# Teat Dip



## Blossomgapfarm (Jan 23, 2007)

I decided to leave the bucklings on their dairy moms. How do I handle teat dip when the kids are going right back to mom? I sure don't want to get Mastitis going!
Dawn


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

I've never teat dipped, and never had a case of mastitis, so, good question. I just wash off the udder before, and put udder cream on after. The kids don't mind the udder cream.


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## Blossomgapfarm (Jan 23, 2007)

Oh good.  I milked my two does (kidded last night) just a bit this morning and this evening. As the kids were standing there and latched on as soon as I stopped, I did not dip them. Washed them well, clean hands and all that. I now have 2 quarts of colostrum that I will likely freeze as a "just in case" for next year. I am still over the moon about having dairy goats!!!

Dawn


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

I'm really glad I keep some frozen every year - this year, one of my does didn't have milk for about 48 hours. Then it came in a gush of course, and I'm milking her twice a day AND there's plenty for her single doeling. I was hoping to get out of milking in the cold, ha.


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## Dirtslinger (Feb 10, 2007)

Would udder cream be AKA Bag Balm? Thanks.


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

Bag balm and udder butter are too greasy for me, I end up having to scrub off all the gunk that sticks to the udder when the girls lie down. I use an udder cream, it's more like hand lotion, and it's not sticky. Don't ask me the brand right now, but it has holstein cattle markings on the tube. Black and white pattern.


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## TennesseeMama23 (May 10, 2006)

I use about 2 T of bleach and 1 drop of original dawn dishwashing liquid in a qt of water. The kids don't mind at all.


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## Dirtslinger (Feb 10, 2007)

TennesseeMama23 said:


> I use about 2 T of bleach and 1 drop of original dawn dishwashing liquid in a qt of water. The kids don't mind at all.


This bleach/soap combo, can you keep it in a soaker/mister bottle and just spray/wipe/milk/spray/wipe and be good?
I haven't seen the cream locally, will look.
Thanks.


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## Idahoe (Feb 4, 2006)

The person I bought my goats from used an iodine spray, which I did for a while until I started using a teat dip made of the same iodine mixture. I only immerse the very tip of the teat enough to make a nice big drop, but not the whole teat. The mixture just runs down the teat, and concentrates any possible bugs the iodine doesn't kill right down in the orifice.

With the spray, you have to wipe the goat down or you have all that mixture flowing down from higher up. Wipe the teat orifice FIRST when towel is cleanest, then the rest can be patted dry. I just use dip and "air dry" because the puppies and geese would carry off all my hand towels all over the yard.

ETA: I bought Bag Balm, and yes it is pretty greasy, so I took a tiny bit on my fingers, rubbed it into my hands then onto the goat. Besides, my hands will turn into sandpaper unless I do something to them. I use Bag Balm when I'm milking in cold freezing weather, and didn't have chapped teats or skin problems in my own hands, either. A little goes a long way if you don't mind "slightly" greasy.


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## TennesseeMama23 (May 10, 2006)

Dirtslinger said:


> This bleach/soap combo, can you keep it in a soaker/mister bottle and just spray/wipe/milk/spray/wipe and be good?


I do it that way, but it is probably not _best_, I am sure it is best to dip, but I am all for doing things easier and I figure lots of people don't even dip, so I'm ok. I put the sprayer directly under (1-1.5 inches) the teat hole and spray up to be sure the hole is completely saturated (like I do when I use fight bac when I have no nursing kids). I don't wipe, just air dry.


Be sure to use original dawn, others react with the bleach and have a bad smell and who knows what damage it could cause. I also use this mixture to wash before milking.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I'll be doing the bleach/dawn stuff too. I heard about it off the fiasco farm site, and I know they let thier kids be dam-raised, so it can't be bad... They said it isn't as harsh as the actual teat dip that you would buy from the store.

ETA: I just realized some asked if this mixture would keep in a spray bottle. Fiasco farm expressly states that you should only make enough for each milking because it does NOT keep more than a couple hours because the bleach will dissipate, and the formula doens't work any more. They simply make enough for each milking. Then they take a regular dixie cup filled with the stuff and dip each teat, then let the doe air dry.


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## dezeeuwgoats (Jan 12, 2006)

I have never used a dip either - and I also have never had a case of mastitis. I've had goats three years.

I allow my babies to nurse, and also milk twice a day. 

Niki


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

I didn't use teat dip last year when the kids were nursing, as I figured the point of it is to seal the teat - and that's not happening when the kids are on!

I'm not using it much right now either, because it's frozen solid. :grump: I'm not too worried. Their bedding is clean and dry and they get a good wash before milking.


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## TennesseeMama23 (May 10, 2006)

mygoat said:


> ETA: I just realized some asked if this mixture would keep in a spray bottle. Fiasco farm expressly states that you should only make enough for each milking because it does NOT keep more than a couple hours because the bleach will dissipate, and the formula doens't work any more. They simply make enough for each milking. Then they take a regular dixie cup filled with the stuff and dip each teat, then let the doe air dry.


