# Goat milk taste like a Goat......Help!



## rd200 (Jul 8, 2013)

Well, the title says it all! Actually the milk taste like sh*t is what it tastes like. what am I doing wrong?? I read that it is from not cooling it fast enough so I have been playing with my milk handling/cooling strategy the past week and thought I had it down pat but the gallon I just started drinking today is only 2 days old and the aftertaste is like a barn. 
Okay, so I have a SS pail, then I put the filter on top of the pail and milk directly into the filter (that way I dont' get anything floating in my milk at all from the get-go) hair, dirt, stuff like that) anyways, so now I put a larger SS stock pot on the outside of the SS pail and that has Ice water and Ice in it so it's cooling the milk immediately as I'm milking into the bucket. Kinda like a double boiler concept. So it takes me like 20 minutes to milk. As soon as im done I go put the whole thing in the freezer. Both buckets, I just take the filter off the top and put a cover on the pot and throw it in the freezer. I come back 1/2 hr later and swish it around to kinda "stir" the milk without actually touching it or anything. Then about an hour after im done milking I stick a thermometer in it and it usually down to 40 degrees. I then put it in the fridge. (which is about 36-38 degrees) 
why does my milk taste horrible???

Another question: If I try and make Kefir out of it it REALLY taste horrible. No matter if it didn't taste like crap before, about an hour after I add the kefir grains I open it and smell it and it smells HORRID!

Please tell me what im doing wrong. I can't stand to drink it right now and I don't want to waste the milk.....Thanks!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Do a search on "milk tastes bitter salty" and that will give you a lot of good ideas


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## kbluebkeman (Jul 22, 2013)

I move my milk into glass as soon as possible.....also if the container you are using is very wide only the outer edge is benefiting from being near the ice water....the milk in the middle is not near the outer edge......

I put a 1/2 gallon mason jar in a 8-10 quart pot that has ice water in it. I stay in the kitchen and every 5 minutes or so in the beginning I shake it all up. After about 20 minutes I stop shaking it up........the heat of the milk will warm the water it is sitting in so make sure you don't need extra ice. I would suggest dividing your milk into two containers......its a pain.....I know. I feel like I have stock pots out on my counter all milking season. Oh yes, I also put the mason jar in the freezer when I go down to milk so the milk goes into a very cold container right from the get go.


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## kbluebkeman (Jul 22, 2013)

Also make sure you are not getting milkstone buildup on your stainless steel container. Never use warm water to rinse stainless steel that has milk on it. Rinse it with cold water and get rid of the milk before washing in warm water. Milkstone can make milk taste awful......


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## rd200 (Jul 8, 2013)

thanks, I don't have build up on the pails. I know from raising calves that you have to rinse in cold first-
I had been putting it directly into quart jars to try and cool it faster and that didn't seem to affect the taste or how fast it cooled. The pot isn't very far around, but I guess that could be a factor also that I hadn't thought of.

Can their diet affect the taste?? She currently is eating a lot of weeds, some grass, some Oat hay overnight, and then her grain mix is Oats, barley, BOSS, and mineral. 

I tasted her milk by the ladies' house before I bought her and it tasted great!!! But now it tastes Terrible!!! I just don't get what I'm doing wrong. Its really frustrating me and since we drink it raw it's making me paranoid that it's "bad" and we shouldn't drink it.


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## kbluebkeman (Jul 22, 2013)

I make sure there are always ice cubes evident while my milk is chilling.......otherwise I don't feel it is cold enough. The shaking distributes the cold milk from the side of the jar to mix with the warmer milk in the middle. 

When do you grain in relationship to when you milk? My girls eat their grain and then I milk them about 8-9 hours afterwards depending on the day. I have heard that if they eat grain a few hours before milking that can effect the flavor of milk but I have not practical experience with that. 

Did you think to ask what the previous owner was feeding? Feed can make a difference in flavor I have been told.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Are you milking at the right time? You should wait at least 4 hours from the last time they ate anything to the time you milk. If at all possible, and they are not on pasture, milk, then feed. The reason cows milk tastes the way it does is because of how and when they feed. The farther away from alfalfa and grain you get, the worse the milk can taste. A half cup of baking soda 2-4 hours before you milk them will add butter fat and clean up the taste of the milk as well.

