Okay, I have read that for milking purposes these should be kept pretty trimmed and hair free. And, I have experienced buying goat cheese and finding a goat hair in it...ugh. However, I am clueless as to how to go about this. When I try to trim Aurora she gets all squirrely and wiggly and kicking. It isn't so from touching her bag and teats. I think touching the HAIRS makes her fidgety, like the difference between touching someone's arm and playing with their arm hairs.

I fear I am going to hurt her trimming close. Scissors are sharp, so it would be easy to cut her when she squirms (sort of like trying to trim around the ears of a screaming child).

Any advice or words of wisdom? Can I skip this and just filter the milk well?

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), January 15, 2002

Answers

I use the dog clippers. It trims it nice and then there is no extra hair to collect yucky stuff.Have someone help you or put them on the milking stand and give them grain when you do it .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

I use those clippers that you buy to give home hair cuts. I put them on the milking stand and give them their grain ration. By the time they figure out something extra is going on-- I'm pretty close to done. It doesn't have to be "surgery prep" just short enough so that you don't pull it when milking and it doesn't hold dirt and straw that fall in the milk.

-- Tana Mc (mcfarm@totelcsi.net), January 15, 2002.

Marceen, if you clip the belly, the udder, and the hind end up to the tail and down to the hocks, you not only have much cleaner milk, but a much eaiser time cleaning up the doe after birthing. Try some clippers instead of sissors. And though you need to do a little test area first, to make sure she isn't going to have an allergic reaction, Nair also works great. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

Are you sure it was goat hair in your cheese and not human hair? We strain all milk, even milk used for feeding the kids.

I use larger clippers for the overall body and smaller, quieter clippers for the udder and other harder to reach places. I know of one breeder/shower who used men's mustache trimmers to do the goat's faces.

I know this won't help with adult does, but I do try to get the kids used to it, so it's easier on them when they're older. You may not actually clip them, but try to get them used to the sound of it and get used to the milk stand and being touched. Good things (feeding) happen on the milk stand too, not just getting shots, trimming feet, etc.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 16, 2002.

I go at it with the attitude that I won't get the whole thing done at once. This way it's a short chore, and I'm not aiming for perfection. I do it on the milk stand, while she's eating grain, and just buzz a little, then stop and wash and milk her. Then more next time. She stands for it pretty well, if she's squirming I stop, and figure I'll get it next time. I think they can tell when you get aggitated, so don't get stressed over it.

I used a hair trimmer, Oster, that was supposed to be for haircuts. Then I found a lady shaver that is cordless, rechargable for doing touch ups on the teats, it's less loud and doesn't vibrate as much.

Good luck.

-- Bobbi (the_bee_lady@hotmail.com), January 20, 2002.

Another hint...clip the udder when it's "bagged" up. The job is alot easier!! I also use a lotion containing aloe vera on the udder after clipping.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), January 20, 2002.