Post by wybroncos on Dec 7, 2015 16:04:13 GMT -5
Hello Everyone! I really wasn't as prepared as I should have been for Ruby to calve last week. I was out of town all weekend and now I am trying to get everything figured out. My question is do I need to send her milk off to a lab to be tested for anything? I had tested for TB and Brucellosis shortly after I bought her. The previous owner had her tested a year ago (in January) for Johnes. She is healthy and I am not currently planning to pasteurize right now. I do have a few friends who have said that they would like some raw milk and cream. After doing a lot of reading I am now getting more nervous about raw milk especially since others might be drinking it. The state of Nebraska does not have any required tests for milk that I can find.
I should have had all of this figured out weeks ago. Since Ruby had her calf last week we have frozen most of the milk (incase we need it for a weak calf at some point) and fed some to the chickens but now that I am back in town and have finally received all of the supplies that I ordered (in a panic!) I am ready to start using her milk but then got scared after reading about all of the bacteria that can jump into your milking bucket when you are not looking. I do not have a lab anywhere close, the vet has a microscope, and funds are a tad tight right now. Is there anything that I should be worried about testing for like RIGHT NOW? Or should I just go ahead and pasteurize until I can get the tests ordered? Or am I ok to start using her raw milk at home and make sure to run some tests before I start selling milk to friends? I am just very confused right now!
Oh, and BTW, my fiancé did a great job while I was gone! He gave me a twice a day report on how much milk he got, how the "lil buddy" was doing, and he never complained once! I didn't even have to use the hotshot on him (I am just kidding! I don't even own one!).
I should have had all of this figured out weeks ago. Since Ruby had her calf last week we have frozen most of the milk (incase we need it for a weak calf at some point) and fed some to the chickens but now that I am back in town and have finally received all of the supplies that I ordered (in a panic!) I am ready to start using her milk but then got scared after reading about all of the bacteria that can jump into your milking bucket when you are not looking. I do not have a lab anywhere close, the vet has a microscope, and funds are a tad tight right now. Is there anything that I should be worried about testing for like RIGHT NOW? Or should I just go ahead and pasteurize until I can get the tests ordered? Or am I ok to start using her raw milk at home and make sure to run some tests before I start selling milk to friends? I am just very confused right now!
Oh, and BTW, my fiancé did a great job while I was gone! He gave me a twice a day report on how much milk he got, how the "lil buddy" was doing, and he never complained once! I didn't even have to use the hotshot on him (I am just kidding! I don't even own one!).