Also, what kinda goats are you milking? You can also sample each ones milk. Some animals just have nasty milk no matter what you do. Here, we take from the Lamancha for house milk most often as it is the most consistent in taste. And she milks a ton 

You can grain as you milk. It will not have time enough to change the flavor of the milk that quickly


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

what breed of goats are you milking? different breeds have stronger or sweeter milk. i would say that you might try adding vit B to their feed as this is supposed to help with that awful goat taste. i agree with TDG get a sample from each doe and see if it's just one or all your does, and go from their. Also, if you are saving milk from does that have just freshened it sometimes takes a couple of weeks for the milk to taste right.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

There are so many factors it could be....here is my story...

http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f183/milk-tastes-bitter-salty-148778/


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

I'd suspect the weeds as making the milk off


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## wyofarmgal (Aug 25, 2013)

I with the rest on the weeds. I feed my goats grass hay and grain with minimal time on weeds and our milk tastes fantastic. The few times I let them eat alot of weeds, the milk tasted like goat. 
I also do glass jars as soon as possible with a double filtering and then into an ice bath for 30 minutes before going into the fridge.


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## rd200 (Jul 8, 2013)

Weeds huh.......well that kinda sucks cuz I mainly bought them to control the grass/weeds/brush and to have fresh raw milk. The weeds are particularly bad right now cuz ive only had them a few weeks and the weeds are still overpowing the pasture. 
She is an Oberhasli.
I go out in the morning, put her on the stand, milk, feed her grain while milking, then put them out on the pasture until nighttime. Then put back in pen with some oat hay for overnight. 
She doesnt' have any alfalfa right now cuz I don't have alfalfa hay and she refuses to eat the nice green organic alfalfa pellets I got her  I do have some really nice 3rd crop mostly grass part alfalfa soft hay for wintertime. I have ALOT of brush and long grass for them to eat but if it's going to make her milk taste like crap then I don't know what to do. I want the weeds down but I want good tasting milk! 

I'm also trying some suggestions posted on milk cooling. 

Perhaps I should keep her in the pen tomorrow and just feed her hay and see if he milk tastes better the next day. Would it take only one day? or two to taste a difference???

Grrrr.......its just making me mad.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

If she doesn't eat the alfalfa pellets dry then try to soak them.. I have 2 does that won't eat them dry... My girls eat weeds, grass, trees etc... Their milk taste great. I would check for fish tail, and a dull coat, it could be copper deficiency. I own 2 oberhasli wethers and a buck, no purebred does as of yet, but coming... From what I've read oberhasli's can become copper deficient more so then most... not sure if this is true or of the cause... but it wouldn't hurt to check it out...


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

In all honesty, the flavor of the milk can be affected by the doe herself... not just what she eats.
Certain does just have a strong flavored milk regardless of how well they are fed.
I was raised on the milk from Alpine, Nubian, Togg and Saanen and though they produced alot and knowing know the composition of each breeds milk as far as flavor, I remember the one Nubian doe having very strong "goaty" milk, even though research suggests that Nubian milk is one of the sweeter goat milks. 

If the change of diet doesn't help, you can keep her milk separate to be used for bottles or soap.... even try making a cheese with it, sometimes that strong flavor can compliment cheese.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What breed is your goat? You can also try B Complex shots if you have Toggenburgs.


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

Another option is to pen her up at night and use the morning milk for drinking. If it is weeds causing the off flavor, then the 12 hours penned up away from weeds would make morning milk good. Then you can use the PM milk for chickens, dogs, pigs, soaps, whatever. That way you get weed control and good tasting milk. Now that's only going to work if it is the weeds.

Edit: I just noticed you do pen her up at night. Maybe try a couple days and see what happens. Also, she could need copper or something.


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## goatylisa (Dec 29, 2012)

great advise here!! I was doing a site search and stumbled on this thread. I am having the same problem and I think it's due to an over abundance of acorns this year. I seriously have a bumper crop of acorns and I can't stand the flavor of my milk! So I'm going to pen my choice milker up tonight and see if I can get a different flavor. Hopefully the 12 hours will change things. I'll let ya'll know


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## Gary_and_Ash (Aug 9, 2013)

I'm not sure. My 4-H book says theres 2 different kinds of milk. Goat milk, and doe milk. There are different kinds of test for milk. You don't need to do that though. Look up "What's the difference between goat milk and doe milk?" then it should tell you how to make doe milk. Lots of people say goat milk taste 'goaty'.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Not sure where your 4H got that notion. Goat milk is goat milk. The flavor depends on many factors. If the milk is tasting goaty, then you need to look into many reasons why it would. Goat milk should just taste like milk, plain and simple. There is no difference.


