# terrible milk can feed help?



## Valley Ranch (Oct 8, 2012)

We rescued a Tog a while back. She was emaciated. She was not getting enough food and what she was getting was terrible quality. Since we got her we have of course fixed all that. We took her to the vet for her tests. Did the full parasite treatments along with probiotics and copper and boosters. (all over a period of time, not at once) She now got the thumbs up from the vet at her last check. She eats like a horse. We are feeding her 3 cups crimped oats morning and night and hay. The hay ranges from 20-40% alfalfa. Grass hay but with weeds too. (none toxic already checked that). 
But her milk is awful. She gives almost a gallon a day but it is almost not drinkable. The flavour is VERY strong and beyond that normal "goat" flavour.  The fat content of the milk is very low too. WE cannot make any decent cheese with it and we have been making cheese with our pygmy milk for years.
I am wondering if there is something else we can feed her to help her milk? 
Oh she does not have mastitis and we had her milk tested too and it is clear of any bacteria or virus.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 8, 2012)

It is my understanding that Toggs can have the stronger tasting milk. Unless the weeds in your hay are making her milk taste bad. You may have to just make soap with her milk.  Sometimes there are goats of any breed that just don't have nice tasting milk no matter what is done.


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## currycomb (Oct 8, 2012)

try alfalfa cubes and beet pulp soaked in water, and sweet feed instead of oats for her grain. if she is browsing on anything, stop that. yes whatever she eats comes thru in the milk. may take a couple weeks to notice a difference in the taste


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## Pearce Pastures (Oct 8, 2012)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> It is my understanding that Toggs can have the stronger tasting milk. Unless the weeds in your hay are making her milk taste bad. You may have to just make soap with her milk.  Sometimes there are goats of any breed that just don't have nice tasting milk no matter what is done.


x2  I have a friend with Toggs and Pygmies and she actually much prefers the Pygmy milk despite their being so small.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 8, 2012)

How did you have the milk tested?  Did you have it sent away and cultered at a lab, or did someone do a CMT test?


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## Valley Ranch (Oct 8, 2012)

We has a sample sent off to the lab to be cultured.


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## SkyWarrior (Oct 8, 2012)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> ksalvagno said:
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x3  I hear that Toggs can have undrinkable milk.  You have any pets who will drink it?


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## Valley Ranch (Oct 9, 2012)

wow I never heard that!! I guess I've been talking to the wrong people!!
The dog loves it. We've use it to bulster 2 kids that were weened too early and that is it. Well maybe soap is the way to go!!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 9, 2012)

One other thing you can try is to take her off all alfalfa. I faintly remember someone having the same problem and ended up taking her goat off all alfalfa and ended up with good tasting milk.


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## Catahoula (Oct 9, 2012)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> One other thing you can try is to take her off all alfalfa. I faintly remember someone having the same problem and ended up taking her goat off all alfalfa and ended up with good tasting milk.


Wasn't it SkyWarrior who had a goat with milk that turns in a day or so and she ended up getting a new goat??


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## ksalvagno (Oct 9, 2012)

I can't even remember if it was this forum that I read it on. So I'm not sure.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Oct 9, 2012)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> I can't even remember if it was this forum that I read it on. So I'm not sure.


*
It was. I remember reading it too, but not sure who it was. :/*


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## Valley Ranch (Oct 9, 2012)

that would be heartbreaking to have to get rid of this goat. We broguht her back from the brink and she is the most wonderful goat. She has the sweetest personality. Just a real dolly. I guess if we can't get it drinkable we'll have to try making soap, and make sure we get REALLY dirty each day to use it all!! hahaha since she gives a gallon a day.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 10, 2012)

Try no alfalfa and see what happens.


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## Valley Ranch (Oct 10, 2012)

I was just reminded by the authorities (the kids !!) who are the ones who actually feed them that she was given no alfalfa  about a month ago and it made the milk worse, very quickly.


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## Catahoula (Oct 10, 2012)

This is the post I remembered reading about alfalfa...

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20904

sorry, it wasn't SkyWarrior.


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## lovinglife (Oct 10, 2012)

I had 4 milk goat at one time, they all ate the same thing, they were all different breeds.  One goat was my drinking milk goat, she had wonderful milk.  A couple of the others strictly went for raising other animals as the milk tasted terrible.  Don't know if that helps any, sorry..


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## PFSfarmer (Oct 11, 2012)

Amazing how certain feed can make the milk taste off and all animals getting the same feed can all taste different. God didnt just make us different he made each individual animal different.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 11, 2012)

We got our goats for milk. I will be milking Heidi who just kidded in August. I'm a bit nervous about it because the lady I got my Lamancha from gave us some milk in case we needed to supplement, she also gave us some cheese. Everyone in the family tried it and most everyone said it was just "OK". I tried it and spit it right out  TASTED LIKE BUCK! So then I tried the cheese...  ...buck, buck, buck. She called and asked how I liked it, I told her the truth  ... guess I should have been more tactful.  Is it suppose to taste so goaty?


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## Valley Ranch (Oct 12, 2012)

PFSFarmer isn't that the truth!!

