# funky milk?



## just 8 of us (Jun 16, 2011)

We (me,wife,and our 6 children) have 3 dairy goats. 1 is a Nubian/Alpine(Bessie)&2 are Oberhasli/Nubian(Gertrude&Annabelle)they are twins.We have had Bessie for about 2wks great milk.The twins each left 1 kid a wk ago haven't really been hand milked&Gertrude is about a 1/2 a gal a day&Annabelle is about 1/2 qurt a day.Belle's milk is a lil funky hay,goaty tasting but Gertrude is way funky is really hay,goaty tasting.Belle has very lil cream but Gertrude has a lot more but after chilled her cream separates&then looks like rice floating on the top/ and through out. They all eat the same, I'm new to all this milking goats stuff. We have no blood in milk.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Welcome!! 

Sounds like you need those girls' milk...you certainly have been Blessed!

Sometimes mastitis can present with no blood in the milk at all, though the milk itself is either thick or lumpy as it comes from the udder....the flavor of milk is as individual as the goat, some does give a sweet milk while others produce a stronger flavored milk.
How it's handled can affect flavor too....getting it from the goat, strained and chilled as quickly as possible is best, I have Nigerians so the amounts aren't as great as what you get and I put a wide mouth jar into a stainless pot of cold water with reusable ice bricks in it...I milk into a 1 quart pitcher and strain directly into the chilled jar. It's then placed in the back of the fridge and the previous milkings milk brought forward.
If your does milk looks as it should, try the chilling method and see if theres a difference in taste.


----------



## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Welcome to the goat spot!

I think you should be suspecting mastitis. I gather that can make the milk taste bad, and the texture you are describing sounds more like mastitis clumps than cream, especially in the one doe. A half quart a day is very little for a full size dairy goat. She might be holding milk back or just really slowed down from stress. Moving and losing your kids can be pretty depressing. It might be that the changes are causing these problems. But I sure would be keeping a sharp eye on them. 

Some breeds have less butterfat than other, but since all of yours are part nubian, seems like that shouldn't make a big difference. Unless maybe they are only a tiny bit nubian? Of the big dairy goats nubians have the highest fat milk.

Not much help, but maybe someone else will have more specific advice.

Jan


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Welcome from NJ :wave: 
I don't milk yet so can't be much help.


----------



## just 8 of us (Jun 16, 2011)

lissablack said:


> Welcome to the goat spot!
> 
> I think you should be suspecting mastitis. I gather that can make the milk taste bad, and the texture you are describing sounds more like mastitis clumps than cream, especially in the one doe. A half quart a day is very little for a full size dairy goat. She might be holding milk back or just really slowed down from stress. Moving and losing your kids can be pretty depressing. It might be that the changes are causing these problems. But I sure would be keeping a sharp eye on them.
> 
> ...


 Well the milk looks good when we milk all of them. No clumps ect. We filter and chill right after we milk the girls out....less than 20 mins from barn to fridge. Its after it chills that the "rice" is in just 1 goats milk. Poor girl is about to burts when we milk her. Have put thought into 3 times a day. We do 7/7 milkings now. And thanks for all the welcomes!!! We are loving our girls. But can afford to spend the $ to feed them if milks not drinkable


----------



## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Taste their milk right after you milk it out--when it is still warm. If it tastes funny then, it is a definitely problem with the goat, If it tastes fine, the off flavor could be due to a handling issue...or it still could be the goat. I would test them both for mastitis...subclinical mastitis--a high somatic cell count can cause milk to develop an off flavor very rapidly WITHOUT causing outward symptoms of mastitis. There are some goats that produce strong tasting milk normally but I don't think it is that common...in my experience, a bad flavor is almost always due to "opperator error" or an udder health issue.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

FunnyRiverFarm said:


> Taste their milk right after you milk it out--when it is still warm. If it tastes funny then, it is a definitely problem with the goat, If it tastes fine, the off flavor could be due to a handling issue...or it still could be the goat. I would test them both for mastitis...subclinical mastitis--a high somatic cell count can cause milk to develop an off flavor very rapidly WITHOUT causing outward symptoms of mastitis. There are some goats that produce strong tasting milk normally but I don't think it is that common...in my experience, a bad flavor is almost always due to "opperator error" or an udder health issue.


I agree :thumbup:


----------



## just 8 of us (Jun 16, 2011)

I do a pound of grain each per milking. I found that the twins back in the stall after the milking 2night...they were eating the left over grain.....I milk bessy last and she don't always eat the whole pound I giver....could the xtra grain be a problem? The trins are pigs and if they eat the pound I give them and I'm still milking the get mad and want more! Talked to a few local guys that did dairy cows and goats in the past, can't fell any feaver in bags at all...so do the have a test at feed store I can check my girls? They might be coming in heat... They play a lot and other day mounted each other?? I'm still green at the dairy goats


----------



## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Extra grain would not cause an off flavor. You can buy a CMT (California Mastitis Test) kit from most feed stores but a test through a lab is more reliable and they can do a sensitivity test so you know what meds you need to use for treatment if mastitis is present. A local vet should be able to tell you of nearby labs where you can send your samples.


----------



## just 8 of us (Jun 16, 2011)

The Funk is Gone!!!!! All fixed up


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

GREAT!!!

Did you figure out what caused it?


----------



## just 8 of us (Jun 16, 2011)

If I told you what fixed it you might not belive me....and my gal who started out at. 1/4 pt is at a 1/2 qt already :thumbup:


----------



## potentialfarm (Apr 11, 2011)

just 8 of us said:


> If I told you what fixed it you might not belive me....and my gal who started out at. 1/4 pt is at a 1/2 qt already :thumbup:


Alright, now you KNOW that you have to tell us!!! It just doesn't seem right to keep secrets around here.


----------



## just 8 of us (Jun 16, 2011)

Ok you asked 4 it....




First I got some olive oil. Put it on my hands...





Rubbed some one each goats milk sack....




Got on my knees and prayed God could bless his goats and let them give us healthy milk. .....



So I didn't really do any thing....he did it.....


To who may not be on same page with faith...that's ok....but its what I have


----------



## VickiH (Sep 24, 2010)

Heehee, I love it! And I had a similar situation with my goat's teats - I was only getting a teeny, tiny little stream and it was killing my hands. So one day I just started praying and before long that stream got bigger and bigger! My hands are saved!


----------



## potentialfarm (Apr 11, 2011)

:thumb: That's wonderful! By the way, I do believe it!


----------



## just 8 of us (Jun 16, 2011)

Well I do know that if he made it he can fix it....just happened that I was asked for some extra milk to be sold to a bud who only can drink rice milk...yuck! He had some milk from my goats and said he can chug it down w/ no prob. Wants what I don't use. That will help feed bill


----------



## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Well, hallelujah!


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I never underestimate the power of prayer! I prayed that my doe would deliver without problems and she did. I put in a P.S. for twins, one male ,one female...color would be nice. That is exactly what I got!


----------

