# Bad Milking Behavior



## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

My Nigerian Dwarf doe Yoko started out being pretty tolerant of milking, but now she's turned into a kicking terror. She is a first freshener, and I got her as an adult, so I've had to work with her milking manners from square one.

She is actually fine the first few minutes of milking. Standing calmly, no fidgeting, dancing, or kicking. She gets some grain at start time. But then, it seems like she loses patience. First she starts sidestepping, then kicking at me, and acts like a general pain in the butt. 

She can get the hobbles off, too! I know it goes over her back leg joint thing. But at its tightest, it is still loose enough to slide off. So not much help. 

Aside from tying a leg up to the side of the milking stand (which is what I've taken to doing), what can I do? Her bad behavior starts while she still has plenty of nummies left in the bowl, so it isn't that she acts up when she runs out. Could she be agitated about her kids (four weeks old tomorrow)? The past few days I've taken to separating them from her at night so she gets a good udder fill. And of course, they're bawling the entire time they know their mother is on the milk stand. 

Before I was separating the kids, I was just getting the bit of milk Yoko had to offer. It might've not been much, but I figured it got her used to milking by going through the motions, even though it didn't take much time. Maybe it taught her that milking is short, so when it takes longer (now that she has a lot more milk in the udder), she gets impatient. 

She gave me a whole quart of milk this morning. It was so exciting! I want to keep that up! But I keep having to dump out the pail every minute or so, because I am afraid she'll knock it over. I feel bad having to tie a back leg up to stop her dancing and kicking. I don't want her to think milking is unpleasant. I am calm and gentle as possible, talking to her the entire time. My speed is improving now, at least, too.


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## MotleyBoerGoats (Mar 23, 2013)

we have a milker whos just like this she gets uneasy and un happy because she runs out of oats


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

to train a stubborn goat to let you milk her without a fuss takes patients and perseverance..you need to be more stubborn than your goat lol. You need a routine she can count on..same time,do the same thing each time such as sing or hum to them..brush them down..some folk put on Mozart and swear by the calming effect and more milk they get lol. (word of caution, rock and roll shuts the milk production down per a study lol) I never grab a teat and go....I always start on the hip an rub down the leg and so forth..if you have to tie her leg, do so safely...until she is tired of it and learns to relax...


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

It's a game for her. Keep her occupied. Grain, water, a hangin ball, treats, etc. 

Show her you're boss and she's not getting her way. I actually added a piece of 2x4 railing on the left side of the stand. I now hobble my doe with a dog leash. Put both back legs in the handle loop, wrap the long part around in the middle and then simply hook the long leash part up to the railing. Problem solved.  

For me anyway


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

mjs500doo said:


> It's a game for her. Keep her occupied. Grain, water, a hangin ball, treats, etc.
> 
> Show her you're boss and she's not getting her way. I actually added a piece of 2x4 railing on the left side of the stand. I now hobble my doe with a dog leash. Put both back legs in the handle loop, wrap the long part around in the middle and then simply hook the long leash part up to the railing. Problem solved.
> 
> For me anyway


Could you take a picture of that leash hobble?


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Even better, I'll grab you a link to the blog I "stole" it from!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

http://invitationtothebutterflyball...w-i-stop-goats-from-kicking-while-on.html?m=1

Loved the idea, use it everyday!!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Thank youu~ My Gypsy girl won't even behave for the hobbles. I miss her sweet milk but I do not miss her milkstand manners :laugh:


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

I used some para cord and made ties onto my stand for the back legs. It's part of the routine, and they can't kick forward with them on


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Yep thick hobbles slip right off my does legs too. That's why I use shoe strings. Here's some pictures of how I hobble mine. http://amped-goats.wix.com/ampg#!milking-tips/c7ja


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I had a problem ff 2 yrs. ago- she would be ok a few minutes (and had tiny teats- really hard to get milked out) then get all silly.
Jumping, kicking etc. One day the door to her pen was left open and the kids came in- she calmed right down. (It's a challenge to milk
with kids climbing all over, but the doe stood still!). Sometimes it just takes time. After the kids are weaned she may behave better.
Make that hobble pretty tight to squeeze that tendon.


