# Lumpy milk and no mastitis?



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I'm milking a 2-weeks-fresh doe. This morning her milk was a little bit clumpy, just as if someone had added a drop or two of vinegar and stirred.
Of course the first thing I think of is mastitis. I did the "detergent test" for mastitis and it was negative. What should I do? Is it safe to drink the milk? Her udder isn't hot and there wasn't any blood that I could see.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Maybe you should pasteurize it while you are waiting for an answer from someone who knows what they are talking about. I'm not sure what the detergent test is, and I haven't ever had a doe produce clumpy milk, but I'm sure someone will know what to advise you to do. 

Blood in the milk is usually a leaking capillary, I have had that happen a couple times, from the same doe, early in the lactation cycle, so if you see that it doesn't mean she has mastitis. I think usually by the time you get blood when there is mastitis it is pretty severe and there are lots of other symptoms first. 

Jan


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

I wouldn't drink the milk. Does she have a temp? Milk should never be clumpy... 
What antibiotics do you have?


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I took her temp, and it's normal. I'm starting her on vitamin C and dolomite for a few days and I'll see if that clears it up.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

How long have you been milking her?
Are her kids separated from her 24/7 or are they separated only at night?
If separated at night, do you strip her out once separated?

Was this the first few streams from each side or was it from one side?

Also....I've never usded the detergent test but something I always have handy and works great are the Dr Naylors mastitis test cards..Cheap insurance in the case you need to start treatment ASAP. Jeffers and Hoeggars carry them.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I have been milking her about a week.
Kids are separated only at night.
I didn't notice the clumpiness until I strained the milk. (It's very slight.)
No, I don't strip her at night after separating.


> What antibiotics do you have?


I don't keep any antibiotics on hand, just the vitamin C. I have a good vet I can take her to if it gets worse.
Thanks for all your help!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

If she's been cleared of mastitis and you are getting flakes in the milk, it is likely residue in the teats from the kids nursing before they're separated, try stripping her out at night and see if it helps clear things up. Keep an extra eye on her udder though, just to be sure theres no congestion or heat.

Also, just an FYI....I had this happen with Binkey last freshening, I squirt a stream from each teat into a fine SS mesh filter before milking into the pail to see if there are any impurities, she had some flakiness from one side only...it was the side that produced just a bit more, ran the milk over a test card, all clear. I just was very thorough about stripping her out well and it was cleared up within the next 2 milkings.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I stripped last night and milked this morning and both times the milk was clean. It was just yesterday morning's milk that wasn't right.
I'm wondering if the jar I milked into wasn't completely clean? But it had been through the dishwasher. Hm.
I have been feeding a low-priced basic feed that has added calcium and no other minerals. Maybe her calcium/magnesium balance was off and she really did have a touch of mastitis. Whether that was it or not, I'm changing feed to something better.
And then maybe it was just residue from nursing as you said, Liz... :shrug: I kinda don't think so 'cause it really looked slightly "curdled" or separated. It was so slight I couldn't really tell though.
Anyway, thanks everybody for your help, and I hope it doesn't come back!


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