# bad tasting milk



## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

My doe, Blondie, has wonderful, clean-tasting, creamy milk.

Snickers, on the other hand, has nasty goaty milk. We gave her a copper bolus 3 weeks ago, and the grassy flavor disappeared, but there is still a musky flavor that just won't go away. 

She lost weight at first right after freshening, but she's stable now with feed changes. At first I thought the lack of food was giving her milk a bad flavor. Does that happen???

No one around here has even heard of a cobalt block, so there isn't a demand for it in my area... Could she still be deficient and need cobalt? I've read on here that cobalt/B12 deficiency can cause bad tasting milk, but if no one around here has used such a thing... I don't know.

Are there other problems I should look for? It's not copper. It doesn't LOOK like mastitis (no heat, lumps, or stringy/bloody milk).


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Order a cobalt block from Amazon. What breed is she?


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

She is a Nigerian Dwarf.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

What else are you giving for minerals? Any loose minerals? How much copper bolus did you give?


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

Loose minerals free choice. I've slowly worked up to 4g boluses every 3 months, and am about to increase that to every 2 months. My brown and white goat (Blondie) turns pure white if I give copper less often.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

What brand of loose minerals? Well water? Can you post photos of her?


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

TN Co-op Supreme Goat Mineral

Not well water. City or county water (whichever we are drinking)

This is the only recent picture I have right now. I can get more tomorrow when it's light out, if you need it.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

That is the brand I use and love. Cargill's Right Now Onyx has a higher level of copper, but lower levels of many other things.

I used to have to give the calf sized boluses in order to make a dent in my goat's copper needs. Your amount does not seem excessive to me. Do they show signs of zinc deficiency? Can you offer them kelp meal?


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)




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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

This is to show no hair loss that I can see around her eyes.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)




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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

I forget what zinc deficiency looks like. Do you see any?

Better pictures of Snickers now uploaded.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

For me, it is difficult to visually see zinc problems until they are really severe. The same things that cause copper deficiencies will also cause zinc deficiencies, and when correcting the copper does not work, I turn to zinc. Outward signs can be hoof problems, coat and skin problems, and bad tasting milk problems. See the problem? Those can all be attributed to something else.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

By the way, I think Snickers is gorgeous. I really like her.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

I agree, she is gorgeous.


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## goat girls (Dec 13, 2017)

She is very pretty! That Sopris is nice too halter


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

singinggoatgirl said:


> I forget what zinc deficiency looks like. Do you see any?
> 
> Better pictures of Snickers now uploaded.


Zinc deficiency can cause basically anything related to skin and coat. Higher susceptibility to lice and mites, hair loss, dandruff, etc.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

She has a little dandruff but not lots... hmm... I'll add this to the next thing to add if cobalt and then a mastitis culture don't pan out.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I can't post in conversations, I don't know why. But I found this.

https://bgky.craigslist.org/grd/d/registered-mini-nubian/6416586568.html


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

@mariarose ooooh! I'll look into her!

Snickers' milk tasted slightly better today for no reason.... unless molasses can make musky tasting milk? I was feeding grain mix with molasses, but gave her less of that and more of the alfalfa pellets the last 2 days because the bale of hay I just opened was super grassy. Blondie is on the same feed, though, and the molasses isn't messing up her milk....


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Molasses can affect milk taste as well as alfalfa.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Are you able to post on the conversations? I keep getting a gateway error.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Has she had fecals run? A worm load can cause off tasting milk. 

Some goats just have off flavored milk, it's the make up of their particular milk. Does she have access to weeds that may be a cause? Just because it doesn't cause issues in 1 goat doesn't mean it won't in another. Every goat has their own metabolism, so are very different than others. Is the feed medicated? That can cause an off taste.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

No worms. Fecal was completely clean.

No, they are dry lotted, so she has no weeds to eat. No medication in the feed either.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

@mariarose I can post in conversations just fine... Not sure what's going on.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

singinggoatgirl said:


> @mariarose I can post in conversations just fine... Not sure what's going on.


Now I can again. Not sure what happened for a while.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

Ok, the cobalt block arrived Monday, and I put it out immediately. Her milk is sweeter, but still rather musky/goaty. How long until I judge whether or not it was effective? Next step is culturing the milk at the vet for sub-clinical mastitis...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They need the cobalt block anyway.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

@ksalvagno, I'll leave it out either way. I spent a lot of money on it, and can't return it, so they might as well use it. What I was asking, though, was how long until the cobalt has had its time to improve her milk, and I can determine if I need to move on to the next possible problem with her milk? Like, if her milk still tastes bad after having cobalt block for a week, do I need to stay patient and wait longer, or does that tell me cobalt wasn't a problem, and I need to do other stuff?


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

It will be hard to tell how fast for her, individually. 

Your next step of checking for bacterial infection in the milk should be taken as soon as you can. Don't wait on that.

What I hear you saying is that you've taken steps to improve her health, and the taste of the milk improves with each step. So I would make certain she continues to get her minerals (try another brand, if you decide you want to) and get that bacteria test done.