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## goatylisa (Dec 29, 2012)

Yes, I have to agree with Karen, it's really what sold me on 'goat everything'.

Before this season I would tell people they could not tell the difference between whole cows milk and my goat milk. When I put my friends to the test they really couldn't, so sad I lost that this year.


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## goatylisa (Dec 29, 2012)

Gary_and_Ash said:


> I'm not sure. My 4-H book says theres 2 different kinds of milk. Goat milk, and doe milk. There are different kinds of test for milk. You don't need to do that though. Look up "What's the difference between goat milk and doe milk?" then it should tell you how to make doe milk. Lots of people say goat milk taste 'goaty'.


I just looked at your join date! Without knowing how long you have been raising goats I hope I didn't sound rude... that 4-H book should read something like, "a breeding doe in with a buck vs a non-breeding doe" 
at least that is all I can figure as to why the book would differentiate between two female goats.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I didnt read everything so forgive me if I repeat whats been said..

do a fecal be sure worms are not an issue
Add more alfalfa 
Clean is number one of course..we all know that so I will skip it..
we milk in a bucket..and strain in the barn into a quart size mason jar..and that get a tight fitted lid and set in a ice water bath, the faster you cool the better, an ice bath is the best way next to a tank, small jars cool faster!!..the enzimes begin to multiply every minute its in the air from the minute if leaves the udder ..so get it cool fast!...also, do not shake or stir..the less you move the milk the better it will taste..aggervating the milk makes it taste bad. once all our milk is in the ice chest ice bath for at least an hour its placed it the frig..
when making cheese or yogurt I find even if the milk taste good to drink if there is any hint of Goatieness it will multilply in the cheese and such..
If all your efforts still bring about bad tasting milk..feed a handful or two of pine needles..( not ponderosa pine to pregnant does..causes miscarriage) Pine needles bring balance and freshens the milk...


best wishes


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## rd200 (Jul 8, 2013)

Well, I thought the problem was past but it's not. It tastes/smells fine for the first 2 days. After that it's still goaty tasting. 
She isn't getting much alfalfa at all right now. THe hay I have is probably 70/30 grass/alfalfa. She's eating mostly browse/weeds right now and has been the past 2 months. She wont' touch the alfalfa pellets I bought for her so she's getting oats/barley/BOSS for grain with salt/kelp/mineral free-choice. 
As for cleaning, I run my bucket and strainer and glass jar thru the dishwasher everyday. Is that not enough?? they LOOK clean?? Should I wash by hand and rinse in vinegar instead??? 
I have been milking directly into the strainer over my bucket because I don't like to see any hair or anything floating in my milk. So I just milk into the strainer right away then I go immediately into the house, dump into jar, put ice in my water bucket in the fridge and then put jar in. Leave in the ice water for 2 hours, then take out and leave in fridge. My fridge is at 38degrees I think. 
Could it be cleanliness?? maybe I should put the Ice bath in the freezer??


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## 7blessings (Jun 30, 2013)

We had an issue with goaty/off tasting milk recently, with our new LaMancha/Alpine cross. She is a FF, but was not nutritionally up to par whatsoever. We worked on establishing her a new feeding routine, and after 2 weeks, that still did not seem to help. I was getting worried I had bought a goat that just gave yucky tasting milk, even with her excellent milking lines! (Lucky*Star in Wa State)

I read on this site about copper deficiency, adversely affecting the taste of the milk. I knew she was horribly lacking in copper when we bought her, due to her not having any loose minerals or being bolused, but being a newbie I had no idea it could cause poor tasting milk. I ordered the Copasure Copper Bolus for Goats, from Valley Vet online, and administered a 4gm right away. 

It's been almost 2 weeks, and I can already taste the difference!  We just bought another LaMancha in milk last weekend, who has been beautifully cared for, nutritionally, and is in tip top shape. Her milk tastes amazingly sweet and fantastic. I'm confident once we get our first LaMancha doe in better condition, she will provide the wonderfully tasting milk as well.

Just a few thoughts on copper deficiency!


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

Has anyone ever heard that you shouldn't have your milk stand in the barn? Someone told me that milking in the barn will pick up dust and they saw my stands in the barn on concrete and 2 open ends of barn on North side and south side. Still they insisted my milk would pick up dust.. I had two does that no matter what I tried the milk tasted goaty. I sold them and kept the 2 that I enjoy the milk from. Can't tell the difference between it and cows milk. I milk into stainless steel, walk to dairy room (in barn), strain into 1/2 gallon mason jars and stick in frig. 
I plan to take my milk to state lab and get bacteria counts very soon though.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You need to read through this thread: http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f183/milk-tastes-bitter-salty-148778/


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

My milking room is in the barn...No problems...as I said above the minute the milk leaves the udder the enzymes that cause the bucky flavor begin to increase...so the faster its in ice water the better..be sure jars are no bigger than a quart for best results...



