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Hello! My partner and I are first-timers. Last night he brought home two alpine nannies. Both have kidded. One is dry, and the other is a first freshener who kidded a few months ago. The kids were weaned off her, but she was a nursemaid (applicable in goat terms?) to other kids. Well, anyway, we just got them, and I know the one milking needs to be milked every twelve hours. We didn't milk her last night because we wanted to give her a chance to settle in to her temporary home (we're building a big barn and pasture area for them). Today I went out and bought the food, hay, sweet feed, mineral stone, the whole nine yards. Unfortunately, we still don't have a milk stand built. So, let's get to the fun part.
I put food, water, and some hay in their area, and after she had a second or two to drink and eat a bit, I connected the lead to her collar, took her out, and fastened her to a tree with a container of sweet feed in front of her. I pet her and tried to give her a chance to get used to my presence, and started making my way down to her sack (mind you, I had the antibacterial wipes ready to clean them as soon as she let me touch them). Whoa! Stella (that's her name) simply was NOT going to have that! She tried to bite me (I assume?), so I lessened her wiggle room so she had just enough leeway to get to her food (and not to my hand). Well, then those legs started to raring back. Now mind you, I'm standing to the side, but ole girl was getting into position to punt my rear right across the field! So then I tried to hobble a leg (letting her to step in the noose would make anyone laugh). Finally got it around her leg and hoisted it up and tied it off on a low branch. She liked to have a fit! I've never seen a goat bounce around as much as she did! Needless to say, I felt I put her through enough trauma for the time and unfastened the hobble, untied her from the tree, and spent the next half hour walking her around the field eating like a kid in a candy store. Finally got her back in her area. Waiting on the better half to come help me hold her so I can milk her. Are there any suggestions for making this process easier til the milk stand is built? I know she's got to be hurting with all that milk. I don't even want to salvage any of it right now. I just want to relief some of the pain she's probably experiencing without scaring her half to death. Help!!!!
I put food, water, and some hay in their area, and after she had a second or two to drink and eat a bit, I connected the lead to her collar, took her out, and fastened her to a tree with a container of sweet feed in front of her. I pet her and tried to give her a chance to get used to my presence, and started making my way down to her sack (mind you, I had the antibacterial wipes ready to clean them as soon as she let me touch them). Whoa! Stella (that's her name) simply was NOT going to have that! She tried to bite me (I assume?), so I lessened her wiggle room so she had just enough leeway to get to her food (and not to my hand). Well, then those legs started to raring back. Now mind you, I'm standing to the side, but ole girl was getting into position to punt my rear right across the field! So then I tried to hobble a leg (letting her to step in the noose would make anyone laugh). Finally got it around her leg and hoisted it up and tied it off on a low branch. She liked to have a fit! I've never seen a goat bounce around as much as she did! Needless to say, I felt I put her through enough trauma for the time and unfastened the hobble, untied her from the tree, and spent the next half hour walking her around the field eating like a kid in a candy store. Finally got her back in her area. Waiting on the better half to come help me hold her so I can milk her. Are there any suggestions for making this process easier til the milk stand is built? I know she's got to be hurting with all that milk. I don't even want to salvage any of it right now. I just want to relief some of the pain she's probably experiencing without scaring her half to death. Help!!!!