# Yucky milk?



## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

I have an amazing milk goat. last year she produced around 1 1/2 quarts per milking; the milk was rich and sweet with a little cream and tasted like rich cow milk. This year she is producing over 2 1/2 quarts but the milk is thin and bitter with a sour after taste. What is wrong with her milk. nothing has changed but her hay; but after the first batch of yucky milk we switched her back to straight alfalfa. She is fed the same grain as last year every morning. She has the same goat lick from last year and is allowed to free range like she did last time. What is wrong I really liked her milk now i'm afraid to touch it. :hair:


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Probably copper deficient. You really need a good loose mineral and do copper boluses.


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## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

What is the easiest way to fix the deficiency?


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Going back to the alfalfa is a great start. The more the protein, the higher the butter fat. The easiest way is a loose mineral mix. But not just any mix. Need to stay away from oxide and sulfate based minerals. There are lots of threads on here about minerals. Another way to clean up the taste is to not let the animal have anything to eat 2-4 hours or more before you milk. Cow dairies feed after milking for a reason and thats because feed flavors milk.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

For copper you need to get the boluses.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

My experience with yucky milk for a doe who usually has the best milk, I didn't check my mineral feeders enough and they went dry, it wasn't the best mineral anyway so wasn't long and yucky milk, got back on the minerals, added a cobalt block, added copper and YAY best milk ever. I also changed minerals this year to one that was formulated for goats in our specific area and now no need for all the extra copper.


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## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

She has had her extra minerals the last few weeks and her milk still hasnt changed what else could cause this?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What do you mean that she had her extra minerals?


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## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

like copper and other needed minerals that you guys suggested


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

How much of everything did you give?


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## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

As much as she wants to eat


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

The copper is a bolus (capsule) that has to be forced down her throat (some people make it into a tasty treat first). Most deficient goats need the bolus to get up to par, the salt is too high in most loose minerals to be caught up quickly. Also if you have a block out instead of the loose minerals the goats work too hard to eat the mineral and it ends up having a negligible amount to the goat.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

So you only gave her a loose mineral? Did you copper bolus?


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## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

no we don't have any around here plus she has had copper available to her for her whole life and it hasn't been a problem what else could this be?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Just because she has copper available doesn't mean she is absorbing all of it. Iron and a few other minerals binds copper. You need to take a look at everything she eats and drinks to see if there are minerals that could bind the copper. I don't know of too many herds that don't need copper bolusing. You have to order copper bolus online.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I would add a blue cobalt block. I have excellent minerals free choice for my crew but sometimes they still work over the cobalt. My milk has been awesome since I added that, not sure if it was that or just better minerals but I keep it out anyway.


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## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

Here are the things I have run into.

Mastitis can make the milk taste bad.

Improper cooling or filtering can make the milk taste bad.

Worms can make milk taste bad.

And like everybody else said, minerals and hay can do it.:hair::crazy:

Oh and some goats genetic but since your doe had good milk before that's probably ruled out....


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