# Strange aftertaste in milk



## lugrad1988 (Jan 29, 2007)

Does anyone have a strange aftertaste in their Jersey milk? I have a jersey cow, and the aftertaste is kinda "cowy" tasting or "barny" tasting. Not sure how to describe it. I have never drank just jersey milk. The milk I have tasted was holstein and jersey mixed. I don't remember an aftertaste with that. I use a milking machine, and sterilize my bottles in the dishwasher, and everything else that comes in contact with the milk. I cool it down quickly, and keep it in the bottom of the fridge, and have even cooled it down with the lid not secure, so odors could escape. Just not sure what to do about this aftertaste. The milk taste fine drinking it, but after it sits in mouth about 1 minute, you get a strange aftertaste. Any suggestions?


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

Has it always tasted so?


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

What is the cow eating? and what is she breathing? If the barn is not well ventilated it couold be that. What ever the cow eats or breathes in can affect the taste of the milk.

Another possibility is you are leaving too much sanitizer on the milk dishes. Things like that can affect the taste, as well. Make sure things are well rinsed.

Jennifer


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## Calfkeeper (Feb 1, 2006)

I have never drank Jersey milk, but have heard that Jerseys have a much higher cream/fat content than Holstein; could that be it?


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I've found that Jersey milk is much different tasting than Holstein. It's the higher butterfat I believe. I worked on a Holstein dairy as a teen, and was raised on fresh Jersey milk. I used to get a glass of Holstein milk right out of the tank and would've swore it was skimmed milk from the supermarket after being used to the Jersey. On the other hand, something I do at home with my Jersey milk is skim about half to 3/4 of the cream off and then reshake it in the jar to take away some of the "twang" for my kids and wife. (wife was raised a city slicker and barely tolerates the whole milk)LOL.


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## lugrad1988 (Jan 29, 2007)

Has it always tasted so? yes, ever since she freshened over a month ago, and when we hand milked and machine milked, it didn't make a difference.
What is the cow eating? and what is she breathing? She eats her Southern States 16 % dairy feed, molasses, vitamin E supplement, and a little kelp. These last 3 I have slowly introduced to her over the last 2 weeks, but so far it has made no difference in flavor. She breathes the fresh air mainly, we only have a 3 sided lean to to milk in.
Another possibility is you are leaving too much sanitizer on the milk dishes. Well we only sanitize with soap and water, no harch chemicals or bleach. And we rinse well. Plus like I said it tasted the same way, when I milk some fresh milk right out of her teats into my glass for a taste. Still same aftertaste.
I've found that Jersey milk is much different tasting than Holstein. Well, do you remember it having a cowy or barny aftertaste when you drank it? It doesn't taste like sweet cream milk to me. I don't know, I am still at a lost for what the problem is, I wish someone out there has experienced this same thing, and might have a remedy for me. Thanks for your help.


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## JulieLou42 (Mar 28, 2005)

Be very sure her bag's well washed up before milking? Use 3 or 4 soapy wet towels on her and rinse well?


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## Donna from Mo (Jan 8, 2003)

Alfalfa hay has been known to leave a "grassy" taste/smell.

But a barny smell, seems to me, would indicate the cow's udder isn't being cleaned off, or something.


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## lugrad1988 (Jan 29, 2007)

Mosey, what do you recommend for cleaning? I have been using Palmolive dish detergent and warm water. I scrub her teats till clean,(I do this till I don't see any residue coming off), and then dry off with clean towel.


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## Donna from Mo (Jan 8, 2003)

That ought to do the trick then; wish I could think of what the problem might be. I milked Jerseys for years. Now sometimes if they'd been lactating for quite a while, their milk would get an almost-sour taste while it was still relatively fresh.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

does it taste different skim? the cream can have a stronger flavor than the milk...

you dont think maybe she could have mastitis?


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## LMonty (Jul 31, 2006)

if its feed related-maybe changing the feed would change the taste? it should tell you if its the problem. I did it with a goat once (after checking an dmaking sure it wasnt mastitis) - though the garden was producing then, and it was cheap to do  Added some fresh produce including squash and melons which are fairly high sugar, and reduced concentrates a bit to make up for it (which may not work with the cow, differenet needs). Made a real difference in just day!
Might not be practical now if you need to purchase produce.


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## JHinCA (Sep 20, 2003)

I am currently milking a Jersey and a Normande/Jersey cross. They are both on the same pasture (we are in CA and everything is greening up now with the rains) and as much alfalfa as they can eat. They do not get any grain. They are hand milked at the same time in the same barn. 

The Normande cross gives incredibly sweet milk. The purebred Jersey's evening milk tends to taste "cowy", the morning milk not so much. The cream is cowy-er than the skim milk. The cowy-ness does not come through enough to bother us in butter or cheese, but her evening milk is not pleasant to drink. 

I know people who have several dairy goats who say that the flavor of the milk varies from doe to doe, even in the same breed. I guess it could be so for cows also. I have had milk from other Jerseys in the past that did not have this flavor.


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## Sunraven (Jan 20, 2007)

Get you four cups and put your first five or so squirts into them from each quarter, check each for a watery look or clots/floaters. If it's not what you're feeding her, then I would think maybe she has mastitis.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

there is something called chronic mastitis that is different than acute mastitis and there wont necesariily be chunks from what i gather


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## JHinCA (Sep 20, 2003)

I use the CMT from time to time and don't get any sign of mastitis showing up.