> Should I wash by hand and rinse in vinegar instead?


We wash by hand because I refuse to put in a dishwasher lol ( hard water issues) but we also do dip everythingin vinegar/water bath and let air dry.. dishwasher use is fine too...
Also it was said before when some one asked about this is to know when to retire your jars...dont use jars from tomatoe based sauces ect....Copper can be an issue...increasing her alfalfa hay might help..adding pine needles could help..check out the link Karen shared above for more ideas
Unfortunatly some goats just throw bad tasting milk geneticlly..

Or if all fails..drink the milk on day one when it taste good lol freeze the left overs for soap, lotion, chickens garden ect....

best wishes


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

My milk has always tasted real good for a good solid week if not longer, then all of a sudden, like you 2 days and it tasted like the goats smell. What I did, and it cured my problem, is I take half vinegar and half water and soak anything that touches my milk, then scrub with hot soapy water. I do this every week or so and now no more goaty milk. I think even if you rinse with cold water, it does still leave a small film and the vinegar gets it gone. Just a thought, something to think about.


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## Gary_and_Ash (Aug 9, 2013)

goatylisa said:


> I just looked at your join date! Without knowing how long you have been raising goats I hope I didn't sound rude... that 4-H book should read something like, "a breeding doe in with a buck vs a non-breeding doe"
> at least that is all I can figure as to why the book would differentiate between two female goats.


What? I've been raising goats for 1 year and 3 months.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

My jars always looked spotless also, but after I did the vinegar solution they even looked cleaner, sparkly, it helped, wouldn't hurt to give it a try.


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## francismilker (Oct 22, 2011)

Haven't read this whole thread so I might be giving advice someone has already given. Here's what I do: Give them a good dose of grain with a tablespoon of baking soda mixed in it every 12 hours for about three days while discarding the milk. Sodium bicarbonate will get the acid level in their rumen leveled off and take the goaty flavor away most of the time. 
If you bought your goats for weed control you may not be able to drink the milk and expect good, clean tasting milk. Weeds and milk just don't go hand and hand. I know this is not what you want to hear but as others have probably said alfalfa, clean grain, and baking soda is usually the only solution to milk flavor. You have to control what goes in if you want to control what comes out.


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## rd200 (Jul 8, 2013)

Update again: I tried the baking soda thing, had to mix a little safflower oil in with it to get her to eat it cuz she doesn't like powdery stuff. She ate it, I did it for 3days and it still tastes like a goat. Now that it's getting to be pretty cold out here, they are just back in their "regular" pasture which is just some grass and no weeds anymore. They have been back there for 3 weeks now and I thought once she wasn't eating all those weeds that her milk would taste better. NOPE! She's eating grain mix right now and Alfalfa/grass Hay. I just got some 4th crop real nice tender hay for my calf so I think at night im going to put my calf and her in the same pen and feed them that hay. (Im not going to waste excellent hay on the two wethers that are in with her right now) so maybe that will help to have MORE alfalfa hay. Although the stuff they are getting now in the pasture during the day is real nice too. Just more grassy. 
I gotta figure something out. I don't have $$ to play around with and right now I can't even stomach drinking her milk because of such the strong aftertaste of it so if I cant get if figured out she's gotta go. And I don't want to do that. basically I have 3 pets right now, not 2 pets and a milking goat! lol- 
Ive heard of people running the milk thru an Ice cream maker to cool it extra quick. Anyone tried that?? Im wondering if im not cooling it fast enough. Im using a quart jar and doing an ice water bath. Goes into the fridge as soon as im done milking I walk to the house, filter it, put in jar, put in the waiting ice bath in fridge. Then I go back out to finish with chores. I leave it in there for a few hours then take it out of the ice bath and it remains in the fridge until I *attempt* to drink it. 

Also, she is a little thin. Im trying to get some weight back on her before I get her bred, could that have something to do with the taste of the milk???


