselves who will go in what order. from my experience this will be the hierarchy order, herd queen goes first and on down to the bottom doe last.
if the does are first timers or have not been milked before than while you are training them to the stand also pet them. at first just pet them like you usually would. then once the routine starts setting in pet down their sides and try running hand down the legs. some does freak out at first and take longer while others don't seem to care at all. after several days they get used to that and you can pet them all over and begin running hand along the belly and udders. this helps get them used to you touching them. when you actually start milking its good practice to always run a hand over the belly to brush of anything loose (dirt, hay, grass, etc) to keep it from falling in your bucket etc. also being closer to kidding date you can watch closer the udder development and check the does ligaments for any being sunken and squishy ergo close to kidding.
the better you can get them into the routine and being handled BEFORE you actually need to milk, the better off you will be and less work and fighting will go on.
some does still get flighty after kidding and when separated from the kids will not want to be milked. it is best if you can milk away from the kids so they cant hear them. some first timers will be fussy and take a day or three to really let down the milk, they can be surprisingly good at holding it back for the kids and not for you to steal! but it gets uncomfortable for them and they figure out its easier to just eat and let you milk away.
in my experience goats don't kick too much and then you get one that is a kicking mess. luckily i have only ever dealt with one semi-bad kicker. for that doe i had to resort to hobbling her to the stand for a while. then i worked to where i could milk one handed and be ready to grab her leg as soon as she went to kick.
i know it sounds terrible but goats are seriously dense and when she kicks you gotta grab the leg and give her a good whack with your other hand! if you don't teach em now they will always do it! give her a good spank for it and hold the leg out and up so its uncomfortable to her. after a while she learned its better to shut up and eat and let me milk her. rarely she would test me and kick.. grab that leg, pull it up and back to put her off balance (ie she cant kick and cant pick up her other feet without falling!) and give her a good whack, tell her she better cut the crap because i will eat her in a heartbeat if i have to, hold her there a moment longer then go back to milking.
any more questions just ask!
if the does are first timers or have not been milked before than while you are training them to the stand also pet them. at first just pet them like you usually would. then once the routine starts setting in pet down their sides and try running hand down the legs. some does freak out at first and take longer while others don't seem to care at all. after several days they get used to that and you can pet them all over and begin running hand along the belly and udders. this helps get them used to you touching them. when you actually start milking its good practice to always run a hand over the belly to brush of anything loose (dirt, hay, grass, etc) to keep it from falling in your bucket etc. also being closer to kidding date you can watch closer the udder development and check the does ligaments for any being sunken and squishy ergo close to kidding.
the better you can get them into the routine and being handled BEFORE you actually need to milk, the better off you will be and less work and fighting will go on.
some does still get flighty after kidding and when separated from the kids will not want to be milked. it is best if you can milk away from the kids so they cant hear them. some first timers will be fussy and take a day or three to really let down the milk, they can be surprisingly good at holding it back for the kids and not for you to steal! but it gets uncomfortable for them and they figure out its easier to just eat and let you milk away.
in my experience goats don't kick too much and then you get one that is a kicking mess. luckily i have only ever dealt with one semi-bad kicker. for that doe i had to resort to hobbling her to the stand for a while. then i worked to where i could milk one handed and be ready to grab her leg as soon as she went to kick.
i know it sounds terrible but goats are seriously dense and when she kicks you gotta grab the leg and give her a good whack with your other hand! if you don't teach em now they will always do it! give her a good spank for it and hold the leg out and up so its uncomfortable to her. after a while she learned its better to shut up and eat and let me milk her. rarely she would test me and kick.. grab that leg, pull it up and back to put her off balance (ie she cant kick and cant pick up her other feet without falling!) and give her a good whack, tell her she better cut the crap because i will eat her in a heartbeat if i have to, hold her there a moment longer then go back to milking.
any more questions just ask!
- Thread starter
- #3
lkmartin1230
Loving the herd life
Thanks for your help. I have had goats for 2 years, and I am wanting to try milking. I have a regular schedule of feeling for ligaments now as I have one doe who is due at any point ( according to the person I bought her from)but I also go around checking other does too. I will try building a stand, or getting my father to do it one, or the other.lol. Thank Again!!!
ohiogoatgirl
True BYH Addict
links to some of my milking videos I did:
and just amusement.. the one tom cat figured out the goat milk fountain lol
and just amusement.. the one tom cat figured out the goat milk fountain lol
- Thread starter
- #5
lkmartin1230
Loving the herd life
Thanks s
SkyWarrior
Loving the herd life
Before I had my stand, I would tie the goat off to a fence so she was parallel to the fence. I would set a bucket of grain in front of her and milk her. I lost several pails before we both finally got the routine down but she ended up being a great goat to milk when I did get the stanchion.
- Thread starter
- #7
lkmartin1230
Loving the herd life
Thank you.
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
also if you are planning to hand milk, try and have a few people milking- we've noticed that our 2 does don't milk out as well/behave for my DD and DH as they do for me
- Thread starter
- #9
lkmartin1230
Loving the herd life
Oh okay. Thanks
