Milk tasting off.....

AshleyB · #1 08/05/11, 10:26 AM

My lamancha doe kidded 5 weeks ago. Her two kids are with her during the day and we separate at night then milk her in the morning. Her milk STILL tastes weird.

I had a lamancha a few years ago that took a good 4 weeks post kidding to get good tasting milk, and I thought that was a long time.

We are using goat feed from Southern States along with alfalfa pellets, kelp, minerals. She got a copper bolus about 9 weeks ago, although I suspect she needs another. She is black, but still having copper hair grow in, but less than before.

Any ideas?

Alice In TX/MO · #2 08/05/11, 10:34 AM

Here's the things to check:
1. What are you milking into and storing the milk in?
Answers should be stainless steel and glass. Plastic builds up bacteria and off smells.

2. Are you chilling the milk immediately after milking?
This is essential. If you are storing the milk in containers that are too big, the milk can't get chilled quickly. If it's stored in a warm part of the fridge, it can't chill.

3. What is the temperature of your fridge where you are storing the milk?
You *must* have a fridge thermometer, and the temp needs to be between 34 and 38 degrees on the bottom shelf, in the back, which is the coldest place and where you should store the milk.

4. What are you using to sanitize your milk containers?
I recommend: http://www.hoeggerfarmyard.com/xcart/Cleaning-Kit.html

5. Cut back on the kelp and see if that makes a difference.

6. Is she getting enough cool, fresh water?

7. Do you have baking soda out free choice?

Alice In TX/MO · #3 08/05/11, 10:43 AM

I'm googling for an article that someone posted about goat milk off flavors. Haven't found it yet, but here's another one:

http://abernathycreekfarm.blogspot.c...s-milk_10.html

Do you have this plant in your goat yard:
http://edenhills.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/tainted-milk/

AHA! I found the other article:
http://lindercroft2.blogspot.com/201...t-article.html

AshleyB · #4 08/05/11, 11:02 AM

After reading that article I'm wondering if it's the B12 or cobalt? I just commented to my husband this morning that she looked a bit on the skinny side. I haven't been giving her free choice alfalfa, just 2 cups at milking time along with the goat feed. I think I'll take out a bucket of alfalfa pellets to her and extra minerals too.

I wonder if I should try giving her Tums like the article suggested?

I've been using an herbal wormer, and that has always been enough here as we don't have a lot of goats and have them on a big pasture. Maybe it's time to use a full spectrum chemical wormer.

All of our sterilization techniques are up to par and we use stainless steel and glass, filter and cool it right away.

The milk that tasted off this morning had JUST been cooled in the freezer for 1.5 hours, so it was very cold and very fresh.

I think it's her, or the feed.

Oh, and we don't have that plant around my property.

Alice In TX/MO · #5 08/05/11, 11:08 AM

I got a cobalt block. It was expensive as heck via amazon.com

Here's a better source:
http://www.jollygerman.com/products/...tsulfate.shtml

I'd try slowly changing out feed brands, too.

Why are you limiting her alfalfa?

pookshollow · #6 08/05/11, 11:09 AM

Definitely try the B12. I had two goats, mother and daughter, whose milk wasn't quite right. Bought some B12 (for horses) crumbles and it fixed them right up! Nice thing is, it can't hurt them even if that's not the answer.

And some does take a while after kidding - one of mine takes almost 8 weeks.

Alice In TX/MO · #7 08/05/11, 11:14 AM

B 12 crumbles
http://www.cattlestore.com/p-958-far...upplement.aspx

AshleyB · #8 08/05/11, 11:28 AM

Pookshollow, I'll get my husband to pick up the B12 on his way home from work. How much did you give?

Alice, I'm going to get some of that cobalt, but looks like I'll need to order through Amazon. The place you linked is out of stock. I was planning to switch feeds anyway, so now is as good a time as any!

I haven't been purposefully limiting the alfalfa, but I guess that's exactly what I have done by not offering it free choice. I'm going out now to give her a bucket.

AshleyB · #9 08/05/11, 11:29 AM

Just looked and didn't see it on Amazon. Do you have a link Alice?

pookshollow · #10 08/05/11, 11:32 AM

I was giving about a teaspoon at each feeding.

AshleyB · #11 08/05/11, 11:47 AM

Would you go ahead and give another copper bolus? I gave her a good haircut right before she kidded (5 weeks ago) and most of the red fur came off with the hair cut, but I am seeing a bit of re-growth now.

Alice In TX/MO · #12 08/05/11, 11:55 AM

Block was cheap, shipping expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/North-American...2559690&sr=8-1

LoneStrChic23 · #13 08/05/11, 12:17 PM

The base of my milking girl's diet is Alfalfa. Alfalfa is chock full of calcium & is the base of milk production. I feed alfalfa pellets free choice along with their grass hay & minerals... my standard girl eats 2-3lbs per day. Grain is minimal & is to maintain body condition.

Personally if she were mine, I'd bump the alfalfa quite a bit.

My girl was over loaded in parasites when I brought her home after being on strictly herbal dewormers for 7 months prior to me bringing her home. I would have a fecal done & deworm according to the results & repeat in 10 days. You can use the mail order fecal place....testing is around $5. Helpful if your vet is like mine & charges $22 for a fecal. I deworm all my girls & with Quest Horse Gel (1cc per 100lbs) the day they kid, and again 10 days later......same with any new arrivals, they are dewormed the moment they step foot on my property. After that I keep an eye out, fecal in 2-3 months & tyipcally have only had to deworm every 4 months or so...

As to the cobalt block.... I believe cargill makes them. You can call around to feed stores to see who is a distributor of that brand & see if the feed store can have one brought in for you on their next truck. Acco here will do that, some feed stores won't though.

Good luck, its frustrating trying to figure these things out sometimes.

LoneStrChic23 · #14 08/05/11, 12:25 PM

Oh, on the copper....My Alpine was very copper deficient when I brought her home....poor feet, nasty orange coat, fish tail....

I bolused her with the proper dose, repeated in 6 weeks. After the first round I saw noticeable difference in her coat. After the second one, her feet started improving rapidly.

Now she's on the same bolus schedule as the rest which is every 4 months.....sometimes a few weeks sooner if I start seeing lil signs of deficentcy. She is the only one I had to dose again so soon... but she was also in the worst shape compared to the others (she's also the one who was on the herbal dewormer, which for my area simply doesn't work)