# Goat easy to milk... until she’s not!



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

Hey so when I first started milking it was horrible she hated it. She’s now pretty great.... until she’s done. So she’s tied now with home made hobbles. But when she’s done she like does a dance and makes it nearly impossible or I’m afraid she’ll hurt herself. I KNOW she has more in there (she’s still Got her kids cuz I’m soft, theyre 10 weeks and on her all day) her udder is veryyyyyyy squishy at night when I try to teach my son but when she’s “done” with me it’s still pretty full (also these goats really do have a lot of milk for being so tiny!) so my question... HOW DO I GET ALL THE MILK?! Lol sorry just frustrated because I know she’s got it and I just can’t get it lol.


----------



## Totesmgoats (Jun 12, 2020)

I have a doe like this too, and I am by far an expert, but when she starts fighting I usually stop going for her udder for a minute and just pet her, stir her food with my hand, and talk to her a bit. Once she's calm I let her be calm for a minute and then I go back to it. Usually that'll give me another five minutes before she decides she's done again. I've found doing this for the last few weeks she's getting calmer and not fighting as much (although that last bit is still something of a struggle haha)


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

Totesmgoats said:


> I have a doe like this too, and I am by far an expert, but when she starts fighting I usually stop going for her udder for a minute and just pet her, stir her food with my hand, and talk to her a bit. Once she's calm I let her be calm for a minute and then I go back to it. Usually that'll give me another five minutes before she decides she's done again. I've found doing this for the last few weeks she's getting calmer and not fighting as much (although that last bit is still something of a struggle haha)


Ya I'll have to try getting creative. I think she's just trying to save it for the kids. Not sure why she lets them milk anymore anyways. They're so rude!!!!! They like topple her over! Three is a crowd! I'd be so mad if I was a mom goat


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I have one what will step away real quick and not want me to finish..I standup and massage her udder well and she lets me finish. I think she developed the habit when my daughter was milking her. Slowly she is getting better.


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

happybleats said:


> I have one what will step away real quick and not want me to finish..I standup and massage her udder well and she lets me finish. I think she developed the habit when my daughter was milking her. Slowly she is getting better.


Ok good idea. I gotta try something. I never get all the milk out and I'm gonna lose her supply!


----------



## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

When shes "done" is that when she runs out of grain? If so put some more grain in there and keep going! Sometimes you just don't let go of ger udder and she will figure out that your not going to stop until YOU are done


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> When shes "done" is that when she runs out of grain? If so put some more grain in there and keep going! Sometimes you just don't let go of ger udder and she will figure out that your not going to stop until YOU are done


no, she still had grain! But she's done lol. I have read you just need to let them know who's boss and they'll get it but man I hate seeing her upset


----------



## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Mine was like that for quite a while in the beginning. I did what you did, talked to her, stirred the food, brushed her a bit. She always came around. Now she is addicted to grain and I have to mix it in some hay so it takes her long enough to eat. That way I am done before her. I joke that we both try to “empty it” as fast as we can.
Hopefully yours will come around too!


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

MadHouse said:


> Mine was like that for quite a while in the beginning. I did what you did, talked to her, stirred the food, brushed her a bit. She always came around. Now she is addicted to grain and I have to mix it in some hay so it takes her long enough to eat. That way I am done before her. I joke that we both try to "empty it" as fast as we can.
> Hopefully yours will come around too!


Thanks! Great idea! I've added kelp and she doesn't love it but it slows her down. But she still puts a big fuss up!


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

When you are milking, milk into a small bucket then every few min. pour the milk into a clean container, that way, if she steps in the milk bucket when she is fooling around, you only lose a small amount of milk.


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

Goats Rock said:


> When you are milking, milk into a small bucket then every few min. pour the milk into a clean container, that way, if she steps in the milk bucket when she is fooling around, you only lose a small amount of milk.


great idea!


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

YOU GUYS! this morning went GREAT! pretty sure she was so close to being empty too! It felt so much more squishy! I went from getting half the mini mason jars (250ml?) to half the big one! (500ml?) so I doubled my yield! 

is this a good/normal amount? It did take a lot longer! I don’t know how you guys do multiple goats. I had this dream of having like 3-5 goats but now that I see how long it takes I may just keep mama and daughter from now on and sell the kiddies. My hands hurt!

anyways thanks so much all!


