My little ND doe freshened in January, I left her to her kids for about 6 weeks and then started separating them at night, we would milk her in the morning and turn the kids back out with her. We did this until the kids were weaned and then started milking her morning and evening. She gave us lovely milk! Then it started to turn, and just got goatier and goatier tasting. Now it SMELLS goaty even. We tried everything. Keeping her off the pasture, hay only. More mineral options. Mastitis test (clear). We also don't have a buck, so that is not the issue. And the milk tastes horrible from both sides, not just one.
Has anyone had this experience? We haven't touched her milk in weeks as it has been so gross, but would love to try to turn it back to lovely milk that we can drink again. So we are still milking her once a day...for now.
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Yellow butterfat? That is NOT normal for a goat.
We've milked goats for 2+ years after freshening with zero issues on flavor. This is also how we learned that butterfat rises and falls with the season, not necessarily with stage of lactation. It's a coincidence that they freshen in the spring and then most are dried off the following winter.
What exactly are you doing for your milking routine? How are you cleaning the udder? Doing first squirts? Anything else?
She might be nearing the end of her milking... She's been in milk for about 4 months now? I suddenly can't remember the "usual" amount of time... but I feel like 5 months might have been the number?
Her milk seems quite fatty, it still has a yellow ting to it and you can see the fat cling to the sides of the glass jar when it is in the fridge. I can also easily make butter straight from the milk! But I will try anything!
Have you tried giving her BOSS? I think I've read that they add to the butterfat in goat's milk, maybe that's worth a try?
She freshened beginning of January. I'm wondering if she needs more copper...
How long has she been in milk?
She is currently on pasture to graze during the day, and she gets kelp, grass hay and alfalfa pellets to browse when not turned out and a goat ration for grain while in her milking stand.
Is she getting enough protein? What kind of hay is she getting? Do you also give grains? My first thoughts were mastitis and/or living with a buck, but it seems you've eliminated those things. If your milk handling post milking hasn't changed, then it's not likely to be that either. My only other thought is that she's not getting enough protein to provide you with a good butterfat content in her milk. I don't know if that's even a "thing" but if she's only getting hay, that's the first place I'd start.