# Homemade Udder salve ??



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Does anyone on here have a homemade udder salve that they make and works good?? I have a couple cows that are getting chapped udders and what I`m using is not working. I have been thinking about making some and was going to use some lard, lanolin, comfrey and maybe some bee`s wax. Think that sounds good, I may try it. Let me know what your ideas are. > Thanks Marc


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I am almost through a big jug of comfrey salve, made with beeswax, veg shortening (didn't have lard) and olive oil. 
I added a few drops of peppermint oil to it, just for kicks (I mean medicinal purposes) . 

When that is gone we will be back to the Udder Butter, which is hard to get out of the tube in cold weather.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

My milk cow had some awful looking teats when I got her, dry and thick skinned. They were putting salve on them after each milking, which I thought was gross because they were greasy when you went to milk again. So when she cam here that stopped, but she got a major change in minerals. No more red iron block, but a loose mineral with plenty of copper and zinc. Also gets brewers yeast on her grain. I just wash the teats before I milk and spray afterwards (with a homemade spray- water, ACV, a few drops peppermint or tea tree oil and a little alcohol to disperse). Anyway, her teats have skin as soft as my milk goats and pink looking. So I think its a mineral problem.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Southerngurl, This is a cold weather thing as I have done nothing differant other than it being below zero for a few days last week. And it happens every year about this time. > Thanks Marc


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Marc, 
I'm pretty sure you've been towards the organic side of things so you may not be able to use it, but I've used neosporin ointment (made for human cuts and scratches) during these times and it's working well. It's only to be used on the exterior of a cow so it might work for you and still be viable.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Your homemade udder balm should work fine as long as you include some lanolin in it.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

springvalley said:


> Southerngurl, This is a cold weather thing as I have done nothing differant other than it being below zero for a few days last week. And it happens every year about this time. > Thanks Marc


Well, yes, I realize the cold weather is the trigger. But it's still cold here!


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

southerngurl, I wish it was as cold as it is there , here. It had been below zero most of last week, and will get up to freezing on friday. It`s just a couple cows, not the whole bunch. genebo, yes I was putting lanolin in the salve, maybe I could just get the sheep to walk under the cows when I get done milking. I`m starting to feel better as I think spring is just around the corner. > Thanks All, Marc


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I hope I'm not belaboring the point. But basically it was cold enough her teats were thick and chapped. It's still been quite cold, but they are not chapped anymore. Only change really was diet. 

We have had a pretty cold winter for us, plenty of single digits up until recently. I'm with you, bring on spring. I wasn't done with summer when it left.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

It sure seems to me like certain cows are more prone to winter chappping than others. 

In the herd I milk, there are just a handful who really suffer. They are mostly older ladies with large, very pink udders and longer teats. 

They all eat the same thing.


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## Apryl in ND (Jan 31, 2010)

I make and sell lip balms, which are essentially the same thing. Your recipe sounds good to me, but I wouldn't put peppermint or any kind of mint in it as others have suggested. Peppermint can be irritating and also feels COOL. That's the last thing I'd want on my bare skin in the cold. Brrrr. Just melt all of your ingredients in a makeshift double boiler, mix thoroughly and pour into your container. To much beeswax will make it too hard. If you want to get real fancy you could add a little lavender essential oil as it's naturally antibacterial, antiseptic, calming and slightly warming on the skin. Tea tree oil would be good too as it's a natural antifungal, antiseptic and is healing to the skin. You can find tea tree oil in any pharmacy.

I can't wait till my heifer has her calf so I can start experimenting on her (and getting fresh milk of course).


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## stormywood (Jul 10, 2009)

Apryl in ND said:


> I make and sell lip balms, which are essentially the same thing. Your recipe sounds good to me, but I wouldn't put peppermint or any kind of mint in it as others have suggested. Peppermint can be irritating and also feels COOL. That's the last thing I'd want on my bare skin in the cold. Brrrr. Just melt all of your ingredients in a makeshift double boiler, mix thoroughly and pour into your container. To much beeswax will make it too hard. If you want to get real fancy you could add a little lavender essential oil as it's naturally antibacterial, antiseptic, calming and slightly warming on the skin. Tea tree oil would be good too as it's a natural antifungal, antiseptic and is healing to the skin. You can find tea tree oil in any pharmacy.
> 
> I can't wait till my heifer has her calf so I can start experimenting on her (and getting fresh milk of course).