Now, please don't take this wrong, because I can't actually taste your milk myself, and "tastes musky" does not convey anything to my mind. This is just exploring a different idea, not a criticism. Storebought cows milk all tastes the same, not because the milk from individual cows all taste the same, but because the milk from thousands of cows gets all mixed together. And most people think that is what milk tastes like, no variation.

Hear me out. Is it possible that Snicker's milk no longer tastes bad (because of the improvements you have made), just that it does not taste like you think milk should taste like? Are you still looking for a bad taste, and therefore your brain is interpreting the different taste as a bad taste? How does the milk taste when you mix it in with Blondie's milk?

My does all give great milk. And not one doe's milk tastes like another's. They are all different. When I mix them all up, it just tastes like great milk.

Now, I'm not saying that is what is happening. Just asking if it is possible.

Definitely move on to the bacteria testing.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

I'll get the culture done ASAP.

I've wondered about that, Maria. I know they won't all taste the same. I'm doing my best to say, "okay, it's been a few days of the new 'treatment' it should taste good now," then trying it trustfully, and I want to spit it out every time. It still has that gross goaty flavor, with the overtones changing, like when the grassy overtone disappeared with the copper bolus, and the sweetness increased a couple days after the cobalt block went in. When I mix their milk together, it all tastes gross. Blondie's clean-tasting creamy milk doesn't mask the yuck that comes out of Snicker's udder. It's a little more dilute, but definitely still there. 

If it turns out to truly just be how her milk tastes, this is definitely a culling factor for me, because I just can't bring myself to drink it. I've wanted someone who knows goat milk to come to me and try it (I've also thought about packing up my tiny children, putting the milk on ice, and driving exorbitant distances to find goatspot friends to try this milk and tell me if I'm crazy, and I hate going on road trips with my children - they're miserable the whole time) because I'm honestly a novice, but I know goat milk can be a sweet, creamy, delicious treat(like Blondie provides), and I refuse to go through all this work to get something I hate if it isn't health-related and fixable. Same reason why I refuse to plant eggplant in my garden. If I'm not going to use it, there's no point in going through all that effort. It's wasteful.

Can you tell I'm getting frustrated? It doesn't help that Snickers is still a brat while milking. Her bucklings left yesterday, though, so she has a new chance to calm down and realize I'm her only "baby" now and hand over the goods without throwing a fit.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Yep, milk should taste good. Hopefully your cobalt block should do the trick. (Where did you order it from?)


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

There is a thread by Dayna that has all kinds of suggestions to fix bad tasting milk.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

ksalvagno said:


> There is a thread by Dayna that has all kinds of suggestions to fix bad tasting milk.


Thanks. I'll see what I can find with that.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

@Goats Rock, I ordered it on amazon.com

That'd be great, if you could find it, Maria!


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Goaty milk is gross I agree, I have only had that one time when I let the minerals run out, yuck ick gag! I now pay extra attention to minerals and always have a cobalt block out and the milk is wonderful for the last 5 years. I have a variety of goat breeds and they do all taste different. My big Alpine has wonderful milk not as creamy as the Nubians, love the Nubian milk but it shines second to my Guernsey milk. It all taste good though, just some less creamy than others.


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

Singinggoatgirl, I may be a few days late with this response I hope not too late but reading your posts I could tell you are getting really put out trying to correct your bad milk taste problem. Here is a little of my experiences: I milked a cow for years, each cow has a different flavor/taste to their milk. All be it, their milk was good tasting just some milk was richer, sweeter, creamer (higher in butter fat) than others. As other folks here have stated the same applies with goats. If you have your billy too close to your doe as you stated just having a fence between them, then you are going to get that billy goat taste in your milk, plain and simple. Some bucks are more prone to rut and smell bad than others. Especially those that will breed any time of the year and ND and small goats will. Some other large goats are year round breeders. Seasonal breeders will usually clean up after the rut is over. Both my Boer buck and Nubian buck are almost scent free unless you get your hands on them and then it is a very weak smell. So if your milk is goaty tasting you should remove your buck so he can't get close to your milk does. I know you said one doe has great tasting milk, She may not be getting close to the buck. If that doesn't work and you have tried almost everything else you have a decision to make. Oh yeah, I mix Diamond V yeast 50/50 with my mineral and the goats eat it really well. They love the yeast and this gives them all the mineral that they need. That might help with the taste. Right now while they are all carrying babies they are really eating the minerals. Good luck.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

UPDATE:
As of Sunday, after our milk withdrawal period for dewormer, her milk tastes great! All we changed was adding a cobalt block, adding Zn, adding another Cu bolus, switching to no molasses, and deworming her. Sigh. Not terribly scientific, but I was trying to keep her alive, too. 

For the record, the year-rounder ND buck is still in there with the does, and loves his cuddles with his girls.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad her milk is better.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

Oh! I forgot to add that I did do a mastitis test, and it came back clean.


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