Study on Bonded Goats

[Nanno]

After milking goats for a few years, it astounds me that anyone could say that milking is a "nonsocial" activity. In a modern milk parlor where machines do all the work I can understand this way of thinking, but an animal that is milked by hand is part of the family. My girls love to be milked, and the ones that don't like it at first must be trained gently and patiently so they come to trust me and enjoy the process. This takes time and bonding. Goats have been humans' primary source of milk throughout history all over the world, so it's no wonder that we have special social ties with them. Sheep are an unusual source of milk, and cows are a far more recent source, so I won't be shocked if these species turn out to be less bonded to humans than goats.