I agree with her as I make balms, lotions, soaps too. I would use tea tree oil for all of the reasons she listed!


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## Apryl in ND (Jan 31, 2010)

Stormywood - I pm'd you.


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## twohunnyz (Apr 27, 2006)

Another reason to not use mints in general is their tendency to decrease milk production.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Peppermint is good to use but only in cases of mastitis or udder edema. Then you want it in a thin lotion that you can massage into the udder. 

I've been making an udder balm with sunflower oil, lanolin and beeswax. Clears the girls right up. Beeswax is a must as it stiffens the balm up. As far as I'm concerned lanolin is a must too as it's so healing. I've never used comfrey but I bet it would be a good addition. The only reason I went with sunflower oil is that it is cheap and it's just what I happened to grab first from my stash of oils.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Marc, could your cows be getting sunburned udders? It can happen when bright sun reflects off of fresh snow.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Thank All of you for your ideas, I have maybe three cows with a little(little) chapped udder, no teats. And Like Wendy said it is the same ones every year, and they are not bad, but that is how I am, I don`t want it to get bad. They are even a bit better this week as it has been a touch warmer. I still think I`m going to put the merino sheep in with them and maybe the lanolin will rub off on them. HeHe. I`m going to mix up a batch of udder balm this weekend, I`ll let you know how it goes. > Thanks Marc


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## LizD (Dec 4, 2008)

Marc we are organic and I use a bag balm that I make using 4 tbs, rendered lard, 1/2 tsp tea tree oil, it not only is antifungal and antbacterial but has also proven (in Aussi studies) to be effective against staph infections, staph aur, to be exact, 1/2tsp eucalyptus oil and 1 tbs raw honey.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Yes, just like people certain animals may have a harder time and need more or less of certain nutrients, especially those that are getting old. My point is only that it's a window into the status of your animal. Nothing wrong with a little salve, but I like to consider all these little things to learn what they need.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

OH MY GOODNESS !! I made a batch of udder salve, and oh my what a wonderful thing it is. I have been using it this nasty cold week and the cows have done great, their chapped areas are almost gone allready. I made my own recipe, but used a couple of you guys that sent me one as a guide. It may be a bit more expensive than store bought, but sure is alot better. Thank you all that helped out, we may have a new business here if I could get others to try it and cut my costs down some. > Thanks Marc


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

LizD said:


> Marc we are organic and I use a bag balm that I make using 4 tbs, rendered lard, 1/2 tsp tea tree oil, it not only is antifungal and antbacterial but has also proven (in Aussi studies) to be effective against staph infections, staph aur, to be exact, 1/2tsp eucalyptus oil and 1 tbs raw honey.


Thanks for the amounts!! I have never made lotions but would love to learn. This sounds really do able. I just found tea tree oil at a Wal Greens near me. So far, it's the only one that has had it. Now to find eucalyptus oil...


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Callieslamb said:


> Thanks for the amounts!! I have never made lotions but would love to learn. This sounds really do able. I just found tea tree oil at a Wal Greens near me. So far, it's the only one that has had it. Now to find eucalyptus oil...


Callie, I get tea tree and eucalyptus oils at HyVee. Ok, I will share my recipe. 16 oz veg. shortening,2 oz. lanolin, 1 oz. bee`s wax, melt togeather, Add 1/2 oz tea tree oil, 1/2 oz. eucalyptus oil, 1 oz Comfrey oil, 1/2 oz. nettle oil and 2 oz honey stir till mixed, then stir later before it sets up. I made up a big batch as that won`t last long for me. Enjoy, I really like it so far, and the cows smell purdy to. > Thanks Marc


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Thanks, Marc! I am excited to make some. Now to find nettle oil..... You guarantee that nice smell?


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

callie, I make my own, and the comfrey also. > Marc


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