# Nanny’s milk tastes so bad!



## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

Good morning. I’ve been struggling to get my doe’s milk tasting normal. I have two milkers and one’s milk is so good and the others is awful! So I’ve ruled out her eating something that is causing it. I’ve wormed her with safeguard for three days and have been giving her vitamin E, B complex (gel), nutria drench, and her usual probiotic. Her udder looks normal and her babies are doing really well. She had triplets. She is eating/drinking normally and has a normal temp but her milk is gross and her poop has an unusual odor. Would love to hear all your thoughts! Thanks


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

sometimes B vitamins help it taste better, but not always, I cull for bad milk so I cant help that much


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Fecal and blood work? Just guessing. Lol


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Mineral deficiency springs to my mind. What mineral mix are you supplying?

Yes, mineral deficiencies can and will affect different goats in different ways.

And yes, I do recommend trying to fix minerals before culling from your herd. But I have sold a goat because of bad tasting milk before.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Second the minerals, and also add a cobalt block.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Did you have a fecal done to include coccidia? Just simply giving Safeguard doesn't guarantee you are treating the right parasites. Stinky poo can be coccidia which Safeguard doesn't touch.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Bina said:


> Good morning. I've been struggling to get my doe's milk tasting normal. I have two milkers and one's milk is so good and the others is awful! So I've ruled out her eating something that is causing it. I've wormed her with safeguard for three days and have been giving her vitamin E, B complex (gel), nutria drench, and her usual probiotic. Her udder looks normal and her babies are doing really well. She had triplets. She is eating/drinking normally and has a normal temp but her milk is gross and her poop has an unusual odor. Would love to hear all your thoughts! Thanks


She may be eatin the same thing as her friend but different goats dijest differently too. So while they are eatin the same thing the yuck milk one maybe it just comes out in her milk. I dunno just a though.


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

I agree with all your saying...
All my goats get Purina mineral and probiotics everyday. Alfalfa and brome hay and 10 acres of woods and pasture to forage. Baking soda and diatomaceous earth free choice. 
Having my vet do fecal test.. will see what he finds


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

What breed is she?


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

goathiker said:


> What breed is she?


She's a Sable...I've only had her a year.. beautiful goat, she in my picture and also my favorite. Her milk last yr was perfect


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Then it isn't genetic...

Which Purina minerals?


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

mariarose said:


> Then it isn't genetic...
> 
> Which Purina minerals?


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

Update on Poppy...
Fecal sample came back with no parasites and negative on coccidia
Her milk today wasn’t so bad but still not fabulous so I’m hoping it was lack of vitamins due to the weather and having 3 babies literally sucking on her ALL the time! I gave her several doses of vitB complexe , probiotics, wormed her with Molly’s herbal recipe and did 3 days of safeguard. No sure what else to do?‍♀


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

Here's the probiotic I use


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Thank you!

If you like Purina, may I suggest some alternatives?








Or I'm using this one because it is Spring








I even prefer this next one over the one you are using


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

mariarose said:


> Thank you!
> 
> If you like Purina, may I suggest some alternatives?
> 
> ...


I've never considered using a cattle mineral, I know the goats go crazy over the horse mineral. Why is the cattle mineral better then the goat??


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

Would the alfalfa hay be at fault? It's a fairly common problem for alfalfa to cause off flavor milk. It depends on the batch of hay though.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Alfalfa has only helped my goat's milk. I've never had an off taste from that.

I like the ingredients and proportions better in the cattle mineral.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

What is the horse mineral they like so much?


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

I found some locally grown alfalfa about 2 years ago and was excited because it was a lot cheaper than the alfalfa pellets I had been feeding. The milk went really off. It was so bad that I could smell it going into the pail. I thought they had mastitis and started treating them. I tried switching grain and everything I could think of. Finally I read about alfalfa causing off flavor milk sometimes and the lightbulb went on. I haven't noticed it with the alfalfa pellets I feed, so I guess it was just that batch of hay. I had only heard about alfalfa helping flavor before, so I didn't even consider it. It is also possible that there were weeds in the alfalfa.

California Mastitis test has been very helpful for screening for subclinical mastitis. Have you checked for that?


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

Davon said:


> Would the alfalfa hay be at fault? It's a fairly common problem for alfalfa to cause off flavor milk. It depends on the batch of hay though.


Interesting, I never thought about my alfalfa hay.. I normally just use the pellets but I got 3 bales free because a friend didn't need them anymore so maybe it's just a bad batch possibly but my Nubian's milk is fine and she gets alfalfa hay too just not as much as Poppy since Meadow only had a single and Poppy had triplets.


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

mariarose said:


> What is the horse mineral they like so much?


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Davon said:


> subclinical mastitis


Yes, that is a very real possibility.


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

Davon said:


> I found some locally grown alfalfa about 2 years ago and was excited because it was a lot cheaper than the alfalfa pellets I had been feeding. The milk went really off. It was so bad that I could smell it going into the pail. I thought they had mastitis and started treating them. I tried switching grain and everything I could think of. Finally I read about alfalfa causing off flavor milk sometimes and the lightbulb went on. I haven't noticed it with the alfalfa pellets I feed, so I guess it was just that batch of hay. I had only heard about alfalfa helping flavor before, so I didn't even consider it. It is also possible that there were weeds in the alfalfa.
> 
> California Mastitis test has been very helpful for screening for subclinical mastitis. Have you checked for that?


