# Best udder wash/general milking questions



## Esther88 (Nov 11, 2012)

I was just wondering what everyone uses as a pre and post milking udder wash? At the moment I am just using Quartermate spray and wiping it off with a paper towel. My friend just uses a baby wipe before she milks and nothing after which would make me nervous lol. I would assume that would open the door to more bacteria in the milk and increase the chance of mastitis. I have read a mixture of Clorox bleach, water, and dawn is also a good udder wash/dip. 

Do you just spray? Wash? Dip? If you do any or all of these things, why do you do it? 

I just feel like the simple quartermate spray isn't getting them clean enough and I'm not fond of the yellow staining it leaves behind.

I have also been pasteurizing the milk and am disappointed because it doesn't taste as good as raw. My doe is from a reputable breeder, is UTD on vaccinations, and CAE free. She just has blood in her right udder and it has me all freaked out for some reason. :-? (It is from an injury we believe, not mastitis) How many of you drink it raw, and who pasteurizes and why?


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Well I either do the Dawn and bleach or right now, I'm using dawn and alcohol.. (I don't have any bleach... So it worked... Lol!) it seems to be washing them pretty well.. 

I use a paper towel and dunk it in the water and wash them then dry them with a new one.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Is she newly fresh? The blood could be from a burst capillary in her udder.. (Is that the right word I'm looking for??)


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## hootenanny89 (Mar 16, 2014)

*Udder wash and disinfectant*

Hi all. I am a new dairy goat owner. Have only milked my goat a few times. She gives good milk, very rich, no off smells or flavor. I am currently letting her kid feed from her too. I already have 2 other bottle babies, so momma can take care of that one. I have had some trial and error with the cleaning and disinfecting.

First thing I learned was: make sure the cleaning solution was warm. Nanny did not like the harsh cold on her teats. Refused to let me milk her. 
Second: give her good treats to keep her busy not paying attention to me. Third: keep baby close. Less kicking. Hobbles are on the way. 
Forth: She was really easy to milk when I threw a blanket over her head while she was eating.

I like using tiny bit of Dawn with baking soda and warm water in a squirt bottle (old dawn bottle), I use before and after milking. On these cold nights I have been putting beeswax chapstick on her teats after drying them good to keep them from getting chapped. Honey would probably work better though since it is antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial. Little billy goat might like it too.

:wave:


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

I used to use commercial udder wash and teat dip, then switched to my own mix of wash and Fight Bac spray instead of a dip. Then, lost my job and couldn't afford to buy the stuff. I used baby wipes from the dollar store and didn't dip. 

Surprise....no increase in bacteria. I have never had a case of mastitis in 30 years of dairy goats. Washing and dipping, washing and not dipping...not washing or dipping....nothing made any difference in my herd at all. Milk taste and quality didn't change. 

I don't know. Some people wash and dip and get mastitis in their herds. Other people don't do anything and don't get mastitis. Not sure what the answer is, other than just do what you think is best for your herd.

I don't remember what types of wash and dip I used, it was that long ago. I do know I used an iodine based dip at one point. I also used to use the latex based 3M dip that left a thin latex coat on the teats for the dairy cattle we had. I used it for the goats also. Not sure if they even make that stuff any more.


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## Esther88 (Nov 11, 2012)

J.O.Y. Farm said:


> Is she newly fresh? The blood could be from a burst capillary in her udder.. (Is that the right word I'm looking for??)


Yes, she just freshened in February and is a FF. I have a whole different thread in goat management titled "help please" that goes into detail about what has/is happening. I think we have it under control now though, yay! :-D

Thanks for all the replies!


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## melzhippy (Jun 26, 2013)

I'm just using warm water and a drop or two of Dawn... we are drinking it raw for about 3 weeks and have had no issues so far!


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## Esther88 (Nov 11, 2012)

melzhippy said:


> I'm just using warm water and a drop or two of Dawn... we are drinking it raw for about 3 weeks and have had no issues so far!


I have always drank the milk raw from my friend's goats with no issues. I also drank hers raw up until the right side started having blood in it lol. I think once I get my Henry Milker I will start drinking it raw again since there won't be any hair/dirt/poo that seems to always work it's way in with hand milking :hair: haha! I've heard that shaving the udder/belly area helps with this, so maybe I will try that too.


