Post by buggilove on Mar 26, 2024 15:23:05 GMT -5
Hello, this is my first post, though I have been scowering these boards for 8 months. I have found lots of helpful tips to try but so far to no avail.
We have two cows in milk, Bitsy (9 years old half Jersey half Dexter) and Blossom (2 years old full Jersey)
Bitsy calfed (her 5th calf) in July and we have been milking her since then with zero issues. We calf shared for the first 6 months until the calf weaned. Her milk is always amazing tasting, so sweet, and lasts well beyond 2 weeks. We make yogurt and butter and drink the milk itself.
Blossom had her first calf December 15th (Holly, the calf in my picture) her milk has tasted all over the map. Everything from just as good as Bitsy's (rarely) to absolutely undrinkable. Taste is such a hard thing to describe and it appears to fluctuate in what it tastes like. Taste has been described by different people at different times as: off, metallic, plant tasting, rancid, stale, no taste, like peas or dock (not grass). Personally I can't really explain what I taste it's more of the feeling on my tongue and at the back of my throat, its tacky and scratchy rather than smooth like my other cow. I feel like I have to wash it down with something. When it tastes good it does not seem to change over time in the fridge, when it is off tasting it gets worse or stronger over time in the fridge. We have had a hard time tasting it warm since none of us like warm milk so it's off putting no matter what. People who don't have raw milk experience or haven't tasted our other cows milk may not even notice the taste but it is extremely obvious to us. 3 months of this now and I feel like I am losing my mind. We need her milk to taste good as we have rebred our other cow and she will be taking a break soon. It is fine tasting as butter or yogurt. Calf is plenty healthy, dare I say fat lol.
They both are on the same pasture, alfalfa hay, grain hay, orchard grass, alfalfa pellets, grain, beet pulp, molases, loose mineral with selenium daily (its end of winter beginning of spring now) DE and ACV
We have tried vitamin E, 2 weeks on 2 weeks off and then 2 weeks on again, 2000-4000 IU daily, it maybe seemed to help? Nothing has seemed to help drastically or consistently. I do not think it is our practices or equipment since the other cow's milk is perfect.
We are feeding her 2-3 times as much as our other cow because she did seem skinny (maybe, the guy we bought her from didn't think so) after calfing? She is a Jersey so hard to tell compared to the half Dexter cow but she has put on weight since feeding her more. She will always eat, have never seen her turn down grain or pellets. She is picky about the alfalfa hay though always, and wants the fluff and not the stem, leave it out long enough and she will eat it though.
We have tried removing her from the pasture for up to 12 hours before milking with no consistent or dramatic results.
I have dolomite on the way so haven't tried that yet.
The newest concern is that she seems to have a skin issue that the other cows don't have, it has been a very wet winter, it does not look like ringworm possibly more like mange? She is losing hair around her eyes, face and neck. I have the vet coming out April 2nd, that was their soonest appointment. She is acting happy enough besides her face being itchy. Wondering if there is something that could cause the weird taste of milk and skin issues?
CMT was negative on both cows
Ketosis strip was negative in milk stream, still trying to catch a urine sample mid stream
Thanks so much for any tips or ideas.
Christi
We have two cows in milk, Bitsy (9 years old half Jersey half Dexter) and Blossom (2 years old full Jersey)
Bitsy calfed (her 5th calf) in July and we have been milking her since then with zero issues. We calf shared for the first 6 months until the calf weaned. Her milk is always amazing tasting, so sweet, and lasts well beyond 2 weeks. We make yogurt and butter and drink the milk itself.
Blossom had her first calf December 15th (Holly, the calf in my picture) her milk has tasted all over the map. Everything from just as good as Bitsy's (rarely) to absolutely undrinkable. Taste is such a hard thing to describe and it appears to fluctuate in what it tastes like. Taste has been described by different people at different times as: off, metallic, plant tasting, rancid, stale, no taste, like peas or dock (not grass). Personally I can't really explain what I taste it's more of the feeling on my tongue and at the back of my throat, its tacky and scratchy rather than smooth like my other cow. I feel like I have to wash it down with something. When it tastes good it does not seem to change over time in the fridge, when it is off tasting it gets worse or stronger over time in the fridge. We have had a hard time tasting it warm since none of us like warm milk so it's off putting no matter what. People who don't have raw milk experience or haven't tasted our other cows milk may not even notice the taste but it is extremely obvious to us. 3 months of this now and I feel like I am losing my mind. We need her milk to taste good as we have rebred our other cow and she will be taking a break soon. It is fine tasting as butter or yogurt. Calf is plenty healthy, dare I say fat lol.
They both are on the same pasture, alfalfa hay, grain hay, orchard grass, alfalfa pellets, grain, beet pulp, molases, loose mineral with selenium daily (its end of winter beginning of spring now) DE and ACV
We have tried vitamin E, 2 weeks on 2 weeks off and then 2 weeks on again, 2000-4000 IU daily, it maybe seemed to help? Nothing has seemed to help drastically or consistently. I do not think it is our practices or equipment since the other cow's milk is perfect.
We are feeding her 2-3 times as much as our other cow because she did seem skinny (maybe, the guy we bought her from didn't think so) after calfing? She is a Jersey so hard to tell compared to the half Dexter cow but she has put on weight since feeding her more. She will always eat, have never seen her turn down grain or pellets. She is picky about the alfalfa hay though always, and wants the fluff and not the stem, leave it out long enough and she will eat it though.
We have tried removing her from the pasture for up to 12 hours before milking with no consistent or dramatic results.
I have dolomite on the way so haven't tried that yet.
The newest concern is that she seems to have a skin issue that the other cows don't have, it has been a very wet winter, it does not look like ringworm possibly more like mange? She is losing hair around her eyes, face and neck. I have the vet coming out April 2nd, that was their soonest appointment. She is acting happy enough besides her face being itchy. Wondering if there is something that could cause the weird taste of milk and skin issues?
CMT was negative on both cows
Ketosis strip was negative in milk stream, still trying to catch a urine sample mid stream
Thanks so much for any tips or ideas.
Christi