# 18 days since freshening -YUCK



## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

and the milk still tastes bad. I thought it would be ok to drink after 2 weeks but we are going on 3 now. I have the milk from this morning and it tastes sour. Is there something wrong with her or is this still colostrum? The milk was filtered and put into the freezer for an hour immediately after collecting- she had no lumps, no fever, no heat in the bag. FF Nubian. She is giving almost a gallon a day and feeding her kid also. thanks


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

What are you feeding her? Is she out on pasture?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

what are you feeding her? If she is grazing a lot of weeds her milk can taste bad, or wild onion? she should have fresh sweet milk by now. If you have pine trees in your area..give her a handful for a few days..it will balance her PH and help the milk taste better...make sure she is drinking enough water..


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

she is eating the same thing as our other milker and she has very good milk. They have browse for 12 hours a day and at milking time she gets a mixture of alfalfa pellets, oats, BOSS, beet pulp and just a little sweet feed mixed with this. I dewormed her herbally the first 3 days after kidding and she have given her probiotics a few times since kidding. she has baking soda out free choice


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

cobalt (B12) deficiency can cause bitter tasting milk



> Vitamin B12 is produced in the rumen. A deficiency affects the goat's metabolism, and according to the Goat Veterinary Society, is the most frequent cause of tainted goats' milk.
> Normal healthy goats receiving a well-balanced and mineral rich diet shouldn't suffer any deficiency but there are certain conditions, notably infection from worms and shortage of cobalt, which will upset this delicate balance and hinder the production of vitamin B12.
> 
> Bitter-tasting milk is often blamed directly on a shortage of the trace element cobalt. The full story is that cobalt is essential for the production of B12 and as it's not stored in the goat's system, it must be available in the goat's diet on a daily basis. A diet containing a wide variety of plant species, either fresh or as hay, and ideally from a herbal ley containing chicory, together with the provision of a mineral supplement formulated for goats and a cobaltised mineral lick should ensure there is no shortage of cobalt.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

really good information about reason for off flavored milk

http://www.countrysmallholding.com/features-goats-the-milk-taste-test--213022


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

thank you for the link- I read it completely. So do you think I should deworm her again (dewormed for three consecutive days starting one day after kidding with Molly's herbals and dewormed with IVOMEC April 1 when I first acquired her)? I plan to get her a cobalt lick over the weekend if I can find one in town.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Since you have wormed her already..it mightbe best to have a fecal done to see if you are dealing with worms and which ones so you can treat with the right wormer...how ever Ivomec Plus is a good broad base wormer that get most worms..including liver fluke...Valbazen is another good choice if you prefere oral..


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Yep i was gonna say worm her and give several shots of b complex


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

should I give her a shot of B complex until I can find a cobalt block? Seems like it is something they are going to have to order- TSC nor my feed store carry it on hand


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

what is the milk withhold for ivomec plus? 
Is there a withholding on the B complex?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

No withholding for B complex
Ivomec says 36 days...personally I dont withhold at all..fiasco farms does 4 days

Per fiasco farms


> Milk withholding time:
> In the US: 36 days
> In the UK: 14 days
> My personal withholding time: 4 days
> Why is my personal withdraw so much shorter? Ivomec is used on humans in third world countries. The withdrawal times given on the package is set by the FDA after testing on cows (the use of Ivomec in goats is "extra label"- it has not been tested on goats) and it is said that after the regulated number of days there are no traces at all of drug left in the (cow) milk. You can see the in the UK, where the drug has been tested on goats, the withdrawal is shorter than in the US. Here on our farm, the milk I milk from our goats is consumed by only two people, me and my husband (both adults). I personally am not concerned about the very small traces of wormer that may be in the milk after four days, since I know the wormer is safe to use on humans anyway. This why my person withdrawal is four days. I drank this 4 day withdrawal milk for many years with no ill effect


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

thanks I think I will give her the b complex and get a fecal done.


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

You can also supplement her feed with brewers yeast or distillers grains long term to keep her milk tasting better if you find that increasing their B12 works. With my Toggenburg girls I had to do something to make their milk drinkable. Feeding the same way i fed everyone else didn't work, i swear some breeds and some goats just need higher levels of b vitamins. I couldn't find a cobalt block anywhere around and the yeast I found was prohibitively expensive. I hit them both with a bunch of B complex (they needed a good deal because it usually has less of the B12 than straight B12 shots) then asked my feed guy what he would suggest and he said the dairy guys he knows swear by distillers grains. I now give all my milkers some, and it has made a world of difference.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

I have some dry distillers grain with solubles (from an ethanol plant) that I got to improve the weight of my broilers. Is that the same thing? How much should I give her? Can I give it to both my does that are milking? (they are the only ones getting grain right now)


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

mlktrkdrvr said:


> I have some dry distillers grain with solubles (from an ethanol plant) that I got to improve the weight of my broilers. Is that the same thing? How much should I give her? Can I give it to both my does that are milking? (they are the only ones getting grain right now)


I had to look it up, and it looks like yes, that is the same thing (my feed guy just calls it "distillers" so I had to look it up, lol). If you would like to learn more about it I found a LONG but informative PDF about it: http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/prod/groups/cfans/@pub/@cfans/@ansci/documents/asset/cfans_asset_417244.pdf

I start them out at 10% of their grain ration, and increase it to 25%. I've read it can cause acidosis of their rumen in fed in too high of quantities so I keep it more as top dressing/supplement than as a feed source. All my milking does get it now (as well as my horse and chickens, and they all love it.)


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## Traveler (Jul 15, 2011)

Thanks for this discussion!! Hubby and I were truly baffled this week when one of two does started giving off tasting milk! It tastes like it's trying to sour as soon as it comes from her udder!! Completely bizarre! Now I know it's not so bizarre, it's a lack of B12.

Thanks!!


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