# Milk taste awful!



## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

I have had goats now for 5 years and this is the very first time this has happened. I just starting milking now that the babies are 3 weeks old (mornings only) and the milk tastes awful. I am not sure why. I have 2 does I am milking now, the alpine's milk taste worse than the nubian's. No feed changes. No sign of mastitis. Both are eating and drinking and nursing very well. 

The bucks are outside of the barn so I do not think they are an issue, especially since they have never been an issue before.

I milk into cold containers, filter immediately and get into a cold water bath. 

would love any tips on this, thanks! 
Tracy


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Mineral deficiency is usually the first to look at. Especially copper.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yes it very well could be a copper issue.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

Okay, I have copper but have not done it in a while. I have not seen any other symptoms and my vet passionately discourages me doing it! She is so worried about too much copper. But I will give it a try to see. Thanks.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

For us, off-tasting milk was a sign of cobalt deficiency. Last year several folks in our area needed cobalt blocks for some reason even though they hadn't used them before. Every year is different, and changing amounts of precipitation, different temperatures, etc. change the nature of your pasture and hay. So definitely look into your goats' mineral balance.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Vets are often paranoid about things that aren't going to harm anything. Copper bolus is pretty hard to overdose as it is slow release.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

Okay, so I messed up. When I tried to copper bolus my one goat she got it in her mouth somehow and chewed it up! Is that bad? I am kind a freaking out and I am not sure if this is a really bad thing or it should be fine thing.
Can you let me know???

Thanks!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Though it is suppose to go down whole it will not hurt her at all if she chews it.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks so much Nancy d. I tend to be a bit dramatic when it comes to my goats.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I don't use the bolus gun at all. I just dump the rods in some mashed banana and feed it to them. Either way it ends up in their rumen. So no harm done!

Also, I recently went to a seminar on parasite control. There were 4 large animal vets there and they ALL recommended giving copper once a month in the warm months to help prevent parasite issues. When questioned, not one of them was concerned about copper toxicity.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yes, it's the over dose of copper sulphate that is an issue. Not copper oxide.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

groovyoldlady said:


> I don't use the bolus gun at all. I just dump the rods in some mashed banana and feed it to them. Either way it ends up in their rumen. So no harm done!
> 
> Also, I recently went to a seminar on parasite control. There were 4 large animal vets there and they ALL recommended giving copper once a month in the warm months to help prevent parasite issues. When questioned, not one of them was concerned about copper toxicity.


this is excellent info, thanks so much!


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## Realtree2429 (Feb 4, 2017)

I agree with copper! My alpine last year had "off tasting" milk. I couldn't drink it once it was older than 24 hours old!!!!! 

I chilled it the way you did so I knew that was right. I just figured that's how it was (first year milking). I started Copper this February and I love her milk this year  Sooooo much different than last year.

And I also empty the copper bolus into anything the goats will eat. Banana, Peanut butter sandwich....I have tried it all. Apparently I have some "diva" goats and they all have their own menu


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Somewhere I saw some x-rays of goats given whole copper bolus vs. the wire bits mixed with feed, & it turned out it didn't make a difference.


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

The copper sulfate is pretty dangerous by what I understand. The bolus are Copper oxide.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I just want to add that a pretty blue cobalt block is great for goats. My herd has loose goat minerals free choice and a cobalt block, they do use the block a lot I see them giving it a couple licks here and there, since I added that I have had no more nasty milk.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

lovinglife said:


> I just want to add that a pretty blue cobalt block is great for goats. My herd has loose goat minerals free choice and a cobalt block, they do use the block a lot I see them giving it a couple licks here and there, since I added that I have had no more nasty milk.


is this a salt block or mineral?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

It's a salt block.


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