# Skittish Doe



## marjaymarjay (Aug 22, 2012)

Hello-
I have a doe who kidded for the first time about 3 weeks ago. Now that the baby is also eating regular goat food, I would like to start milking the doe. She has other ideas, however. She's very, very skittish whenever I try to touch her udders and teats (maybe moreso with the teats) and has been since we got her (about 7 weeks ago). I am not sure exactly what I'm doing either, but she doesn't like me touching them at all. I'm not sure how far to push it, though... I don't want her to dislike me. 

I haven't gotten any milk expressed yet, and my technique is definitely less than perfect, but she fights pretty hard- moving and kicking a little. I don't have a milk stand (yet). I would sure welcome any advice, thoughts, hints, etc. Not sure how to get her to calm down and let me touch them enough to get a good shot at learning how to milk her. 

Thanks!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

The key is practice, all the time. Try holding her on a leash and touching her udder. Keep doing it until she stands still, then give her a treat. If you do this every day, she may start behaving.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

A milkstand would be your most beneficial way to start her training but I have started milking my does by leashing them to a fence post and feeding them their grain ration while I pushed them against the fence, having no distractions while milking is best...you don't want her kid or other goats in her feed pan etc.


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## woffinden (Jun 11, 2012)

I've found that it's very important to start milking the day the babies are born, even if they will be dam raised. I express a little colostrum and save it for emergencies, and from there on out, bring the doe onto the milking stand where they can eat grain. I mess with her udder and mock milk her. If you do this from the beginning, when it's time for the babies to leave, there will be no fight. In fact, they look forward to milking time. I know this won't help now, but for the future. I would purchase a pair of milking hobbles from hoegger. Get her on the stand with grain so it's a positive thing, hobble her and start milking. she will fight, but will eventually learn it's not worth the hassel


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

When I first got my milk goat she was the same way, but I had bottle babys that needed to be fed so could not let her get away with it. I ended up leashing her to the fence then got a hay string and tied one of her back legs so she could not kick or if she tryed to walk off could not. It didnt take long till she figured out what was going on and took it. She didnt like me too much for the first week, but now she is my best friend and can not keep her off of me.


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## marjaymarjay (Aug 22, 2012)

I really appreciate all of the ideas and advice! Thank you so much! I've been putting her in the pen for her dinner feeding, without any of the other goats around, and that has helped a lot to be able to get her to calm down and let me try. She actually walks in there and waits, so I know she's starting to come around. 

I haven't been able to actually get any milk from her, though.  I'm trying to work on my technique... any ideas to help a first-timer? Her teats are pretty small, and I'm having a hard time getting the milk into the teat and closing it off and also working the milk out. 

Thank you again. I'm going to keep trying every day til I get it!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Maybe youtube might have something for you, but I will try to explain the best I can lol. When we got a little milk cow when I was little I was told to start at the top and slowly squeeze to the tip, that was not working for me, for me its more like I pinch it off at the top with my finger and thumb and just squeeze with the rest of my fingers. Does she have good size teats? I have known how to milk for ever but the ones that are a little smaller I have a heck of a time with. Are you squeezing hard enough? When I tried to show my husband how to milk he was not and would not squeeze hard enough. So hard to tell you whats going on with out being there, try youtube on how others milk, that might help out


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