----------



## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

That’s great!!!
Your hands will get stronger! You will get faster. You will look back and say, it used to take me a LOT longer to milk!


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

MadHouse said:


> That's great!!!
> Your hands will get stronger! You will get faster. You will look back and say, it used to take me a LOT longer to milk!


I hope so!!


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

You and the goat will work out a system. It will go faster and smoother over time. (But beware! As soon as you get complacent, she will put her foot in the milk bucket. Just to keep you on your toes!) :heehee:


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

Goats Rock said:


> You and the goat will work out a system. It will go faster and smoother over time. (But beware! As soon as you get complacent, she will put her foot in the milk bucket. Just to keep you on your toes!) :heehee:


Lol thanks!! I can't wait till I can milk twice a day! I gotta find some teat tape!


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Goats Rock said:


> When you are milking, milk into a small bucket then every few min. pour the milk into a clean container, that way, if she steps in the milk bucket when she is fooling around, you only lose a small amount of milk.


 That is what I do.


----------



## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

toth boer goats said:


> That is what I do.


I didn't know you milk!?!


----------



## Goataddict (Jun 8, 2020)

Neither did I. Do you have diary breeds or do you milk your Boers.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

LOL, yes, it is when I am drying off the does/boers, I do milk them. 
Don't want them getting mastitis. 

Have a doe who steps in the bucket full of milk, spills it all over, made me so mad. So I do dump it in another bucket as I am milking her, so she doesn't spill as much, if she steps in the bucket.


----------



## Goataddict (Jun 8, 2020)

toth boer goats said:


> LOL, yes, it is when I am drying off the does/boers, I do milk them.
> Don't want them getting mastitis.
> 
> Have a doe who steps in the bucket full of milk, spills it all over, made me so mad. So I do dump it in another bucket as I am milking her, so she doesn't spill as much, if she steps in the bucket.


:heehee:


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:uphighfive)


----------



## seachick (Jun 2, 2010)

Mamatoes said:


> YOU GUYS! this morning went GREAT! pretty sure she was so close to being empty too! It felt so much more squishy! I went from getting half the mini mason jars (250ml?) to half the big one! (500ml?) so I doubled my yield!
> 
> is this a good/normal amount? It did take a lot longer! I don't know how you guys do multiple goats. I had this dream of having like 3-5 goats but now that I see how long it takes I may just keep mama and daughter from now on and sell the kiddies. My hands hurt!
> 
> anyways thanks so much all!


She's a Nigerian Dwarf, right? Are you separating overnight? If you are, 250 ml is not much milk at all. My first freshener is giving me around 700 ml at the morning milking. We started separating her from the kids at night so at 2 weeks so we could have the overnight milk (and so the kids would start eating more grain and hay). To be fair, I get barely any when I milk her at night before separating... but her last remaining kid is 10 weeks now so we'll be using teat tape during the day pretty soon.


----------



## Michaela Van Mecl (Sep 3, 2018)

Goats Rock said:


> When you are milking, milk into a small bucket then every few min. pour the milk into a clean container, that way, if she steps in the milk bucket when she is fooling around, you only lose a small amount of milk.


What a great idea!


----------



## Mamatoes (Apr 29, 2020)

seachick said:


> She's a Nigerian Dwarf, right? Are you separating overnight? If you are, 250 ml is not much milk at all. My first freshener is giving me around 700 ml at the morning milking. We started separating her from the kids at night so at 2 weeks so we could have the overnight milk (and so the kids would start eating more grain and hay). To be fair, I get barely any when I milk her at night before separating... but her last remaining kid is 10 weeks now so we'll be using teat tape during the day pretty soon.


yes I realize now it was just tiny. I'm getting at minimum 500ml now. I guess just a learning curve! But happy I'm finally getting more


----------



## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

A milking machine is a big help. We converted one of the old cow milkers into one for the nigerians. You can see it on my .com page. I couldn't do it by hand on the little girls. When I was younger and had nubians I milked by hand but these little girls are small teats and love to dance on the milk stand. The machine is quicker.


----------

