still struggling with milk taste

[Catahoula]

Yes! I just tasted the milk that is almost 48hrs old and it is still good!! Whoo Hoo! This is the longest we have been able to keep milk.

I took our doe off of alfalfa about 4 days ago, so the milk that I just tasted was from 2 days after the last alfalfa. What a difference!

Yeah!

I'm guessing that the longer she is off alfalfa the longer her milk will keep. It's just such a relief to finally find the culprit.

-K

 

[SkyWarrior]

I read somewhere that alfalfa can cause a bunch of problems with milk and milk taste...More the reason to not use it.

 

[Suburbanfarmer]

I tried her milk this morning that was 36 hrs old. And, bleh.

Now the question becomes, do we try a different doe to see if it is just her milk or keep working with her? My husband has been super on board with all of this, but he is strongly suggesting that if we can't get this sorted by the end of August then we find new homes for the goats. I don't want to waste time with this doe if we are never going to like her milk.

I'm virtually certain that she doesn't have mastitis/staf. It maybe a worm issue, but she looks the best she has since coming here. Her coat (which was dull and lifeless when she got here) is shiny and healthy. Her body looks good and she is keeping weight on (even through milking).

Any advice?

Thanks
-K

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I tried her milk this morning that was 36 hrs old. And, bleh.

Now the question becomes, do we try a different doe to see if it is just her milk or keep working with her? My husband has been super on board with all of this, but he is strongly suggesting that if we can't get this sorted by the end of August then we find new homes for the goats. I don't want to waste time with this doe if we are never going to like her milk.

I'm virtually certain that she doesn't have mastitis/staf. It maybe a worm issue, but she looks the best she has since coming here. Her coat (which was dull and lifeless when she got here) is shiny and healthy. Her body looks good and she is keeping weight on (even through milking).

Any advice?

Thanks
-K

Please at least spend a few bucks and send in a milk sample to be tested! Subclinical staph mastitis is often the culprit, and it a SIMPLE solution. If it tests positive, you treat her for about a week, and she'll be good to go. If you send in a sample and she's negative, at least you would know.

PLEASE just consider sending in a milk sample. I went through the same exact thing last year, and my doe tested positive for a "scant" amount in one half of her udder. I treated her and her milk was once again delicious.

You will not be able to tell she has subclinical staph by looking at the milk. You won't see clumps or discoloration, or feel hardness or heat in the udder. It will be worth the peace of mind to know you tried everything before giving up on her.

 

[Roll farms]

If you run tests, and she tests neg. - I don't see why you can't just use her 'fresh' milk daily for drinking and cook / make cheese with / water your garden w/ her 'old' (yesterday's) milk.
Give the cats a treat.
Feed it to the chickens.
Give it to someone w/ a hog.
My roses look wonderful this year, they've been getting about 1 gallon of milk a week.

I've found 1000 uses for our extra milk, some days we get 5 gallons or more per day....no way we could drink it all before it went 'bad', so I found other ways to use it.

I'm not trying to be argumentative...I'm just not understanding the 'gotta get rid of the goat if we can't drink her old milk' thing....Drink the fresh stuff, then. Seems like an obvious fix.

It's not like it's gonna keep forever, anyway.

 

[Rebbetzin]

Our goats get only beautiful sweet alfalfa hay, thankfully it grows great here in AZ. And they get a grain mixture with lots of good stuff in it while they are being milked. The milk is always sweet and wonderful.

When I had "goatie" milk, I made soap with it. I put the off milk in ziplock bags, enough in each bag for a batch of soap.

I HATE when the milk tastes off. I'd say it goes off between three and seven days. Even the cheese goes goatie to me after a couple of weeks.

Some people actually like the goatie flavor!! I am making more cheese now with extra milk. it keeps a bit longer that way.

So happy to hear I can put it on the plants!! I do give the whey to my dog and chickens when I make cheese. And the whey works great in making breads!

 

[Suburbanfarmer]

So here is our milk taste solution...

Yes, a new goat.

I really think that the problem is the legumes and the increase in the enzymes. The problem is that we are really urban/suburban farming and just don't have the room to keep a goat that is not exactly what we need, and we need goats that we can turn out into our yard (that has clover - another legume). We will sell our current milker and her baby. That will put us back to two goats, which was the original plan anyway. Plus, it's a good excuse for another cute goatie.

 

[Catahoula]

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Hopefully her milk tastes good! Please let us know...

 

[autumnprairie]

Hopefully her milk tastes good! Please let us know...

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