# skittish new goats, what to do?



## Laken (Sep 25, 2013)

Hi, we just bought a pygmy buck, and nigerian dwarf doe yesterday. Both are a year old And they are used to just roaming 150 acres of land with little human interaction. So they won't let us touch them, but they will come up and eat out of our hands. We are pretty sure she is bred now, and I was really hoping to be able to milk her. Should I just work on taming them both, or should I look into trading them for babies I can raise that would know us?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Spend lots of time with them. And I mean lots and lots of time.

I had a couple girls that never did warm up to attention but had no problems with them on the milkstand. That is once they understood that they would be milked by me. Plus they learned that they got food. 

Since you will both be new at milking, expect things to take a while. There will be tears and frustration but hang in there and it will work out.

Even experienced milkers will give a new milking person a hard time.


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

they will learn to associate the stand with FOOD you will have to help them on the stand about twice and then they will know. you should have them both on the stand to get used to being handled before you start major handling like hoof trimming. it will take awhile but if they dont come around by spring trade them in!!


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

I did like the advice another OP(forget which thread) gave-- to wait for the babies in the Spring (maybe she will have triplets) and then you can take them after a couple days (for the colostrum effect) and then bottle feed them-- Voila there are your friendly handraised babies right there.... and then you can trade them....


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## Laken (Sep 25, 2013)

Thanks so much everyone!!! I think I will tame them best I can through the pregnancy and go from there. And if she is super hard to milk ill just keep the babies and raise them and trade the parents!


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