[Skirza]

Sushi (SaanenxBT) kidded at the end of April and about a 6 weeks ago I started separating her kid at night so we had a full udder of milk from her in the morning. A couple of weeks ago her milk suddenly tasted disgusting, not goaty just the most disgusting aftertaste imaginable and bitter. I checked for subclinical mastitis and that was negative, changed her vitamins and gave her a drench of copper & cobalt. We took her off the whole oats that we were feeding her (they have been propcorned and I just wanted to eliminate every possibility) and changed the hay.


Now, if I milk her out a bit in the evening straight off the pasture, her milk tastes lovely and sweet. By morning it's got a tang to it. Not the disgusting taste we had before (guessing cobalt deficiency after talking to a couple of people on here) but still a 'taste' to it. The hay she is getting is cut from the field next to hers and I don't think there is anything untoward in it. Does anyone have any suggestions because, frankly, I am at a loss.

[tizaala]

Have you overdone the copper? we find a 5ml dose once a month of cob + is plenty, if she has a copper lick as well it might be an overdose.
Have you taken her temperature ? what is she feeding on outside?
All these things can make a difference.
 

[Penninehillbilly]

I've been reading buttecups can make the milk taste bitter. noticed this because one of my girls had 'strong' tasting milk for a few days and I wondered if it was that.

[wytsend]

My first instinct would be COBALT deficiency.   Do you use the Brinicombe's Feed Balancer ?   If not I would suggest this and it is completely balanced regarding minerals/vitmins.   Saves drenching...most goats hate this !!!
Also whole corn of any type is not easilt diegsted by goats.    You were right to try the copper & cobalt initially but each element is dependent upon others and therefore you might still be out of balance.

[Skirza]

Thanks for your replies, the main factor is - the milk tastes lovely when the girls come in at tea time - that's with her kid running with her all day...the problem occurs in the morning when she's got a full udder and has been stabled over night. 

[plumseverywhere]

is that when she's on the new hay? maybe there's something in that then? or like you say, having been in her udder waiting (is the kid she's running with still having a little feed?)

[Skirza]

is that when she's on the new hay? maybe there's something in that then? or like you say, having been in her udder waiting (is the kid she's running with still having a little feed?)

No..she was worse on the old hay. The kid is still feeding so when I tried the milk in the evening her udder was fairly empty. The problem seems to be when she has an udder full of milk in the morning. The milk is drinkable (just) but not as sweet as in the evening.

[Goat-Lady]

I also had bitter tasting milk 6 weeks after kidding this year.  The advice I was given was to give her a multi vitamin injection and within 36 hours her milk was back to normal.