nasty milk?

[mygoat]

I've checked for mastitis. I wash udder before milking and dip teats after with the fiascofarm mix. I tried cooling the milk faster than I normally do. I use clean equipment (wash with dairy soap, spray before use with the dairy santitizer) and strain the milk almost immediately after milking. The doe is getting Kent goat pellets and alfalfa pellets (mix of half and half, free choice in the stand for as long as she's being milked) and is giving 9-10 lbs a day. She also gets some alfalfa hay. The barn isn't dirty, there's a good layer of clean hay on the very top and it doesn't smell bad in there (smells good, actually). She is acting normal, etc, the udder feels and milks normal. I know her milk hasn't always been bad tasting because i have tried it before. She is almost 5 weeks fresh now. I've gotten complaints from two people about the bad taste, and it tastes STRONG. She's an 2nd freshener alpine. Any suggestions?

[mary,tx]

Is she out on pasture and so eating something besides what you have listed?
The one thing I have found that makes milk undrinkable is a doe eating ragweed.
mary

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Is her udder and teats chapped from all the dishwashing liquid in the mix? The tiny cracks from chapping can cause staph. What about your hands? Have you tried milking with gloves? Has she been wormed...better yet had a fecal checked since kidding? Are the Kent goat pellets medicated for meat goats? You do know byproducts feed tags have little to no whole grain in it, poor quality grain mixes and minerals can cause defficency. Hurray for the alfalfa pellets! But I would try mixing the pellets with oats, slowly moving from byproducts to clean whole oats, and see if the moving away from the pellets (which you don't know what is in it) to whole grain you do know what is in it and see if her milk will sweeten up. I would also look into my mineral program. If she has had good milk before something has changed...if she has never had good milk than she just has poor tasteing milk, some goats just do. Vicki

[mygoat]

Hmm, did't think about the pasture. There really isn't any pasture besides grass and trees to speak of... it's mostly mowed down by all of them, hehe. So whatever she could be eating to taste bad, it can't be a big quantanty at all.

she has been wormed, the day after kidding.

Her udder isn't chapped/cracked at all, or abnormal in any way.

She gets free choice Sweetlix mineral and baking soda too. forgotto add that. she is otherwise healthy, and has had nice tasting milk earlier in lactation. I know I tried it the day she turned 2 weeks fresh. It tasted good!!

So you think the kent might be problem? I've rather liked their feed, too. they can't be picky when it's all the same thing, hehe. What mix should I be feeding her? I've tried searching up a mix that I've read about on this forum before. the poster said that they had a certain ratio mix of a few different grains that they used, and i rather liked the idea of that. What is a general good mix that I should look into the local mill making for me?

[billygoatridge]

You might try penning her up after milking with just hay until the next milking. That should tell you if it is the pasture. It doesn't take much green stuff to flavor the milk. I was getting good flavored milk this winter until the grass started greening up. I locked one up to see if it was the pasture and it made a difference.

[country jack]

I have had goats for 40 years . To much protien stop the Alfalfa use some good grass hay and a little corn to sweeten the milk.
This is not what most would do but it has worked for me and my dad over the years . There is nothing worse than nasty tasting milk .
Indiana Country Friend Jack

[mygoat]

Originally Posted by country jack

I have had goats for 40 years . To much protien stop the Alfalfa use some good grass hay and a little corn to sweeten the milk.
This is not what most would do but it has worked for me and my dad over the years . There is nothing worse than nasty tasting milk .
Indiana Country Friend Jack

Not to argue, but this is totally opposite to what I've always heard. Alfalfa is actually better for supplying neccesary calcium, which is why I feed it. Also, I've always heard to eliminate corn, because it's not like it has very much nutritional value anyhow. But I do agree... There really is nothing worse than nasty milk... and this stuff is STRONG! eek!