Goat rodeo : Acorn kicks the bucket!

Super mum Acorn doesn't like being milked.

I started milking Acorn on Monday morning, its been a battle all week. She doesn't  realise that in return for food, veterinary care and comfortable housing she is supposed to provide milk. After each attempt to milk her this week I've been exhausted, she has jumped, kicked and squirmed continuously. I thought she would calm down after a day or two and get the idea that milking,  removes the pressure in the udder and she gets to eat top quality rations while it happens. No way! this morning ended with her hind foot in the milk pail.

Perhaps its something to do with the stress induced by separation from the twins all night. They are in an adjacent pen and they can see each other and everyone looks happy enough. Perhaps we had the easiest of all times with Pia who stood still to be milked from day one.

So I googled,"how to milk a difficult goat" and up came several choices, the first an American site, Granny's best" had a very sound suggestion. If you grip a goat's hind leg above the hock, it won't kick, because of the pressure on the tendon. So a hobble made out of Velcro with a band around each leg above the hock and another band connecting these provides enough restraint without causing any pain or damage and it works! According to the blog.

My next job is to find some Velcro or cow leg bands. With the nearest John Lewis store in Glasgow I'll have to go begging around the village visiting members of the sewing circle or as its known here, Stitch and bitch", to find some that is broad enough and strong enough.

You will have noticed that the photograph above is nothing to do with milking a reluctant goat. Simples.... its not possible to take a photograph while trying to restrain her with one hand and milk her with the other.

Have just found a supplier of Velcro cow leg bands in Spalding, Lincolnshire and a pack of ten is on its way.