One of our goats, Yuleme, started resisting the milking
stand. She just would not get up there even with my husband lifting her
on, she would go flat on her stomach and refuse. It happened mostly for my
husband and he'd call me out to help and the two of us together got her up.
On morning it was my turn to milk once again she refused to get up. So I
got down to her eye level and she somehow told me she felt under appreciated,
she felt more like a commodity than a being. She needed some love.
I told her we were sorry, that we so appreciated all she had to offer our
family, that her milk was nourishing our family. I stroked her neck and
told her I would not force her to get up on the stand but reminded her she
would physically feel more comfortable once she was milked, I promised to be
gentle with her. Then she went right up.
I realize she was mirroring my husband’s feelings about
going to work everyday, his resistance to it and feeling under appreciated for
the way her provided for our family. I shared these things with him and
he both laughed and sighed. Then I told him how much we loved him and we appreciated
the way he provides for us. Later that evening when it was his turn to
milk he had a moment with Yuleme where he said he was sorry for being so greedy
with the milk, that he loved the milk and how grateful he was for what she had
to offer. He then explained how he works in a world of greed, that it is
hard for him to step in and out of his career and farm life. She jumped
up for him also. In addition to that her milk supply has increase at each
milking. She really is a sweet goat.
