Really weird: milk won't strain through filter??

Michelle98 · #1 09/30/13, 09:38 AM

Hi there! I need some advice. We have a Saanen doe that we have been milking for a year and a half. I believe she came into milk in April of 2011. We are planning on breeding her this winter. She is giving a gallon a day right now. ANYWAY, her milk for the last last few weeks takes forever to strain! It is perfectly white, no lumps, udder looks good, acts fine.....but today when straining through the filter it just drips or trickles. What is wrong? Thank you!

Hollowdweller · #2 09/30/13, 09:46 AM

High somatic cell count. Could be mastitis or could just be end of lactation.

Michelle98 · #3 09/30/13, 10:09 AM

Thank you!! I was thinking end of lactation but wasn't sure. I don't think it is mastitis because she is very healthy. I appreciate your quick response.

Is the milk ok to drink IF we can get it through a filter?

Goatsandsheep · #4 09/30/13, 10:37 AM

Just throw this out because it happened to me. I don't know what type of filter you use either. We use the one's you buy at tractor supply. Well my kid put two in the strainer one time and I was freaking out because it took forever to strain. Was listing everything I need to check the goat out and if I had meds on hand. Finally finished strain the milk and was washing up. Found the double filters.

Michelle98 · #5 09/30/13, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goatsandsheep

Just throw this out because it happened to me. I don't know what type of filter you use either. We use the one's you buy at tractor supply. Well my kid put two in the strainer one time and I was freaking out because it took forever to strain. Was listing everything I need to check the goat out and if I had meds on hand. Finally finished strain the milk and was washing up. Found the double filters.

Thank you. Good thought! I checked and it is just one. i bought them from Hoeggers. :-)

**mygoat** · #6 10/01/13, 10:51 AM

I usually lift the strainer and tap it down on the jar. That can help get it going sometimes. Especially on qt jars which build up negative pressure and don't want to let the milk strain. More of a problem when the strainer is wet, because it creates a seal.

saanengirl · #7 10/02/13, 10:11 AM

In late lactation you see more cells in the milk from natural cell sloughing. That can clog milk filters.

o&itw · #8 10/02/13, 05:54 PM

Just for my own information, what are y'all filtering out of the milk?

Doug Hodges · #9 10/02/13, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o&itw

Just for my own information, what are y'all filtering out of the milk?

Hair, dirt and whatever falls into it.

o&itw · #10 10/03/13, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Hodges

Hair, dirt and whatever falls into it.

Wouldn't a strainer work for that?

Doug Hodges · #11 10/03/13, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o&itw

Wouldn't a strainer work for that?

It doesn't get the small particles of grit or dirt. I use this.

Really weird: milk won't strain through filter??-imageuploadedbytapatalk1380831648.782482.jpg

Really weird: milk won't strain through filter??-imageuploadedbytapatalk1380831674.381570.jpg

Really weird: milk won't strain through filter??-imageuploadedbytapatalk1380831704.932010.jpg

Really weird: milk won't strain through filter??-imageuploadedbytapatalk1380831719.898135.jpg

Cyngbaeld · #12 10/03/13, 03:43 PM

Did you open a new box of filters just before this started?

Doug Hodges · #13 10/03/13, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

Did you open a new box of filters just before this started?

Been using out of this box for a month. They are compressed so it always seems full. I throw them away after I use them once.

o&itw · #14 10/03/13, 10:31 PM

Thanks Doug!

Frosted Mini's · #15 10/04/13, 12:06 AM

High butterfat can make milk take longer to strain. Also, is the milk getting cold before you try to filter it? It is way way harder to filter cold milk than warm.