Well Marmie and Baby are great. Went to check on them and noticed she had one flat milked out bag and one full one. So I tried to milk her. No time like the present. I NEED a milk stand. After three times trying to milk I figured out that if I pined her against the wall she would not walk off. She still gets enough of me and tries to walk off after a few. I am not sure I have the right touch or not but she is nice to me anyway. I got 1 cup this morning. Not really trying to milk her out. Just trying to give her relief. So I tried again this afternoon and got about 2 cups. Not bad I guess for a half hearted try and maybe 5 minutes of going in circles. I NEED TO MAKE A MILK STAND.Her teats are so small. I can get my thumb and ring finger around them and then push the rest of it out with my middle finger. That is as long as they are. Still it is not uncomfortable for me.But I do wish I could see what I was doing. How often do I need to milk her? She has one large baby and she is first time milker, too.

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), March 03, 2001

Answers

Bonnie do you have a porch? often times when I milk I have put grain out on the porch then I have gotten on the porch step and milked that way. Are you planning on milking for home use? If so, you need to milk out that side completely. Otherwise it will dry up.You can also tether her to a porch rail. Another idea is to get a could of pallets and get her up on there with some grain. You should be getting more that that at a milking, and she should be completely milked out. I know it is hard when you can't see what you are doing. I built a milk stand out of a pallet and some scrap wood. It isn't as high as some use, but I always did fine with a low stool. Another trick is to have another person hold the goat while you milk. This is done by having the other person get on the opposite side of the goat and grasping the collar and holding her in place with a knee against her flank. Generally if you have the goats grain there, it works very well. Only grain her at milking time to give her something to do while you milk. That way she will get used to milking and eating. Grasp her teat with bend of your thumb and forefinger and the squeeze out the rest with what ever fingers are left over. Don't pinch the teat with the tips of your fingers. Use the base of your thumb and forefinger. Another trick is if you can't get someone to helpget her up against a wall that way you won't have to play that ring around the rosy game.

Little bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), March 03, 2001.

Bonnie how about putting a bale of hay next to a wall and put her on that? lots of luck. Bobse.ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@hit.net), March 03, 2001.

How fun!!! It's not the easiest thing to milk a first freshener. Since you are letting the kid nurse, you might seperate them and then tie the doe and set the kid on the off side so the teat lengthens.It doesn't really take too long. But LBF is right, you MUST milk her out on both sides.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), March 03, 2001.

I am so glad she is doing fine!!! Good luck with the milking, I use my porch too, it is just the right size for me. I sit on the top step, tether the goat to the railing, give her some sweet feed and go for it. It even worked with a goat I no longer have that was a real loo loo and fought for all she was worth.

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), March 04, 2001.

Bonnie, we are all smiling at you, because we all started where you are! Like all the others said, milk her out both sides completely once a day, this will keep her in good production. By the time the kid is several weeks old, she should keep the udder empty, but still put her up and make sure she is empty, or else when she weans the kids, she will be dry! And nothing is as ugly as a lopsided udder, with one mature teat from being nursed and one small still! LaMancha's can have the smallest teats as first fresheners, and we would foster bucks on them just to pull the teats out more than hand or machine milking would do! If you have a choice of bucks for next year, may want to pick a buck out of a really nice milker with good sized teats!! Good luck with Marmie! Love hearing your stories! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 04, 2001.

Ok, maybe I have this figured out. I got approximately 2 pints (?) today out of the one side. I did much beter this afternoon than I did this morning. And we won't even talk about yesterday.LOL! I figured out that if I hold the teat with my pointer finger and middle finger on one side and then roll my thumb over the other the milk came fast and fairly easy. She did not give me that look either. And the food and wall worked pretty good too. I will build me a stand this week. SOON! I am pretty sure I got all the milk though because the teats got soft and squishy? Yes? No? Maybe? Well anyway that was all my legs and her utter could take and we both agreed to stop there. I really like this milking thing.I thought it would take alot longer than this. I assume it will take a little longer when we are getting all of her milk. I am temped to get another goat just to milk. And I may once I figure this out. It would be ashamed to put another goat through this before I learn how. I hope this is all there is to it and I am doing this right. Of course I have to be careful. Little girl is already hinting at keeping the little buck kid. I assured her he was meat for someone. Maybe not us but he was not staying forever and do not get attached. I must admit he is really CUTE. and really sweet.Hopping around,swishing that little curley tail, too, too, cute!

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), March 04, 2001.

To even out the udder, use teat tape. On first fresheners or single births we tape up the suckled teat and force the kid to use the other side. Switch off every couple of days to keep things even or until the kid nurses both sides. If you cann't find teat tape, use "paper" tape for sensitive skin. Trial and error will help you figure out how to apply, we use a cross over the orifice and then a single around the top. Do not apply to tightly. Remove before milking and reapply after. Definetly milk both sides out twice a day. Hope you get your stand built soon, sure makes milking easier. Until then, tie and grain during milking.

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle Mn. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), March 04, 2001.

Just wanted to add that you will know you've gotten all the milk when only a few drops come out when you try to milk even after massaging the udder. Good luck with your project!

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@seedlaw.com), March 05, 2001.