[egglady]

well it wasnt quite how and when we expected, but sometimes you get about 30 seconds to say 'yes' or 'no' ....and we said 'yes'...YAY!

So 2 BT's are now down in their new house for a day or two while we all get used to each other.

Took them out for a walk and to stretch their legs and eat some grass earlier and they were good as gold.

only one of them is in milk but when we tried to milk her earlier, not a drop!  is this likley to be stress of moving and will she settle in a day or two or is she likely to have dried up with the stress?

any, and all advice welcomed

i think i am going to like being a goatkeeper

[jameslindsay]

I will be over through the week to meet them, I will give them a chance to settle in first. I think the no milk is totally stress related. I told you goats are addictive, enjoy 

[Anke]

Congratulations! YOU WILL BECOME ADDICTED!

Have you got some of the food/hay she is used to with you from the seller? Give her a couple of days, but watch the udder.

[jaykay]

She doesn't know you and will be reluctant to let her milk down. Tomorrow, give her something nice and distracting to eat, make like a kid and 'butt her udder' with your fist and then see if you get anything.

Have you milked before? (polite way of asking if you know what to do  )

Goats are definitely the business 

[little blue]

welcome to the mad, mad world of the goat-keeper!
give them time, and quiet affection... you'll be milking before you know it  

[Crofter]

Well done egglady!  Hope you enjoy your goats as much as we enjoy ours.

Dave

[faith0504]

all the very best with your goats, pictures would be great 

[egglady]

thanks everybody, and yes, we have milked before - (some of us better at it than others!)

will try again in the morning

and sadly, no we dont have any of her previous food/hay, but we do have some willow so might tempt her with that in the morning

[Roxy]

Congratulations on getting goats!!

Everything will be strange for your new goats .....they will soon get used to you, and their new home, and hopefully decide you are nice enough to allow you to have some of her milk too!!!

Has she kidded this year?  On the other hand, you are sure she has not been dried off, and is about to have a kid?!!!  Or, she could have kidded last year, and milked through, in which case, her milk yield will have dropped.

[egglady]

Roxy, I understand that she kidded a while back (forgot to ask exactly when), i know that she is now only producing 1-2 pints a day, but that was the reason we said yes as we thought it would be better for us as newbies than a whole load of milk we didnt know what to do with.

she definately isnt about to kid.

[tizaala]

This is when you find out how secure your fences are!   Was she hand or machine milked? some of ours will only let the wife hand milk them . Don't feed them any apples as treats if you want milk, apple dries them off,

[Blinkers]

Weyhey, welcome to the lovely world of goatkeeping.   Addiction now in progress 

[Rosemary]

I'll look forward to meeting them 

[wytsend]

Tizaala:  Never heard of apples drying up goats in milk !!!!   

So could you explain to me.. a goatkeeper of over 35 years... why do my goats increase their milk yield substantially when they get apple pulp ?   The same goes for brewers grains !!!

Fascinating !

[egglady]

i love this forum.

ok so today we went down about an hour ago, my son who can milk really well and me who can get 4 drips if I'm lucky  .

they are still locked in their shed so they get to know it's their home (out tonight).  We both had a go at milking, she kicked a wee bit to start but then stood nicely and a few times it was like she was hunkering down (as if to pee - but didnt).  Neither of us got a drop......

then we put them on ropes on their collars and took them out in the paddock.  they both did eat after a bit of walking around and looking at everything.

is there anything else i can do or try?  on i did massage her udder and it is soft, so presumably no hint of mastitis....hopefully anyway