Four of my goats in kid are first kidders. They're going to have a bit of a shock when it comes to milking. I've asked around and apparently you can help them along quite a bit if you practice before the event. So I've started their training.
The first thing is to get them used to the milking stand. With Simon's help I managed to separate one at a time from the rest of the herd and coaxed her onto the stand with wee tastes of treats with a bucket of treats waiting to be eaten on the stand. The main problem was keeping the rest of them happy when they could clearly hear some eating being done. Simon sang to them which seemed to keep them occupied. And they all did beautifully. I'm so proud of them!
Hopefully, after a few more sessions like this, they'll be happy with the stand and I can start locking them into it. Once they've learnt not to mind being locked in, I'll start stroking their back legs so they get used to me rummaging around there. The plan is that they will learn not to kick when I milk them. Here's hoping!
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W-E W-A-N-T M-O-R-E P-H-O---T-O-S!!!
Truth is my singing terrified them into silence. They stared at me and made sure they kept a safe distance away. They were even more worried when I danced as well.
Now we DEFINITELY want more photos! Though the image in my head will keep me entertained for a while.
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