Pink colored milk?

[kenfromMaine]

Hi
I have a Alpine doe that had her first kid last Sunday, the kid didn't make it , she is just about a year old and was pregnant when I got her. I have been milking her twice a day since. Her milk has a slight pink color to it, I know it is blood. She has no clots to speak of and no discomfort and is kept very clean. I have read that it is fairly common for a first timer to have some blood in her milk while her udder is forming and getting used to the changes it is going threw. The blood seems to settle in the jars and is very small amount. The question is, can this milk be used, and how long does it usually take for it to clear up? These are my first goats, I never knew that goats were so nice, real characters. I do see alot more goats in the near future.
Thanks
Ken from Maine

 

[chandasue]

I think I'd give it to the chickens or household pets personally. Might want to test for mastitis just to for sure rule that out.

 

[LadyNai]

I am seconding the mastitis testing.

I had a doe as a teen that miscarried a set of twins and came down with mastitis right after that. and yep it was blood in the milk.

So I'd double check to be safe...

 

[Roll farms]

I read earlier that if the blood settles to the bottom of the milk it's "probably" ok...

http://www.goatwisdom.com/udder_care.html

 

[kenfromMaine]

I will check for mastitis, can I get a test kit at TSC or my feed store? And what is the best way to treat for mastitis and how long does it usually take to clear up? Another learning curve coming up. So I am sure I will be asking many more questions. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge/experience.
Ken from Maine

 

[freemotion]

Didn't I read on this forum that first-fresheners can sometimes have a little blood in their milk and that it is not necessarily mastitis, it is normal? Thought I did.....

 

[Roll farms]

Yes, Free, that's what you read, and also what the link I posted says.

I've had several does over the years who have bloody milk for a few days, none of them had mastitis.

I'm not against testing for it, by any means...but treating for something that isn't there isn't a good idea, IMHO.

You can order the test kits from several places *but* blood in the milk and other things can cause a false positive, FYI.

So if you test, and get a positive, I'd be tempted to wait a week and retest before you treat. Introducing anything (like an infusion treatment canula) into a teat that's fine isn't a good idea, either...

That link I posted really does have some good info...yeah, it's a bit of a long read...but good info.

 

[kenfromMaine]

Thanks Roll Farms for the link, I have it in my favorites now. There was a lot of helpful info. in it.
I will post what I am doing and the outcome, in case anyone else is interested.
The goat is acting fine, playing, eating acting like a typical goat.
One thing I did read in that link that I had done was I had started giving her Alfalfa cubes with her food and a little corn as a treat.
Thanks again

 

[kenfromMaine]

Well I milked her out this morning, had 2 or 3 small blood clots maybe the size of a match head. Her milk was pink then would go white then pink. Nice texture to the milk no strings, lumps, flakes or ??
From last Tues her milk was nice and white till i think it was thurs. when I noticed the pink and blood in the bottom of the jar after it had sat. Her milk has gone from approx. 2+ cups per milking to almost a quart, so her udder is growing still. Nice steady stream from both teets and no discomfort. Oh and the clots didnt come out until about half way thru the milking.
Ken

 

[kenfromMaine]

Seems to be clearing up I bought some Mastitis test strips and she is good. The guy at the store said it is very common for first timers to have pink milk said its their Udders growing so fast said its very common with cows and goats..
Thanks everyone for the help.
Ken