Catahoula, I went back and read that link thanks. Amazing how technical milk can be!! Sure is hard to keep weight on milk goats without alfalfa around here. I know even our pygmies need it. The conditions are just so harsh they need that extra to keep up the milk and weight on. But I'll try that next.
Southern By Choice. Some milk is really "goatie" flavoured and some people really like it. Not this little duck!! We have never had a pygmy that has "goatie" milk. My husband had Saneens and they weren't "goatie" but this tog sure is!! Beyond "goatie" just HORRIBLE.  I have even bought goat cheese in the shops that tasted goatie and I hated it. 
I like rich sweet and creamy. And I'm gonna pull out all I can to try and manipulate this girls milk as clearly diet can play a big roll. Being apple season they are getting lots of apples and that is helping!! Pity apple season isn't year round.


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## SkyWarrior (Oct 12, 2012)

Catahoula said:
			
		

> ksalvagno said:
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Nope.  Not me.  

Honestly, I probably wouldn't get rid of such a goat.  I would either use her for raising babies, or (more likely) send that doe to freezer camp.  (I can't afford to keep goats as strictly pets).  Everyone has a job here, even the Malamutes and cats.


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## Valley Ranch (Oct 12, 2012)

Sky Warrior she wouldn't be the first goat to go to freezer camp here either. But she does pull on the heart strings a bit. Having brought her back from the brink of death and all the while she was a great mama and gave milk!! So I am going to see what we can do first. Also for the interest/experiement side of things too really. But this is a working ranch here too however small and if an animal doesn't earn its keep other arrangements have to be made. 
I'll keep everyone posted how the sweet grain works. We just wormed everyone so we are on a milk withrawal anyway.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 12, 2012)

I'd consider sending in another mastitis sample.  My goat gets subclinical staph now and then and the only way I can tell is from the taste of her milk (it's horrible).  For months last year I thought it was her diet, the temp of the fridge, etc.  The mastitis test came back showing a "scant" amount of staph in one half of her udder. I treated her for mastitis and it was a HUUUUGE difference. Her milk was wonderful again. Same thing with my doe again...her milk went 'off', I treated her, and it cleared right up.  

 I'd consider sending in another test, and then if it still comes back not showing anything I'd be tempted to treat her anyways.  I mean, I'm not one for needlessly giving antibiotics, but if it's either sending her to freezer camp or trying a round of Today, I'd try the Today!


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## SkyWarrior (Oct 12, 2012)

Valley Ranch said:
			
		

> Sky Warrior she wouldn't be the first goat to go to freezer camp here either. But she does pull on the heart strings a bit. Having brought her back from the brink of death and all the while she was a great mama and gave milk!! So I am going to see what we can do first. Also for the interest/experiement side of things too really. But this is a working ranch here too however small and if an animal doesn't earn its keep other arrangements have to be made.
> I'll keep everyone posted how the sweet grain works. We just wormed everyone so we are on a milk withrawal anyway.


I understand.  You might be able to use her as a surrogate mama and breeder.  I know you didn't have much of a choice when rescuing her.


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## Valley Ranch (Nov 29, 2012)

sorry it has been so long since I've been on but it has been hectic getting ready for winter. Anyway to the goat!!! I got Today ready to treat her mastitis thinking it would not hurt even though she tested negative. Ad in the mean time switched her from crimped oats to wet cob (with molasses. I has been over a month now and a BIG difference in her milk. Goatie smell and taste gone.


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## terri9630 (Dec 15, 2012)

Valley Ranch said:
			
		

> sorry it has been so long since I've been on but it has been hectic getting ready for winter. Anyway to the goat!!! I got Today ready to treat her mastitis thinking it would not hurt even though she tested negative. Ad in the mean time switched her from crimped oats to wet cob (with molasses. I has been over a month now and a BIG difference in her milk. Goatie smell and taste gone.


What is cob?  I just got my first goats so I'm reading up on other peoples problems and how they corrected/treated them.


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## SheepGirl (Dec 15, 2012)

COB = mixture of corn, oats, and barley


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## babsbag (Dec 19, 2012)

Someone told me to boost them with a cobalt mineral block. I also recently got a togg and was totally shocked at the taste of the milk. I have Alpine and alpine/togg cross and their milk is wonderful. This new one was far from wonderful. My solution was to just not milk her this year.

Next spring if her milk is still goaty and the cobalt doesn't help she will be put up for sell. Don't know who would buy her, but you never know. Some cheese makers like the togg milk. :/


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## SaanenMom (Jan 3, 2013)

Sometimes it's just genetics. Our first goat was a heinz-57 Nubian, Togg, whatever. Pulled the kids off to wean them (got them at 9 mths & still nursing). Sent the doeling to be bred and several weeks later, the doe. They freshened with the Mom having twin doelings. After weaning at 3 mths, we went to milking her. Eeewww! It was NASTY tasting milk. Not having had goat milk before, it was enough to put one off of EVER drinking goat milk. Daughter's milk was also nasty. These were our first goats, so maybe we were doing something wrong. The next year, we freshened the Mom and her 2d doeling (the 1st doeling from year previous couldn't be gentled and went into the freezer). 

Shortly after freshning those two, we got our first Saanen. What an amazing difference in taste!! The Saanen breeder became our mentor so we learned proper feeding, already knew about worming (raised beef cattle), proper chilling of milk, etc. Everyone was getting the same feed and those heinz-57 goats continued having NASTY milk. That's when I learned to make my wonderful goat milk soaps! The 2d doeling's daughter was bred and her milk was also NASTY! By then there was less Nubian, Togg etc and more Alpine & LM in the bloodlines. It didn't matter, those gals all had NASTY milk. Since we decided to raise registered Saanens, the others found homes on sheep ranches to raise bum lambs.
IDLaura


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