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Wow I just read back to see your goat breed! 
Must be the weeds-- we got an Oberhasli (and first ever doe in milk) 2 weeks ago, my 10 yr old turned into a milking fiend and wont let her dry up-- she gives a half gallon plus daily-- and her milk-- so sweet and fresh (had some city friends up yesterday and you should have seen the look on their faces we all took swigs out the bowl straight from under the goat-- they were so shocked)...
Shes a skinny little thing too-- we got her cause she was bottom of the herd order and was losing out-- now here as the biggest goat (the others are minis and 2 6 month olds) she is herd queen.
Maybe it is the grain-- she gets goat mix/ sweet feed/ COB mixed together (completely randomly depending on what we are using up at that moment) and alittle hay (alfalfa/ grass mix)- and its raining today but usu they are out weedeating for 8 hours a day, although we have Maples and they do consume plenty of maple leaves and berry bushes (are those better tasting weeds?)--
If it helps, we are also mixing in Probios powder into the sweet feed cause they all get treated after we milk the one goat, and our one little wether is sick.....

So not sure maybe try the probios? and up your grain (she only gets grain on the milking stand, they all fight to get onto the stand now its funny)....

Oh and while eventually we are going to make yogurt, cant get DH to drink the milk (unless I hide it in his cows milk).... so far we are just drinking it straight outa her, wee just use a big bowl from the kitchen, so it gets washed every time, and just wormed everyone today so it is going to the dogs for another week or so for now.....(have to order the herbal dewormer stuff)...


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

One more thought, maybe it is Copper or Selenium? I ours got a shot of BoSe on pickup but thats for selenium, and of course has loose mineral. 

Maybe you could give up one of the wethers and keep her? You can raise calves on her milk and even feed it to pigs (thats what the dairy does with their old/excess goats milk they trade it to a pig farm, and they use it to finish out their hogs)... or your dogs and chickens will love it....


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Ok, here's MY experience. Cooling down fast doesn't make a whole lot of difference that I've found. We milk into a tupperware with a lid, when we get to the house (and that might be after we've finished up chores) we strain and then put into glass jars and into the fridge. When I was feeding alfalfa and corn to my goats, their milk really wasn't much good. Now I feed a sweet feed...I know a lot of people don't like that, but my milk tastes almost like store-bought if I feed a molasses base. We feed on the milk stand while we are milking. I wash everything in HOT, soapy water and make sure to rinse it super good with more HOT water. That has always worked for me. We don't feed alfalfa....we have a grass hay (we cut road ditches for our hay). I've been told that some breeds have a much stronger taste to their milk, but all the ones I've milked that have been given the sweet feed and grass hay has had decent milk. Milk will definitely take on the flavor of whatever the animals are eating...there may still be some weed out there you aren't even aware of being the culprit.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm thinking it's a mineral deficiency such as copper.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I bet she is pretty copper deficient. I agree with mineral deficiency.


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## rd200 (Jul 8, 2013)

Well, she hates her minerals. I got a really good dairy mineral and they won't touch it, so now I have like a $40bag of mineral just sitting there. So I went and got some Manna Pro Minerals from TSC for goats and she doesn't like them either!!! She does however go CRAZY over the Kelp. I put it out free-choice but she will eat it up in two days. So, should I get some copper boluses? how many do I give? Ive never given them before. It's also been a little while since she was wormed. Should I do that also? The lady before me was using Mollys herbal wormer.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

with minerals. you need to set it out and leave it...I change my dish daily do to humidity...sooner or later they will eat...whenI switched from a CAndy like mineral to a more balanced mineral...they were not happy!! turned their noses up at it..I kept it out and now they take it in just fine...takes time to adjust but goats know what they need

Copper bolusis not hard to do..its 1 gram per 22# or 1 cc per 60#..I think Karen shared this idea..I might wrong But I foundit easier to give with a syringe...cut the whole tip off a large syringe, I think mine is a 12 cc size...open a coppe bolus cap and empty 1 cc per 60# of goat into the syring then top that off with a dab of probio paste to hold it in...the drench...I do give a water chaser to wash it all down..its easy and fast...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

One more thought is to feed Pine needles...they balance PH in the milk and sweeten things up! 

NOTE: Ponderosa pine is not safe for pregnant does


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## rd200 (Jul 8, 2013)

so I just go out to my back yard and pick up some pine needles off the ground and feed them to her?? or off the tree?? Like with her grain?? Sorry if that sounds like a dumb question. I think we have some pine trees of some sort on our property somewhere. I didn't know they would eat the pine needles.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

happybleats said:


> )
> 
> NOTE: Ponderosa pine is not safe for pregnant does


And...to tell if it is a ponderosa pine, smell the bark. If it smells like vanilla, ponderosa. LOL One of the useless facts I remember from somewhere.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

If she is copper deficient the loose minerals won't do much good now. It takes about a month to work. You can order copper boluses from Jeffers, or Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz is cheaper though. I have manna pro and kelp out there, and I still have to copper bolus.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Yep Just give her a few handfuls a couple of times a day every day...see if it helps clean up the milk a bit...