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## lugrad1988 (Jan 29, 2007)

does it taste different skim? No, I haven't noticed a difference in the taste. It is the same either way.
\you dont think maybe she could have mastitis? We had each quarter tested, and no mastitis.
The cowy-ness does not come through enough to bother us in butter - well in the butter I made, it still has that strange aftertaste coming through.
Get you four cups and put your first five or so squirts into them from each quarter, check each for a watery look or clots/floaters.- I have a strip cup, that I check for mastitis each milking. No white flecks on the black plastic, no clumps or lumps.
there is something called chronic mastitis that is different than acute mastitis and there wont necesariily be chunks from what i gather- What is the difference b/w these two, and what kinda off flavors would it cause the milk to have?
I use the CMT from time to time and don't get any sign of mastitis showing up.- what is CMT and what does it do, how is it different than a strip cup, pointing out mastitis?
Thanks for all the help so far.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

Udder infection -The udder cavity is invaded by microorganisms which cause inflammation.
*Subclinical mastitis  -No swelling of the udder is detected nor is there observable abnormalities in the milk. Special screening tests, however, such as the California Mastitis Test (CMT), Wisconsin Mastitis Test (WMT) and the catalase test will show changes in the milk. This type of mastitis is referred to as "hidden." It is based on an estimation of somatic cell counts.*Clinical mastitis -Can be mild or acute, and there is the presence of leukocytes (white blood cells) in the milk.
Mild clinical mastitis involves abnormality in the milk such as flakes, clots, and a watery or other unusual appearance. A hot or sensitive udder may be slight or absent, however there may be signs of swelling.
Severe clinical mastitis involves a hot, hard sensitive udder that is quite painful to the ewe. The onset is sudden and the ewe may become ill showing signs of fever (105Â° -107Â° F), rapid pulse, depression, weakness and loss of appetite. When the whole system of the ewe is affected, the condition is referred to as acute systemic mastitis or bluebag.
Milk production by a ewe with a bluebag has usually ceased and the lambs will need to be reared as orphans or grafted on another ewe.
Chronic mastitis -A persistent udder infection exists most of the time in the subclinical form occasionally can develop into the clinical form before returning to the subclinical. The results are hard lumps in the udder from the "walling off" of bacteria and the forming of connective tissue.


this was from a sheep site, but had the most consise form of definitions.


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## JHinCA (Sep 20, 2003)

The CMT is a kit you can get from Jeffer's, Nasco or other livestock supply places for about $12 (I think). It is a bottle of purple solution, another bottle to dilute it in, a plastic paddle with 4 little cups on it and directions on how to use it. You milk a little from the front left quarter into the front left cup, front right quarter into front right cup and so forth. Then you add a little of the diluted solution to each cup and swish it around. If the milk thickens, there is infection.


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## lugrad1988 (Jan 29, 2007)

Update: Her body condition seemed to be going down hill. So we called the vet and he said we could treat her for ketosis. We have been giving her 4 oz of Ketosis Kurb on her grains, 2 x's daily. We have also increased her grains, to help put some weight on her. She seems to be doing better, and the milk seems to be tasting better. Hopefully that is all that was wrong with her.


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

This is interesting. I asked on another thread about the âcowyâ taste Iâve never experienced. Reading my Merck manual about ketosis, it says âThere may be an acetone odor to the breath, urine, or milk.â Maybe this is the "cowy" thing.

The problem of ketosis is the cow putting out more energy in the milk than she is consuming, especially in the 6 weeks after calving. Blood sugar drops and she mobilizes fat, which are broken down to acetone, etc when not enough carbohydrates. Again to quote, âKetosis occurs worldwide whenever dairy cows are selected and fed for high milk production.â Also can âoccur when a cow goes off feed for any reason.â

Iâm curious when your Jersey calved, how much she was producing and how much grain you were feeding. High producing cows have to be fed just right in the dry period and during early lactation to prevent ketosis. Some here recommend with family dairy cows to just reduce the feed or grain if you donât want much milk. But with genetics that are too âgoodâ, that can cause problems.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

ketosis can show up before calving as well, just as they start to make a bag


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## lugrad1988 (Jan 29, 2007)

We got her while she was dried up. In her dry period, we were told to give her 8 lbs daily of grain. Then after she calved, we started increasing her grains up to 12 lbs, and about 1 week ago, the dairy farmer told me to increase her grains, slowly up to 18 lbs. I really don't like giving her this much grain. She gets all the hay she wants, and whatever grass that is left in the pasture. I really don't need 6 gallons of milk a day. I just don't know what to do. The dairy farmer we got her from, gave us her lactation records, and she was giving up to 8 gallons a day at some time. I am not sure what she was used to getting from the dairy as in the amount of grain, but I thought when they were dried off, they didn't really need grains.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

typically dried up for a milk cow means a month dry before the new lactations starts for the new little one which takes a month to 6 weeks, so thier nutritional requirments are about the same.

that is why feed is often recomended to ward of ketosis, mine started show ketosis before her bag had actually milk, it was just starting to make bag.
we gave her mineral and small ammounts of feed and it got better, llamma chased her off feed she got worse, had to put her up and give her calcium treatment.

all the feed can cause bag edema as well so its somewhat a catch 22 


i agree that sounds like a lot of feed.


reduce what you take over a period of time, is one solution, but runs the risk of mastitis. I have one that i dry up the back quarters entirely.

and gradually reduce feed, allow free choice minerals.

get pigs make cheese, get bottle babies


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