Re: Question about raw cow milk

[Guest guest]

Might be High SCC count, Have them get the milk tested for SCC's

Question about raw cow milk

Hi All, i run a food private home based food co-op and have 2 different farms we herdshare with and get milk from. One farm in particular never has consistent tasting milk. I am wondering anyone on here might know what would cause milk to be barny flavored and the cream to be really gelatinous on top. I keep getting emails from people (i agree with them) about how one week this specific farms milk will taste fine and the next it will taste really strong of grass/hay/barn like. One lady said she was standing by her kitchen window when hubby was outside mowing and when she opened and got a whiff of the milk she figured it was him mowing. Then realized her window was still closed and it was the milk. The cream is not like other raw milk cream. We can shake this milk and cream and it will not mix back in properly. Other milk breaks up easily and it might have small lumps but this milk stay's in big clumps with this weird stringy gelatin like texture to it. I have asked the farmer and she has no idea why it is fluctuating. They get hay and pasture minimal grains at milking. She replaced milk lines with new ones and thought that was the problem said she was switching to old ones it is still happening. I am starting to get worried it might be a coliform/bacterial issue. Anyone know what is going on?

[Guest guest]

If the milk isn't chilled properly immediately after milking, it tends to not

hold well. You may check how they chill it.

Tammy K.

Proverbs Farm & Dairy

Alvin TX

>

> Hi All, i run a food private home based food co-op and have 2 different farms

we herdshare with and get milk from. One farm in particular never has

consistent tasting milk.

>

> I am wondering anyone on here might know what would cause milk to be barny

flavored and the cream to be really gelatinous on top.

>

> I keep getting emails from people (i agree with them) about how one week this

specific farms milk will taste fine and the next it will taste really strong of

grass/hay/barn like. One lady said she was standing by her kitchen window when

hubby was outside mowing and when she opened and got a whiff of the milk she

figured it was him mowing. Then realized her window was still closed and it

was the milk.

>

> The cream is not like other raw milk cream. We can shake this milk and cream

and it will not mix back in properly. Other milk breaks up easily and it might

have small lumps but this milk stay's in big clumps with this weird stringy

gelatin like texture to it. I have asked the farmer and she has no idea why it

is fluctuating.

>

> They get hay and pasture minimal grains at milking. She replaced milk lines

with new ones and thought that was the problem said she was switching to old

ones it is still happening.

>

>

> I am starting to get worried it might be a coliform/bacterial issue. Anyone

know what is going on?

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

It could be several things. SCC is one thing to check but depending on where

you are and your farmer, they may not be testing for anything and they may not

want to either.

Aside from that--minerals may need to be added. When my critters (cow and

goats) went a tad " barny " I was told to add vit A, D, and E to the feed. I feed

my minerals free choice so put some out and they went to town on it. Cleared up

the issue right away and now that mineral mix is always available in the

pastures.

Weeds/grass in the pasture can flavor the milk. If my goats eat burdock we

don't drink the milk for about a week. It flavors it that strongly! And not in

a good way!

Dirty equipment or equipment that is not working right/well can cause problems

too.

Is the milk getting cool fast?

As for the cream, my Jerseys give me cream that you can stand a spoon upright

in, the others do not. It makes great butter and very nice flavored cheeses and

such. But no barn flavors to start with.

I would recommend visiting the farm and helping with a milking. And try to do

it on a day they are not overly expecting you. Make sure the barn is clean

where they are being milked, cows look healthy. Look at the equipment used and

make sure it is clean. Check to see how milk is cooled and that it is getting

cool as fast as possible.

Also, see how long the milk has been at the farm before you get it.

Good luck!

[Guest guest]

What are you using for the Vit a, d and e? I've heard a couple capsules of vit e a day, but that doesn't seem easily left out free choice. To: RawDairy Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 11:40 AM Subject: Re: Question about raw cow milk

Aside from that--minerals may need to be added. When my critters (cow and goats) went a tad "barny" I was told to add vit A, D, and E to the feed. I feed my minerals free choice so put some out and they went to town on it. Cleared up the issue right away and now that mineral mix is always available in the pastures.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

All my minerals and such are fed free choice. The a,d and e comes in a 50# bag

and I just scoop it into one of the mineral feeders to keep the supply up. It

is the same kind that is mixed into a feed mix. I can get it at my feed mill

that does my custom mix but you should be able to get it at any Farm and Fleet

store, some on line carriers have it--Mills Fleet Farm, Tractor Supply Company.

I have found that if the minerals are left out free choice and they are not

allowed to run out and start needing something, they don't seem to over eat

them. Seasonally I will find that some are used faster than others but the

goats and other animals seem to take a bit here, take a bit there, and

everything is good.

It used to be put into the grain ration but I was finding that my animals would

eat everything but the minerals added to the feed and I was throwing out

minerals everytime. Now only the grains are mixed together and all vit/min fed

free choice.

I do give selenium shots 2 times a year, otherwise, everything in the mineral

feeders.

It just works for my set up quite well.

>

> What are you using for the Vit a, d and e? I've heard a couple capsules of vit

e a day, but that doesn't seem easily left out free choice.

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: RawDairy

> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 11:40 AM

> Subject: Re: Question about raw cow milk

>

>

> Aside from that--minerals may need to be added. When my critters (cow and

goats) went a tad " barny " I was told to add vit A, D, and E to the feed. I feed

my minerals free choice so put some out and they went to town on it. Cleared up

the issue right away and now that mineral mix is always available in the

pastures.

>