Good to know kccjer..Love those useless facts that are good to know


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## Pats_Perfect_Boer_Goats (Oct 24, 2013)

This is just my personal experience: If you have a buck even on your property it can cause the milk to *TURN*! I think it has something to do with their hormones (I truly don't know). Food for thought...

Patrick


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I have heard bucks taint the milk but I have four bucks in full rut and our milk is great...Im thinking its either mineral def. or possibly just the goat...maybe she produces Higher enzimes?..

hopefully the pine needles settle her but I would still copper bolus and seehow it goes


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Pats_Perfect_Boer_Goats said:


> This is just my personal experience: If you have a buck even on your property it can cause the milk to TURN! I think it has something to do with their hormones (I truly don't know). Food for thought... Patrick


I have 2 bucks running with my girls, and my milk is fine. I've done it both ways and no difference.


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## Pats_Perfect_Boer_Goats (Oct 24, 2013)

Thanks,

That's just what I've heard, but thank you for your stories. I love learning new stuff!  

Patrick


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Pats_Perfect_Boer_Goats said:


> Thanks, That's just what I've heard, but thank you for your stories. I love learning new stuff!   Patrick


I heard that too, but last year everyone was together, and I was afraid my milk was going to be bad, but it wasn't


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

when my does are in with the buck for breeding..we use that milk for soap lol..it can be a bit off in flavor..but just being near doesnt seem to make a difference..



> I love learning new stuff


Me too


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

janeen128 said:


> I have 2 bucks running with my girls, and my milk is fine. I've done it both ways and no difference.


Very good to know, as we are getting our first buck soon....


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Our Bucks are penned seperate..but the air is full of them lol..with 4 in rut..you can only imagine lol


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

happybleats said:


> Our Bucks are penned seperate..but the air is full of them lol..with 4 in rut..you can only imagine lol


Ha not sure I like that Happybleats!
M torn between worrying about the milk, and ... if the little guy can do the job.....


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

I did the syringe thing to bolus. I ended up using two of the kid size bolus capsules to do our doe. I just cut off the tip if the syringe, put molasses in it to hold the capsule, and got it back by/behind the back teeth. Her milk didn't have a funny taste, we just had other signs of deficiency. I will be taking a soil sample down to colorado to find out what is deficient here, so that I can better care for the goats and the garden.


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## ShannonM (Mar 29, 2011)

I couldn't drink one of my does milk for about three years, we used it for soap. But then I read up on the copper deficiency and sure enough I think I Copper Bolused her three times over a 12 month period but her milk tasted better after about two weeks I'm just now noticing that her fish tail is gone and she is looking better  

I think it runs in lines though as her ten month old doelings already have fish tails and they're the only ones of this years kid crop to have them.


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## RhinoWhite (Nov 17, 2013)

happybleats said:


> I have heard bucks taint the milk but I have four bucks in full rut and our milk is great...Im thinking its either mineral def. or possibly just the goat...maybe she produces Higher enzimes?..
> 
> hopefully the pine needles settle her but I would still copper bolus and seehow it goes


That's what I've been told as well. Bucks close buy may have bad influence as well.

My guess is rather a combination of factors. 
Searching the journals I got the following one, which suggests foods:
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0022-0302/PIIS0022030290790674.pdf

But me thinks your's a special case.


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## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

I had this doe one time and her milk was terrible. 

Just milked it was ok but within an hour bitter and goaty.

I tried everything in the book w/o success. 

Finally the doe had a doe kid and I told myself I would keep the kid and milk her and just use the mother for brush.

When the doe kid freshened her milk was as vile as the dams.

Got rid of the both.

The majority of goat milk off flavors I believe have to do with lack of selenium and vitamin e, poor milk handling, or worms. 

You might want to give her some loose minerals and go buy a couple bags of Purina Goat Chow or some other well balanced goat feed, and see if that helps.

But if you do a bunch of stuff and nothing works consider genetics.

My goat was a grade mostly saanen that had bad milk but most of the bad milk I have tasted came from either Alpines or Toggs.


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