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## TeriA (Apr 29, 2012)

These are such great ideas I hope I can make one work. My one doe goes through naughty phases and we are in one right now. I do not have a side bar on my station, so it has been a challenge. Thank you for the links above. 

So tell the truth how many of you look as good as the first woman when you milk?


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## TeriA (Apr 29, 2012)

mjs500doo said:


> http://invitationtothebutterflyball...w-i-stop-goats-from-kicking-while-on.html?m=1
> 
> Loved the idea, use it everyday!!


It worked!!! :clap: It took some learning on my part. I had to stretch her legs back so that I could get the leash tight enough, but she did not seem to mind. I always start milking without it, but she is actually kicking earlier now so I have to put it on.  However then I get to finish and I'm getting more milk than before 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


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## nursehelg (Jul 5, 2012)

My Nigerian Bandit is stubborn on the stand also. When she gets finished with her grain she will actually lay down. I have no idea how to make her stop it. She will kick at the beginning but settles down. I may try the hobble with the leash it may keep her from laying down.


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## AdamsAcres (Dec 3, 2012)

Put a bucket under her chest so she can't lay down...


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

TeriA said:


> It worked!!! :clap: It took some learning on my part. I had to stretch her legs back so that I could get the leash tight enough, but she did not seem to mind. I always start milking without it, but she is actually kicking earlier now so I have to put it on.  However then I get to finish and I'm getting more milk than before
> 
> Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


Awesome!! You're so welcome. I love the idea too. Much cheaper. Who doesn't have a leash?


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## nursehelg (Jul 5, 2012)

I will try that thanks!!


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

The leash idea is brilliant. I like it much better than the hobble I bought and have been using that recently. 

Yoko is still being a twit when it comes to milking. The first few minutes, she is still fine. But I am not fast enough to milk her out in those minutes of calm. Once she starts up, I have to tie her up, and start milking her again. I hope she gets the idea that acting out on the milk stand makes the whole process take longer (plus she gets restrained, she does not like that), and that it WILL happen whether she wants it to or not. I don't give up, I get that milk out of her. 

If she isn't finished with her grain by the time her patience runs out, she uses her nose to push it out onto the ground, as opposed to eating it. The chickens score when this happens, but I find it irritating since I don't like spilled grain, it could attract mice.


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## TeriA (Apr 29, 2012)

nursehelg said:


> My Nigerian Bandit is stubborn on the stand also. When she gets finished with her grain she will actually lay down. I have no idea how to make her stop it. She will kick at the beginning but settles down. I may try the hobble with the leash it may keep her from laying down.


 I found it helped to push her legs back and then fastened the leash off so she could not bend them and lay down. At first she pulled her legs in and did not lie, but bend in. DH was with me and pushed her legs back...duh! It helps to have 3rd party eyes watching!


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## Rev144 (Jan 22, 2011)

When my goats are being twits on the stand at the start, I take the feed away. They only get feed if they are being good. I put the feed on the floor, under where it would usually go, so they can see it. If they continue to be a twit all thru milking, they get no feed, get their legs tied back, get their butt slapped and get told in a firm voice to knock it off.. It usually takes a couple days before they realize that being a twit does not pay!


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## canthavejust1 (Oct 12, 2012)

My girl likes to lay down too lol I loop a rope around her flank in front of her udder and hook it to a nail above. It's not tight unless she tries to lay down, which after the first time she hasn't tried again. Works great for us! She absolutely hates being touched underneath but tolerates it perfectly with this setup


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## TeriA (Apr 29, 2012)

Here is my version of the hobble using the dog leash clipped to the poll of our shed where I milk. No milk has been spilt since! I thought she would just freak out, but she does not at all.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

TeriA said:


> Here is my version of the hobble using the dog leash clipped to the poll of our shed where I milk. No milk has been spilt since! I thought she would just freak out, but she does not at all.
> http://s36.photobucket.com/user/teriscraps/media/Dairy Diaries/2013-04-16_18-11-22_301.jpg.html


Awesome!!


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