It is just after midnight and just came in from the last of chores. Dallas my first freshener ran me around the barn and through the doors and around the lighted part of the pasture, thank God she is afraid of the dark and didn't go out in the woods! Enough is enough! Anyway, once secure up on the milk stand, I attached a double snap to her collar and about 12 feet of nylon rope for her to drag around. The thing with her is that she is not wild! A lambar raised baby, is the first up front hooves on the door to be petted and a nuisance for petting when I am out in the pens. It is just at milking time, she plain will not come to me...............she will have no choice now, with my foot on her drag rope :) I am offically an East Texan hick! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 22, 2002

Answers

(Shhh! Vicki, it's a secret. When you step on the rope, spin around, looking the opposite direction, whistling innocently, and act like you had nothing to do with the sudden "stoppage") Then, if she comes to you it's treat time! (Unless, of course, you can run backwards and plant a foot on the rope and assume the innocent position.) lol

Dennis

-- Dennis (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), March 22, 2002.

Yeeehaw!!! Slinky used to do that to me. Irked me terribly. I'd have to bring my dogs in and herd her to the open stall gate and into the barn where she would not know where to run. If I left a rope on my girls they would get hung on the mesquite here, but I appreciate the tip on the feigning of innocence, Dennis!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), March 22, 2002.

It worked like a charm this morning! She was already stopped though, since the rope was around the post in the barn :) And you know, I don't care! I did shorten the rope a little! She is now grazing through the pasture with her rope dragging, I will probably have to help her out of the woods, but that is certainly eaiser than chasing! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 22, 2002.

Hey, Vicki, good idea! I'm going to try that, if and when I ever get my hands on the two "wild things" that are due to kid next week, I think! I wanted to get them used to the milking stand before they kidded, but don't want to cause them stress so that they abort early. Sigh. Just have to wait and get my exercise. I'm going to keep just the doe kids, and the three friendly does that I have now, and sell those two wild girls after they kid. Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), March 22, 2002.

Vicki,

The energy requirements between chasing and seeking? Easier to "go seek" than chase.

Dennis

-- Dennis (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), March 25, 2002.

Snort does that too, she will sit with her head in the barn door, peeking around , all innocent"oh is it that time, i had no idea!" rrrrggg, you lean forward to grab her collar, and she does a little doelike two step out of reach ...once shes on the stand shes fine as frogs hair , but, i think the main problem is i milk the top goat first, and Snort comes second, so , she has been butted up to the wall from Terra, the top goat, so now shes kind of cautious, of course the does that havent kidded will rish the barn door if given a smidge of a chance, so part of all this is just goat wrestling, some time this week , i am going to make a door chute, to slow the battle to the barn ......

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.

Beth, I'm doing the same thing. The lane to the dairy barn is gonna be ONE goat wide. Right now we're going to the pen and trying to get two goats out and in at a time with the rest rushing the gate. I think we can get the rest of our cattle panels from Oklahoma early next week. Hopefully when the lane is finished the rush hour will be bottlenecked and rasslin' will be done at the other end.

And now, back out to the does. Three kids last night and more to come tonight!

Dennis

-- Dennis (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), March 27, 2002.

I am about to come out as a goat roper but i don't know how my family will react. I am so ashamed. I feel so dirty. I need your advice. I am from Alabama and people are so narrow minded here. I know my girlfriend wont take it well, but I think I'll just have to sit her down and say "look grandma, it's who I am".

-- Billy-Bob Roberts (dave@home.com), March 27, 2003.