# Milking goat out "all the way"... and "Newbie" woes! :)



## goatglo (Mar 1, 2013)

I just got my first milking doe, Panda, yesterday. She is a two year old Nigerian Dwarf on her 2nd freshener. She had two one-month old bucklings on her until last night. I milked her when we got her home (didn't get too much), and I milked her again this morning (got about a third of a mason jar, probably about 10-12 ounces)-- I am planning on two milkings a day. This is the first goat I've milked, and she is pretty difficult, but I am very patient, and I think it'll get better every day.

I have a milking stand, but she kicks and jumps around... if she's not doing that, she sits down. I have been either propping the bucket under her and squeezing my hands in there while she crushes them (LOL!), which seems to impede her milk flow, or pulling both her back feet together and holding up her back end with my other hand and milking with one hand. She does better when there is food in front of her, but I am new and slow, and she ate it all before I was done and got impatient.

My biggest question is, how important is it to milk out "all the way?" As in, continuing to milk until almost nothing comes out. Today I milked her until her flow was pretty low, bumped her udder (like a kid would) and milked her a bit more, but I probably coulda kept going. I am just worried about mastitis. Her udder still felt pretty firm, but was definitely decreased in firmness by the time I was done. She was starting to get very impatient, and my left arm was shaking from holding up her rear-end. Haha!! It took me a while this morning (probably 30-40 minutes). I am going to work on getting her to stand pretty for me.

Also, are there exterior signs of mastitis? I read a thread about testing it with dish-soap, and I plan on doing that... will the milk look or taste weird? Will her teats be inflamed or anything? Thanks!


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## AdamsAcres (Dec 3, 2012)

Don't worry. She'll calm down, some at least *wink*, and you'll get faster too. 

It is important to empty that udder, otherwise her milk production will slow down. Her body will learn it doesn't need to produce as much because you aren't taking that much. 

If you and she are at wits ends with each other before you're sure you've milked her out, you can stop and go back in an hour or two and finish up. I have one that I go rounds with quite often and sometimes I just have to walk away and go back later. You'll figure out what works best for you two.


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## WalshKidsGoats (Nov 27, 2012)

Do you have someone that could help you hold her? We had one goat that was terrible in the stand and we ended up having someone hold her back legs while the other milked.

Quality Nigerian Dwarf Goats
www.walshkidsgoats.com
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## goatglo (Mar 1, 2013)

I suppose I could get a little help, but I am the one who is going to be milking her so I would like to get her to stand nicely for me. I thought about trying a hobble, but the main problem is her trying to sit/lay down on the stand. Taking her food away works for a little bit... Phew! I think I will have to figure it out on my own, mostly. Hopefully she will get better if I just keep at it! I didn't let her get away with it... just kept on milking!... but I would like to make sure I get all she has to offer, not only 'cause we want to use it, but because I don't want her to be uncomfortable or develop mastitis.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I have a hobble page on my website here. http://amped-goats.wix.com/ampg#!milking-tips/c7ja For your situation it may be best to tie her legs to the stand entirely instead of a hobble which I also have on there.

You can use both the hobble and a bucket or loop from the rafters if you can. It may be a while before she slows down but if she figures out fighting does her no good she will stop eventually.


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## goatglo (Mar 1, 2013)

Thank you for the suggestions! I really think I'm gonna try a "rope in the rafters" type approach!  That is a very helpful page.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I had a difficult doe that really pulled all the nonsense when I milked her, especially after kidding.
I put a 4 clean fist size rocks in her feed bucket. It takes her a while to pick around the rocks to 
eat. Another thing to try is to put tiny amounts at a time in her feed bucket with the rocks. Good Luck!


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## HonestOmnivore (Feb 26, 2013)

Just like Goat's Rock, I was going to suggest making her eating a little more complicated. I put 2" limestone rock into a bucket with chopped up carrots once- this was for a horse but it did the trick of occuping it's attention while I treated an injury.

Before you go too far, I'd just try for distracting feed, and patience. I have a FF that didn't want to be touched and now she's really easy - the fight went out of her after about a week and I didn't do anything other than put a bucket under her breast bone to prevent her from laying down. I sing to my goats (probably why she was so paniced to get away!) and I ignored all her fits and kicking as if there was nothing bad going on at all. After we were done milking she would get a good brushing followed up with carrots to help her have a happy association with the milk stand.

Try just ignoring it for a few more days, and see if she doesn't just relax on her own


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