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## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

I use dr. Bronner's tea tree Castile soap and warm water for an udder wash. I use washable microfiber washcloths and just dip, wring and wash. I also made my own hand sanitizer (aloe Vera gel, witch hazel, essential oil blend) that I use before milking. And I spray the teats with a homemade teat spray (water, essential oils and grapefruit seed extract). So far no issues at all, healthy udders, and we drink raw as well. 


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## melzhippy (Jun 26, 2013)

Good idea about the Dr. Bronners!! The undersides of our goaties could used trimmed up for sure...


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I use baby wipes and fight bac. If mom is going back with kids, I don't spray 

We drink our milk raw.


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## Esther88 (Nov 11, 2012)

lanafana said:


> I use dr. Bronner's tea tree Castile soap and warm water for an udder wash. I use washable microfiber washcloths and just dip, wring and wash. I also made my own hand sanitizer (aloe Vera gel, witch hazel, essential oil blend) that I use before milking. And I spray the teats with a homemade teat spray (water, essential oils and grapefruit seed extract). So far no issues at all, healthy udders, and we drink raw as well.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


Hmmm I have never heard of Dr. Bronner's. I will have to look it up and see what it's all about. Thanks for the info!


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## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

Esther88 said:


> Hmmm I have never heard of Dr. Bronner's. I will have to look it up and see what it's all about. Thanks for the info!


No problem! I try and be as "natural" as possible with our animals just like with my own family. There are too many toxins, chemicals, carcinogens in our environment as is, so I really try to eradicate those things as much as possible in our home environment. Dr. Bronner's has been around for decades and is all natural. I use the tea tree liquid soap because tea tree oil is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti viral. It's also concentrated and lasts a veeeery long time. The other essential oils I use (like clove, lavender, rosemary, etc) have the same properties so the idea is it will naturally help prevent infection and kill bacteria without killing us, lol. It's just my personal preference, but it's been working great and I don't have that guilty feeling I once did exposing my little ones or animals to toxins unnecessarily. I make my own laundry detergent, household cleaners, soap and grow food for the same reasons. Just trying to do the little I can with the limited resources we have, but it's worth the effort! Hope you find what works for you and your girls!! .

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## GoatieGranny (Jul 26, 2013)

2 oz glass spray bottle
Clean water to rounded part of bottle (shoulder)
1/4 tsp (Rubbing) Alcohol
20 drops Grapefruit Extract
8 drops Tea Tree EO
5 drops Lavender EO
1 drop Clove EO
Mix. Spray on teats before and after milking. Air dry. 
Sometimes I spray it on a damp cloth and apply it that way. 
In really cold weather, I spray it onto a dry cloth and just wipe the teats with it so the goats don't get cold. (We deal with extreme cold here.) 

This is all I've ever used. We've never seen mastitis.


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## Hobbyfarmer (Sep 7, 2011)

I use a chlorhexadine solution (generic Nolvasan) and baby wipes. No teat dip although I have in the past. This year I might try Fight Bac. We've never had mastitis but just to try something new.


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## Dodgerdoob (Feb 11, 2014)

I have several bottles of Vetricyn that I got from the farm store because they were expired. I squirt a paper towel and give the teats a wipe down after a few squirts of milk. i don't do anything post milk because I let the baby in then.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I have always used the dawn/ bleach wash and it's worked fame for years... Today I went to baby wipes (for convenience) so we'll see how that goes. If they go back to babies, I rarely spray after, but if I do, it's bleach/water 


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## Esther88 (Nov 11, 2012)

Wow thanks everyone! So many things I'm going to have to research and try! I have a quick question for those of you who have or currently pasteurize. I took a big drink of milk that I pasteurized last night and got a couple of "solid" pieces that were kind of slimy. Thankfully I'm not squeamish or that may have been rough lol. I haven't had this happen with raw milk, do you think I may be scalding it a bit on accident? There were only 1-2 pieces, I thought it was just cream at first but it didn't dissolve when I stirred it. I guess I could strain it...again...after I pasteurize! :roll:


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I pasteurize only the milk I use to make lotion and have found it gets a thick gooey layer on top that I skim off or strain. Not sure what it is exactly, maybe I'm warming it too much for too long. I dunno!!! Lol


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