# Help! Milking becomming a real problem



## QueenieBell (Dec 18, 2013)

i am having more and more trouble with my la mancha. she is starting to get more difficult on the milk stand, kick more and is knocking over full pails of milk. i've had her two months and before she would give me a fit every once and a while, but i could calm her and resume milking. we've had a few "go arounds" recently, and the experience is getting worse for both of us and i'm afraid she is getting sour when it comes to the stand. i was hobbling her per suggestion of people in my community with bailing twine around feet tied to cleats on the stand. that ended when she struggled and the twine cut her fairly badly cause she struggled so hard to get out. then i borrowed some hobbles but can't milk her with them on because the strap is right across the teats and i can't get my hand on her teats well enough to milk. 

are there any other techniques or tricks i can use to keep her still so i don't keep losing milk and making the experience bad for us both? i don't want her to start associating the stand with displeasure. she eats her grain fast and then it's a battle. 

would really appreciate any feedback. thanks so much. 

sylvia


----------



## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Is there anything irritating her udder, how is your milking technique? Observe her udder and yourself carefully the next time you milk her.

I'm sorry she's like that, it's so frustrating  ...


----------



## OakHollowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

Are you accidentally pulling udder hairs or are her tears dry and cracked? That's what really annoys my does. I mix alfalfa leaves with my goats grain to slow them way down. I hope things improve for you. My FF is being a bit of a pill lately as well.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm willing to bet that there is something going on with her udder. I had a FF that kicked when I milked one side, after further investigation she had a blackhead type thing on her udder and once that was healed I had a well behaved goat;-)


----------



## QueenieBell (Dec 18, 2013)

no, she there is nothing wrong with her udder and my milking technique if good. i know i'm not the only person with a doe that acts up on the stand and i'm just asking for suggestions on what people do. any suggestions would be so appreciated.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

QueenieBell said:


> no, she there is nothing wrong with her udder and my milking technique if good. i know i'm not the only person with a doe that acts up on the stand and i'm just asking for suggestions on what people do. any suggestions would be so appreciated.


Not sure. The blackhead thing on my doe I missed several times since it was so small, I thought it was a speck of dirt... Just saying... You could try hobbles.


----------



## QueenieBell (Dec 18, 2013)

janeen, i did try hobbles and put that in my original post. said the strap crosses right in front of the teats and i can't get my hands on them. there is not a blackhead. this has been building for a while but is getting worse. what i'm asking for is techniques about how people deal with difficult goats. there is no physical problem.


----------



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

My FF's were a bit of a challenge for the first week, but I used 2 containers. A Larger pail to hold the milk, and a metal camping cup to milk into.... I kept the large pail off to the side, and used the small metal camping cup to milk into. I held the cup in one hand, while milking with the other. I would pour the milk off into the pail every few squirts. Eventually they settled down, and now I can put a large pail under them with no issues.

For hobbles, have you thought about using velcro? It's thicker than twine, and I can't imagine it doing much damage when used correctly. You could use velcro to go around each foot and a piece of strong string from the velcro hobble to an anchor at the bottom and back of the milk stand to prevent her from lifting her legs.
Not sure what else to suggest...


----------



## sbaker (Nov 11, 2012)

I had to milk my girl with one hand, and keep the other one free for grabbing the bucket when I saw her foot start to move. After a few days/weeks/i don't remember how long, she stopped kicking. Now I only have to be extra careful for the evening milking, and its because poor girl -and me- gets eaten up by mosquitos and gnats when we sit still to milk. But that's not her fault, I want to kick my feet and shake myself to get rid of them too!


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

QueenieBell said:


> janeen, i did try hobbles and put that in my original post. said the strap crosses right in front of the teats and i can't get my hands on them. there is not a blackhead. this has been building for a while but is getting worse. what i'm asking for is techniques about how people deal with difficult goats. there is no physical problem.


I think people are just trying to help.

You cannot know for 100% that there is nothing wrong with her teats. People are just sharing what has happened to them and what has worked for them.

You should be grateful for their advice, guidance, and caring support.


----------



## cybercat (Oct 18, 2007)

You could try the cow way and tie up one foot. That would make her think twice. I would also put her on the stand more than at milking time. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Goat Forum mobile app


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I think the more tramatic you make milking the worse they will get. I had a fiesty doe who I just knew I would have to restrain somehow eventually, but I was patient, milked her one handed as suggested already here and just didn't stop or make a big hairy deal about her stomping and kicking, in one month that ended completely. Be nice, I have never had one NOT respond to that.


----------



## QueenieBell (Dec 18, 2013)

thanks everyone for the tips. i think i will try milking into a smaller pail and dumping it into a bigger for now and the idea of velcro hobbles is good. as for being grateful, i'm grateful for the feedback. i do get frustrated at times when my question isn't answered (techniques for milking a difficult doe) only because it seems on most forums when you ask a question you get a lot of other feedback you didn't ask for that strays off topic. just me. but, thank you all and i got some tips to get me started.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

One of my goats became "diva mom" after she kidded and the sweet little thing turned into a monster toward everyone--goats and humans alike--for the first month or two. Milking was a nightmare. She would stand beautifully as long as she had grain in front of her, but when she was done she felt entitled to leave the stand and would struggle just as you describe. I know I made the problem worse because in my newbie frustration I sometimes got angry or gave her extra grain to keep her quiet. That, obviously, was not a permanent solution! 

I ended up tying a hind foot down to the stand similar to the way you did, only I didn't use baling twine--as you have discovered, it is dangerously thin. I used a dog leash, doubling the handle back on itself (making sure there were no uncomfortable twists in the webbing) and wrapped around the leg just above the dew claw. It would cinch itself tight when she kicked so it couldn't slip off the foot, but as long as she was standing nicely the loop relaxed to a comfortable snugness. If your goat has an injury on her leg, you could use a piece of felt or vetwrap to pad the area for now. 

I tried not to make a fuss over the struggling. I also brought treats in my pocket and when she would stand for 10-15 seconds of active milking I gave her one. She began standing longer in hopes of being rewarded, and soon after that she was nice the whole time without needing cookies. Giving extra grain and losing my temper only made her worse. Being patient but not indulgent was key.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

QueenieBell said:


> thanks everyone for the tips. i think i will try milking into a smaller pail and dumping it into a bigger for now and the idea of velcro hobbles is good. as for being grateful, i'm grateful for the feedback. i do get frustrated at times when my question isn't answered (techniques for milking a difficult doe) only because it seems on most forums when you ask a question you get a lot of other feedback you didn't ask for that strays off topic. just me. but, thank you all and i got some tips to get me started.


I wasn't offended. I just know what my experience was, and that I missed it for weeks, I almost got to the point of selling her...., so I understand the frustration of it all...


----------

