Older Cow with "Strong" Milk

FarmMama · #1 03/28/14, 06:49 PM

We are caretaking a friend's 15yo Jersey indefinitely. She is the sweetest cow and will tolerate any member of the family milking her (or, rather, trying to milk her -in the case of the youngest ones), but I find her milk to be rather "strong." It doesn't smell bad - doesn't have a barn smell or, really, a cowy smell...it's just as though the odor/taste of the milk is more powerful - especially around her heat cycle. Some of my friends - especially older ones - kind of like that. Others, including myself, don't particularly care for it. Is this common? Any suggestions for why it might be so strong? We have had her since November and have changed her feed a couple of times hoping to impact the flavor/smell of the milk. I'm hoping that, with the grass coming on, and switching to twice a day milking (her owner was milking once a day and, until recently, we thought she was returning to her owner and didn't want to mess up her schedule) that might help. Any other ideas?

Thank you!

Jennifer L. · #2 03/29/14, 05:51 PM

If you hadn't said it changed around her heat cycle I would have said she has sub clinical mastitis. Sub clinical mastitis can change milk without it being obvious there is a problem. Generally you might get a salty taste with it.

I've never noticed hormones doing what you describe, but maybe an older cow is lower on estrogen and higher on testosterone and the balance being different from a young animal is making a taste difference. I dunno. It's an interesting problem. You might call your Land Grant college and talk to a professor in dairy science who deals with lactation physiology. They could probably give you an answer.

WadeFisher · #3 03/30/14, 11:48 AM

Seeing as you don't have your location filled in.
Is she on pasture that is growing any vegetation that may change the flavor.

Wild onions use to throw the flavor of our milk cow off.

Goat Doula · #4 03/30/14, 03:29 PM

I don't know but I'm wondering if she has been lactating a long time if that would make a difference.

Jennifer L., is there a treatment cure for Sub Clinical Mastitis?

Jennifer L. · #5 03/31/14, 07:53 PM

Well, you'd treat it with antibiotics just like you would a visible case of mastitis. It's just a very low level case of mastitis, after all. If you did a California Mastitis Test on the milk from a suspect animal and had a big reaction, even if the milk looks pretty normal, you might consider treating it. If you didn't see much of a reaction, you probably would be fine letting something ride and just keep an eye on the situation.

If you've never seen one, this is the test kit. http://www.jefferspet.com/california...iv/cp/0040465/ It detects higher levels of somatic cells in milk. You just squirt a little milk on the paddle, add a bit of reagent, and swirl the paddle. If the mixture thickens much, that's showing high cell counts.

Goat Doula · #6 03/31/14, 09:17 PM

Jennifer L. thank you so much. I hope I'm not hijacking this thread but I was thinking of the strong taste FarmMama is having and it reminds me of the strong taste we were getting from our Jersey when we bought her. Her history is she came from an organic dairy farm which they don't treat for mastitis with antibiotics. She kept having mastitis, not bad, but had it so they took her out of their line and out to pasture with a few calves to keep her milked out. We brought her home and treated her with "Today". She had been lactating for well over a year and was giving us about 2 gals per milking. But when I made butter the strong strong taste was there. I do have the CMT kit and tested her again and it did show positive. We decided to dry her off and infuse all 4 teats with "Tomorrow" to cover our bases. That was in November. Today she delivered a beautiful bull calf so I'm anxious to see if that strong taste and mastitis has gone away. Her milk or udder never looked like anything was wrong with it. I just knew from the CMT. I am so praying this will be the end of the mastitis and she will stay clean for us. Is their such a thing as it never clearing and always coming back? I'm not sure i want to deal with that but boy do I love her. She is the sweetest. I sure hope this information is a help to you too FarmMama. This could be the reason. That's why I had asked if she had been lactating for a long time.

barnbilder · #7 03/31/14, 09:45 PM

With mastitis, you really need to take a sterile sample and send it to your state lab, if the CMT is positive. Get them to run a C&S on it. They will tell you what type of antibiotic will work, that way you don't go all willy nilly shooting antibiotics up there with no real effect.

With the strong milk, could she have a parasite load or a mineral deficiency? I have found those things to contribute to that problem.

Goat Doula · #8 04/01/14, 08:14 AM

Thanks barnbilder. I have to ask what a C & S is? So I take it even though we did the "Tomorrow" it still might not have worked and maybe she will need injections of a certain antibiotic? I hope we don't have to go through this but just in case I want to be prepared.

G. Seddon · #9 04/01/14, 08:46 AM

Culture and Sensitivity...I believe the lab will run this to determine what antibiotic should be used.

barnbilder · #10 04/01/14, 09:54 AM

The culture and sensitivity test will not work now that antibiotics have been used. But next time it will prevent the musical antibiotics game.

Goat Doula · #11 04/01/14, 12:21 PM

Thank you for all the valuable information. She just freshened yesterday morning so I'm sure the "Tomorrow" won't be worked out for another few days. I'm probably not going to use her milk until maybe the weekend. I think I will just have our Vet out to take samples in a few weeks and send them away to see if she is clear so I'm not left guessing. That way she can follow her treatment and care. I hate wondering if she has a high count and will get sick eating the butter made from her cream. I sure hope it tastes better this time.

DJ in WA · #12 04/03/14, 09:18 PM

Somatic cells, like those that fight infection, release enzymes which break down the fat and protein and change the flavor. Generally, older cows and cows in later lactation have higher somatic cell counts. This is mostly attributed to their increased chance of having an infection. Also with decreased production in late lactation, the somatic cells are more concentrated, so have more effect on flavor.
Unfortunately, not all mastitis is curable. For example, mastitis caused by Staph can cause scarring and be walled off in pockets where the antibiotics cannot reach. Can flare up occasionally and be contagious to other quarters.

Anyway, you might try a younger cow.

http://www.medvet.umontreal.ca/rcrmb/en/page.php?p=75&tm=i
　

Quote:

As milk SCC increases gradually, other quality characteristics of dairy products will also change gradually. In fluid milk, the rate of off-flavor development will increase. Rancid off-flavors due to increased lipase activity, bitter flavors due to proteolytic enzyme activity, and salty flavors due to a change in milk mineral balance will all gradually appear as SCC increases

Here's a good article on SCC and testing.
http://www.absglobal.com/Websites/absglobal/images/ABS%20Global%20Home/USA/Dairy/Dairy%20Resources/Individual%20Cow%20SCC%20Data%20to%20Reduce%20Bulk %20Tank%20SCC%20Techline.pdf