Tell me if this is a good idea, and feel free to add some tips of training to this thread. I am currantly looking at having 3 FF to milk next season. I have started putting them on the milk stand from time to time and feed them there......I sometimes just let them eat at will, and then get down at will......I sometimes lock them in and run my hands around their udder area, also petting or brushing them. I get a lot of nervous twitches and such most of the time, and some are getting nervous about getting back up there in fear that I'm gonna lock them in I guess. I usually give them a few raisins as a treat after I'm through with them, and it seems to help a little bit.......Is there anything else that I could/should be doing at this time with these youngin's that will help both them and me when the time comes to do this for real. Thanks.....Whim
I always start feeding them on the stand in the latter month of gestation just as if they were being milked. However no goat old of ff seems to like having their udders messed with until after freshening. Just getting them used to getting on the stand , some grooming , clipping prior to freshening , feet triming and of course a little lovin. But other than clipping the udder and back end I leave their udder alone.
We have three ff (of our 5 does). Since I only have a few does, we were feeding them in the stand this summer before they were bred. They all run for the stand whenever the door is open! One doeling was bottle-raised and shown...love her. I can touch her anywhere at anytime! The other two, dam-raised, are so squirrely! I can hardly even catch one! When they were kids, we were able to touch them anywhere but now that they are in the "bratty" stage of life, we can't. We will put them in the stand daily in February and feed them, lots of touching and grooming. But squirrely or not, Sondra is right, once they freshen, they really calm down and get with the program! I also trim hooves in the stand and anything else. The seem to understand the stand is where "business" happens...and grain gets served!
"However no goat old of ff seems to like having their udders messed with until after freshening. " Yea, I know. I'm not squeezing or anything like that......I get about the same reaction from them, whether I'm touching their belly or back legs area. I'm hoping this action will help them to become familiar with the proccess. Think I will keep my buzz cut on next year, where I won't be able to pull my hair out. :tearhair
just let them get on the stand and eat a little grain giving them some lovin talk (maybe a little wine) sratch behind the ears. Trim feet if needed and the shaving when getting close to freshening, otherwise leave their legs /belly /udder alone.
Whim, There's something that "kicks in" when a doe kids. The day before they kid it is "don't touch my udder". After giving birth the same doe that would kick or squirm will allow her udder to be touched. The transformation is amazing! It is best to train the first fresheners to jump on the stand, get their treat (raisins or hand full of grain). Always let it be a pleasant experience. I suggest you lock them in each time BUT don't leave them. Goats become afraid they will be stuck forever and will develop a phobia. My goats don't like for me to walk out of the room while they are on the stand. The moment I walk out - they will start screaming, "Don't forget me!" Some are worse than others about this but most of them do have a fear of being left on the stand. Once they kid, you probably should tie the back leg nearest you. This will keep that foot out of the bucket and your temper in check. :lol : :lol Some does will automatically lift the leg nearest you and hold it up, even if they are not kicking, especially when the udder is full. Many does do this even when their kids nurse until they get used to being milked. Tying the foot ususally becomes less important after a few weeks, although some will take up to a month to get used to you milking her. Be aware that on some does you may have to tie both feet and keep in mind that a newly developing udder is tender and can be somewhat painful. Since you are milking Nigerians, I will make an assumption that the teats on these first fresheners are going to be small. Big hands and small teats just don't go together. Even my Nubians take a couple of weeks sometimes for the teats to grow to decent size. Milking too high on the udder can cause blood in the milk. Pink milk will be an indication that you are being too rough when milking or reaching too high on the udder trying to get milk. Does that are nursing kids are more prone to hold up their milk for their kids. They will also get antsy when milking out that last bit for the same reason.
I bring all my FF's in like your doing, & get 'em on the milk stand.. I'll usually start out just siting where I'll sit when milking a couple of times, then after that, each and every time they're up there, I'll pet their neck, their back, and (NO tickle touching!) then one rub on their udder. I don't lock heads for a while, and then only do it for a little bit towards the end. And like Tim, I never leave them while they're locked in. By the time they freshen, they're used to the "petting" and I've yet to have one freak on the stand. Actually, when my kids are kids, and I'm out there messing, playing & petting them, I always give a quick rub on their little udders. They always jump and run like "Hey! whatcha doin ?!" but do it often enough, by the time they get on that milk stand, they don't care anymore because it happens so often. I like my job.. :crazy
Ha Coso, my nubian is the one that doesn't mind me leaving the building while she's eating. But if I leave while Glori, the lamancha is eating, just get out of site for a second, she's hollering!
Yeah they are all different. Just have to give those Nubian people a hard way to go sometimes. I brought a Nubian wether home from dads the other day for a companion to my LM buck and he hasn't stopped bleating yet. Everytime you go out the back door he starts in. I think if my LM buck could talk he would tell me to take him back home. :biggrin
