# Stringy clumps in milk



## HCR1 (Jul 8, 2011)

I have a Jersey cow that calved 11 days ago. I notices a few small stringy clumps of white fat looking stuff when I strained her milk. She is milked twice a day and her calf gets what I don't milk. No redness or abnormal swelling in teats or under. Thanks.


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## bigbluegrass (Jan 11, 2011)

Sounds like mastitis to me. Keep her milked out all the way, even if you don't need it all. The calf probably isn't getting everything you don't milk. A jersey cow will milk 4-5 gallons a day or more. So if you are only taking a gallon or two, that calf will not drink the other 2-3 gallons until it gets older. JMHO


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

If you squish the lumps in your hand- does it mash out like butter? Sometimes jersey's have lumps of butterfat in their milk. It might be best to just send a sample to a lab and have it tested for mastitis. There's a home testing kit you can buy that might be nice to have around.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I would make the calf nurse out that quarter. You have to keep him hungry though or he won't nurse it all the way out.


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

One of my boss' cows had that just after she freshened - he said sometimes it's a bit of scar tissue. I've also been told that it can be "dry milk" from before they were dried off.

If it's slimey, I'd worry. If it's just the odd little clump, not so much. I have one doe (goat) that always has little clots in her milk, but it's fine - just her. I'm guessing that you are drinking the milk - how does it taste? Mastitis milk won't taste too good.


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## mozarkian (Dec 11, 2009)

One of my cows does this once in a while if she manages to get her head in a bucket of corn. Her dairy ration has corn and does not bother her, but if she gets a few mouthfuls of straight corn, she will have a few lumps in her milk the next day. Vet confirmed it was not mastitis, and her bag is never hot or hard when it happens. Since your cow just freshened, it may work itself out.


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

Always a good idea to keep them milked out completely even when a calf is helping you. I would get the CMT test kit. It's good to have on hand and will give you the answer you're looking for. If she just does this a couple times and it goes away I wouldn't worry about it. Fresh cows can slough off a bit of scar tissue in their milk sometimes, but if it keeps up I'd consider it mastitis. 

I have one cow whose milk is okay tasting even when she's got mild mastitis, and another one who has salty tasting milk with even the slightest hint of mastitis. Have you tasted her milk yet?


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## HCR1 (Jul 8, 2011)

Thanks to all of you that replied. A few days after I posted my question the clumps were gone. Cow and calf are doing great.


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