I agree with this, if you just leave it in jar open to the air. I read that too and have thought about it a lot. But I have a hard time believing it will dissipate in an air tight container. I mix up bleach water to clean with all the time and it lasts a really long time. If bleach will dissipate in an airtight container, why doesn't it dissipate in the bleach jug? There are cleaners with bleach in them in spray bottles at the store.

I may be way off though??? I use it as long as it still smells bleachy.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Biggest hazards with Liquid teat dips is if an animal leaves barn and steps out into frigid winter winds while dip is still wet it greatly increases danger of frostbite. Many dairy(cow) farms now use a dry, powder form of teat dip during winter months. Available at dairy farm supply outlets.


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## t_kuettner (Dec 27, 2005)

we have gotten away from bleach completely we wash the udders with Shaklee Basic H then use a teat dip made from 1 OZ of 35% peroxide and 1 gal of water. After milking we use Fiasco farms Mollys Marvelous Salve on the teats

Tom


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Saliva is very acidic, so teat dipping after kids nurse isn't needed. If you hand milk you want to milk clean udders, whatever you choose to use should not chap your hands nor the goats teats. If it isn't something you can repeat each and every milking, you, your kids or spouse, good month for extra money or things are tight, thats when you have problems.

I would doubt a few drops of bleach is going to do anything. The proven recipe is 1/4 cup clorox bleach per gallon of water. How can the bleach disappate? Dawn dish washing liquid strips off the natural oils, it is a detergent it is not a soap..it is also not antibacterial once you add water, read the directions. Detergent is too drying to use on the udder.

I prewash udders with baby wetones in which I have hadded alcohol so it cleans and drys quickly before milking. I spray the teats to saturation/dripping after milking with the 1/4 cup clorox to 1 gallon of water ratio. I have used lots of other products, and hate the stained udder and dipping of the iodine products, I also know that Fight Bac does not have enough chlorhexiderm in it. If I wanted to make a chlorhexiderm spray because I lived up in the frozen north I would make my own (QC supply carries the recipe in their catalog).

Keeping mastitis at bay is all about cleanliness, keeping your girls up on the milkstand long enough so their orifice closes naturally works also. Most mastitis is caused by over filled does leaking milk while laying in the barn, not by being milked.

No way is dipping cleaner than sparying. Vicki


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## homeacremom (Jan 13, 2007)

t_kuettner said:


> we have gotten away from bleach completely we wash the udders with Shaklee Basic H then use a teat dip made from 1 OZ of 35% peroxide and 1 gal of water. After milking we use Fiasco farms Mollys Marvelous Salve on the teats
> 
> Tom


I love the peroxide idea! Never liked the bleach myself. I haven't done much in the dip or salve line and my goats have done great w/out. I probably should just do it though. LOL


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## annie716 (Oct 4, 2006)

I'm new at meat goats and know nothing about milking goats so this is probably a really stupid question but is it possible to leave the kids on a dairy goat and milk once a day? I think that I might like some milk for soap or fudge and even be able to use the doe for a surrogate for trips or quads but don't have time to milk in the mornings thus the question. So far I have a few dairy/boer crosses but have shied away from the milkers because of the milking. Oh, I do at least know how to milk!


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## mrs.H (Mar 6, 2003)

annie that's a great question! Yes you can. Go to Fiasco farms web site, thats how she does it here is a link to the very page you need!

http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/milking.htm#onceaday 

This is how I plan to do it too!


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## Blossomgapfarm (Jan 23, 2007)

Annie
Not a silly question at all. See the Fiasco Farm website. They leave the kids on the does and milk once per day. At two weeks of age, they lock the kids up away from the does at night then milk in the morning. They do caution not to lock the kids up in the day and put them together at night or the kids will keep the moms up all night to nurse (kind of reminds me of my first son at that age  ) My plans are to do this as well but to milk twice per day. 
Dawn


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## lijj (Jul 7, 2005)

TennesseeMama23 said:


> I use about 2 T of bleach and 1 drop of original dawn dishwashing liquid in a qt of water. The kids don't mind at all.


I use this as well, never had any problems at all. My one goat had a dry udder a little bit, but it was always like that. I dip with this after milking, and you're supposed to let it air dry but the kids never let that happen. I wonder if it tastes good?? :shrug:



Blossomgapfarm said:


> Annie
> Not a silly question at all. See the Fiasco Farm website. They leave the kids on the does and milk once per day. At two weeks of age, they lock the kids up away from the does at night then milk in the morning. They do caution not to lock the kids up in the day and put them together at night or the kids will keep the moms up all night to nurse (kind of reminds me of my first son at that age  ) My plans are to do this as well but to milk twice per day.
> Dawn


this is how I milked. It's not really hard on the kids at all, and I think the does like the break. Plus their udders get surprisingly big overnight.


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