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Author Topic: Touchy goat  (Read 9994 times)

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Touchy goat
« on: April 15, 2014, 11:02:43 pm »
Cloud has less than four weeks to go to her due date and is getting huge. I have tried running my hand along her side to see if I can feel any movement but she objects strongly. She swings her head round to my hand and paws the ground (or my leg if it's in the way) quite angrily. My other goats have been fine about being touched and she used to be. Has anyone else experienced this behaviour?

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2014, 06:40:21 am »
Only when I try and touch the udder. Not the sides, but I have found that I can see the difference once the kid(s) has dropped so no need to touch.

Trixie

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • Lincolnshire
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2014, 08:16:24 am »
Hi mine has just over 8 weeks to go and she is exactly the same, she has always stood to be brushed or stroked but will not let me stroke the sides of her belly anymore, still likes her head & face stroked but for a shorter time if I am in the pen, will let me do it a lot longer if outside the pen.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2014, 01:03:12 pm »
Anke, she doesn't like her udder touched either. It's her first kidding so she is just beginning to get something there.


Trixie, that's exactly like Cloud, although she will take head and face being stroked for as long as I am prepared to do it.......... unless there is some food in the offing.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2014, 01:29:30 pm »
maybe she is just embarrassed by her size... ;)

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2014, 02:45:26 pm »
She wants to stop gorging herself then. I'm sure she has more than her fair share of the food. She was quite a barrel before she was in kid.  ;D

Trixie

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • Lincolnshire
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2014, 08:20:05 pm »
I can't touch her udder either, although to be fair she has never liked her udder being touched unless she was in season when she would just drop her rear end and let you do it for a short time.  I was told by an experienced goat woman to always feel her udder so she would get used to it but since she has been pregnant and not coming into season not allowed near it!  Mine is also a first time kidder and after she was mated there was a noticeable change in her straight away, still a gorgeous girl but totally different, as if she had grown up over night, which I suppose she had really, she is also a pig with food but wasn't fat before and is only big now around belly, think it will take a while to get her used to being milked but as long as she can eat while doing it may be ok.

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2014, 08:26:50 pm »
And then mine, who can be very specific about how you will and won't stroke her (Ellie) or who doesn't really tolerate much stroking at all (Rowan) have become completely soppy as they came up to kidding. I don't suppose it'll last for long!

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2014, 10:41:17 pm »
Trixie, Cloud was exactly the same. She had calmed down quite a bit by the time I brought her back from her 'honeymoon'. When Pom was in kid, a couple of weeks before she was due, I started letting her into the area where I did the milking. I encouraged her onto the milking bench where she was able to start stuffing her face (always a good thing), sat down beside her and stroked her udder. Apart from a jump or two when she first felt my hand, she was fine about it. I'm hoping Cloud will be the same. Now I am less mobile, I will have to rely on my OH for help with the getting up and down twice in one evening and to hold Cloud. I haven't broken the news to him yet.

Trixie

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • Lincolnshire
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2014, 11:05:00 am »
That's a good idea thanks I will have to do that nearer the time.  At the minute she is with the other girls but we made a milking parlour/ maternity area for her which at the minute our Billy is in as he came to stay at short notice so we had to put him there but busy making his heavier duty pen so we can move him out disinfect and let her get used to it before the big day. We bought a milking stand last year although I don't think we will need it for her as she is a Nubian and quite tall, me on a milking stool should be ok. I don't know whether this would be any use to you but we bought a small milking machine which has a battery on it and a back up hand pump.(supposed to be able to do 3 goats on 1 charge)  I was looking at them for ages on ebay and then bought a cream seperator of a lovely lady who wasn't milking anymore due to ill health she had everything so I bought the lot of her including this milking machine, now I haven't tried it obviously but she said it was great, they are really inexpensive and although I want to milk by hand Just incase I'm not around I want to get her used to both incase OH has to do it anytime, also next year when I have a few to milk (if everything goes to plan) it may be a great help and as we get older and arthritis sets in we may be greatful of this little helper!! I'm sure your OH will be a great help after all he will be getting that lovely milk afterwards for his reward!!

little blue

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2014, 01:20:27 pm »
and if MGWM isn't interested ... we definitely are!
 In the milking machine that is... :D

long story, but something we think might be a good investment - if finances allow!! :)
Little Blue

Trixie

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • Lincolnshire
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2014, 03:46:07 pm »
Hi Little Blue if you are they are £39.20 + £13.81 postage from Dansha Farms United States also includes a glass jar with lid doesn't need to be next to goat so if goat kicks won't spill check them out on ebay make sure you get the two teat as some advertise for one, there is also a video you can watch on there, the chap is a bit clumsy who is in the video but gives the general idea, and supposed to work on goats with odd teats that we are all advised to stay clear of as hard to milk, and if you do get one remember to request your english plug adaptor.  Also do a large all you need kit for about 90-100 + p&p if I remember correctly.  Word of warning though the woman I got mine off got a custom bill too which she said they pick random parcels, so may be unlucky I don't know?

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2014, 11:22:54 pm »
That does sound interesting. I love hand milking but I have been wondering about using a machine when my hands are bad.


I'm sure your OH will be a great help after all he will be getting that lovely milk afterwards for his reward!!


I wouldn't bet on it. He prefers cows' milk, especially in his tea. I think that might be because he finds the goat milk too creamy since he switched to semi-skimmed. I need to invest in a separator especially when we have two of them producing.

fiestyredhead331

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • NW Highlands
    • Facebook
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2014, 12:02:14 am »
we've had a couple of different pumps from Dansha farms, hand and battery operated and they are a godsend! and they couldn't be more helpful when I email about the odd thing now and again.
One of our nubian crosses is in kid for the first time this year and she has changed so much! She was always a big dopey thing but now its like she's all grown up, can;t wait to see how she handles having kids of her own, she's great with everyone elses, like sh'e's the big aunty that shows them all how to get into mischief. But she's not happy about anyone touching her past her hips, especially if my OH tries to check her teats, the look of utter indignation he gets is hilarious and now she always makes sure her backside is away from him when he goes near her  ;D
keeper of goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, goldfish and children, just don't ask me which is the most work!

Trixie

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • Lincolnshire
Re: Touchy goat
« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2014, 08:24:37 am »
Fiesty redhead331. That's good to know that they are helful.

MGOM, the electric milk cream seperator I bought of the same woman was from the ukraine and also off ebay I had been looking at them for a while too as my daughter, mum and dad don't like goats milk (say it tastes like lard) so I thought if I do them pasteurised semi skimmed I might get it down them!! We all get through a huge amount of dairy products each week might save a shilling or two? On the cream seperator the woman said it was easy to use too! They are £67.99  £26.90 p&p for electric or £47.90 + £26.90 p&p for a hand one and of course this is for new ones. I can't wait to start using all this equipment not long now!

 

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