Post by sunnyday on Apr 28, 2010 19:53:07 GMT -5
Hi all, I'm really needing some advice....this is a post on milking a goat, if it needs to go under goats, I can put it there. I just thought it might get more opinions here.
I am totally new to milking, and in the last month started milking a Nigerian Dwarf that has been just great...milk filters fast, and tastes great.
Two weeks ago we bought a 10 year old Nubian that kidded a month prior. She was reportedly giving 1 1/2 gallons a day. Well, she was incredibly stressed after getting here...crying out each time she saw me heading toward the barn, and standing looking toward the house when I was inside. She wouldn't go out to graze with the herd of Nigerians unless I stood right with her. She was mostly hanging around the barn with the unrelated 7 wk old Nubian doeling we got from the same herd. I didn't see her eating or drinking much. She was stressed to go on the stand, and kicked during milking. Well, her milk production really went down (to 1/2 gallon a day), and I was seeing a bit of goopy stuff when I filtered her milk (I have to filter her milk through several layers of butter cheese cloth b/c it won't go through the disposable filters...even from the first milking...I think there is too much butterfat). So I started giving her ACV and vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), rubbing olive oil with peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils on her teats and udder, and milking three times a day. Called the vet out to do a culture of her milk. He took the sample and
checked her out...he though her milk looked pretty good, and all of her vitals were normal.
After a few days, I didn't see anymore goop in her milk, and it filtered faster through the cheesecloth. She started standing fine to be milked, and is grazing more with the herd even when I'm not standing out in the field with her. I actually see her eating and drinking now. So she seems to be adjusting. Milk production is up a bit too. Well, yesterday I heard from the vet and he said that the culture came back as staph (he said but not the bad kind?). I was a bit shocked since I thought she was better (of course the sample was from last Tuesday). I told him that the milk seemed better and he said it could clear on it's own. He recommended either doing another culture (which will take another week and cost another $100) or putting her on Today.
I'd reallllly like to stay away from the antibiotics, but don't want to have unsafe raw milk either. If the milk is filtering now and tastes great, could the staph still be present?
Any thoughts and advice are very much appreciated!
Michelle
I am totally new to milking, and in the last month started milking a Nigerian Dwarf that has been just great...milk filters fast, and tastes great.
Two weeks ago we bought a 10 year old Nubian that kidded a month prior. She was reportedly giving 1 1/2 gallons a day. Well, she was incredibly stressed after getting here...crying out each time she saw me heading toward the barn, and standing looking toward the house when I was inside. She wouldn't go out to graze with the herd of Nigerians unless I stood right with her. She was mostly hanging around the barn with the unrelated 7 wk old Nubian doeling we got from the same herd. I didn't see her eating or drinking much. She was stressed to go on the stand, and kicked during milking. Well, her milk production really went down (to 1/2 gallon a day), and I was seeing a bit of goopy stuff when I filtered her milk (I have to filter her milk through several layers of butter cheese cloth b/c it won't go through the disposable filters...even from the first milking...I think there is too much butterfat). So I started giving her ACV and vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), rubbing olive oil with peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils on her teats and udder, and milking three times a day. Called the vet out to do a culture of her milk. He took the sample and
checked her out...he though her milk looked pretty good, and all of her vitals were normal.
After a few days, I didn't see anymore goop in her milk, and it filtered faster through the cheesecloth. She started standing fine to be milked, and is grazing more with the herd even when I'm not standing out in the field with her. I actually see her eating and drinking now. So she seems to be adjusting. Milk production is up a bit too. Well, yesterday I heard from the vet and he said that the culture came back as staph (he said but not the bad kind?). I was a bit shocked since I thought she was better (of course the sample was from last Tuesday). I told him that the milk seemed better and he said it could clear on it's own. He recommended either doing another culture (which will take another week and cost another $100) or putting her on Today.
I'd reallllly like to stay away from the antibiotics, but don't want to have unsafe raw milk either. If the milk is filtering now and tastes great, could the staph still be present?
Any thoughts and advice are very much appreciated!
Michelle