That is very interesting!!! I'm going to totally stop the alfalfa hay and see if that helps! My vet checked for mastitis, she's negative


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I don't have access to that horse mineral, so I don't know about it. If she likes it better, maybe offer it to her along with her milk stand grain?

If you stop the alfalfa entirely, be aware of needing to supply more calcium and protein. Your current mineral is not 2:1 calcium to phosphorus. And she can't make milk without calcium and protein. 

Alfalfa is not the only source, but it is an easy source.

Just keep it in mind, is all.


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

mariarose said:


> I don't have access to that horse mineral, so I don't know about it. If she likes it better, maybe offer it to her along with her milk stand grain?
> 
> If you stop the alfalfa entirely, be aware of needing to supply more calcium and protein. Your current mineral is not 2:1 calcium to phosphorus. And she can't make milk without calcium and protein.
> 
> ...


I agree with you totally! They will still get the pellets just not the hay. I'm just curious if it is this batch of alfalfa hay that's the problem. I've always used pellets and never had bad milk and this yr is the first of using hay and now I have an issue. I'll double check on they minerals, Poppy loves mineral, the goat one and the horse one. I believe the horse has more salt but I need to check on that.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Salt, yes, Salt. Do they have a separate salt lick?

I like Redmond, can't reliably find them. 

I offer many different salt licks on my property now, not just the free choice minerals.


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

mariarose said:


> Salt, yes, Salt. Do they have a separate salt lick?
> 
> I like Redmond, can't reliably find them.
> 
> I offer many different salt licks on my property now, not just the free choice minerals.


No they don't have a separate salt lick


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

mariarose said:


> Salt, yes, Salt. Do they have a separate salt lick?
> 
> I like Redmond, can't reliably find them.
> 
> I offer many different salt licks on my property now, not just the free choice minerals.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

That is an excellent choice for a salt lick. Do you have easy access to that one?

I have learned that I was doing my goats a disservice by not giving them salt apart from my loose minerals. They aren't able to fully utilize the minerals. So they need 2 things. A loose mineral mix and a salt lick. Trying to combine the 2, like your current mineral does, means they won't eat enough mineral.

So it really works best to have a mineral with 10-20 % salt, and then an extra salt lick. 

Your mineral is like almost half salt, way too much.

So I truly do suggest switching to one of the suggested cattle minerals, or to the horse mineral if the mineral levels are good???? and keeping a separate salt lick.

I truly suggest that for the general health, even if the nasty tasting milk ends up being something else.


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## Bina (Feb 27, 2019)

mariarose said:


> That is an excellent choice for a salt lick. Do you have easy access to that one?
> 
> I have learned that I was doing my goats a disservice by not giving them salt apart from my loose minerals. They aren't able to fully utilize the minerals. So they need 2 things. A loose mineral mix and a salt lick. Trying to combine the 2, like your current mineral does, means they won't eat enough mineral.
> 
> ...


I can get that salt on Amazon, it has added Vitamins A,D& E in it which is wonderful! I honestly thought my mineral was good so thanks for the advice . This salt seems to be sprinkled on their feed..


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

No, it should be used free choice, like the new minerals.


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## Realtree2429 (Feb 4, 2017)

I had an alpine once whose milk was "blehhhhh"! It was drinkable the first day but by the 2nd day, I had to pitch it (or feed to to the pigs, they didn't mind).

Her sister's was perfectly fine!

Once I found out about copper bolusing, it was perfect!

They had free choice minerals and I didn't change that....just added selenium/vit e and Copper bolusing. I added the copper at a later time and that is when it really changed in taste....and lasted much longer than a day 

So I second minerals.


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## Charity (Jun 16, 2013)

spidy1 said:


> sometimes B vitamins help it taste better, but not always, I cull for bad milk so I cant help that much


So you kill your goats for bad milk? That is what cull means correct, or does it have multiple definitions. Thanks


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

@Charity Cull simply means that the animal in question hasn't earned or kept a place in your herd. Every time you look at your goats and say, "You need to leave... You get to stay longer" you have made a culling decision.

Now, sometimes that does mean that the animal is killed. But cull is not a replacement word for kill.

When I said I sold because of bad tasting milk, that selling decision was a culling decision. She went to another home and was not killed (at that time)

When I look at twin girls and decide to keep one and sell the other, I am culling. When I look at a son and decide to keep him but not his sire, I have made a culling decision.

None of us would ever be able to start a herd if other people did not cull.

Again, yes, sometimes (often) that choice ends up killed. But the words are not synonymous.


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

Charity said:


> So you kill your goats for bad milk? That is what cull means correct, or does it have multiple definitions. Thanks


no, I sell them to someone that likes the milk after they taste it, I will kill a dangerous one no matter how cute they are, everybody has a different taste so I may not like the milk from this particular doe, but you may, so that IMO is not a kill factor. Maria has the right explanation on the definition of "cull"


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Don't forget the cobalt block.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

In this country, at least earlier, goat owners have bred for "goat taste" in the milk, supposing that the cheese will then be easier to sell.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Yes, Toggenbergs are one breed that was bred for sharper tasting milk for use in making cheese. Many USians prefer a milk tasting cheese...


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