Why is cow’s milk bitter in winter, autumn: causes, methods of treatment

The fact that a cow’s milk is bitter is faced by many farmers in any season of the year. There can be many reasons for the appearance of bitterness in milk secretion. Most often, the owners of a dairy cow attribute this fact to eating special plants with a specific flavor. However, there are more serious and dangerous reasons due to which such a problem appears.

List of reasons why cow’s milk is bitter

Milk from a cow can be bitter for various reasons. The list of factors that adversely affect the quality of milk can be divided into two groups.

The first includes the following:

• physical and physiological state of a dairy cow;
• pregnancy period;
• the quality of feeding and the composition of the diet of cattle;
• livestock conditions.

The second group includes reasons associated with a violation of the storage of already received products, which begin to taste bitter.

Pregnancy

The change in the organoleptic characteristics of milk secretion during pregnancy occurs approximately 1-2 months before calving. The fetus formed in the body of the female requires a large amount of nutrients – the body of a pregnant cow is rebuilt, and most of the energy is spent on the growth and development of the calf. It is during this period that the cow is launched (milking is gradually stopped, the diet is changed) and prepared for calving.

If the mandatory start-up period for a pregnant cow is delayed or absent, the milk received from the animal begins to taste bitter. An unpleasant aftertaste is due to an increased content of hormones, leukocytes. In the formed secret, there is an excess of sodium salts over calcium salts, as well as an increase in the content of fat and protein in the product.

Milk from a cow can be bitter after calving. In the first 7-10 days, the nutrient secretion produced (colostrum) may have a salty or bitter taste.

Improper diet

The quality of feeding and the composition of the animal’s diet directly affect the properties of milk. Often the product can be bitter after being eaten by dairy animals:

• rotten, moldy hay or straw (oatmeal, barley);
• rancid cake;
• flax meal;
• feed with the addition of yeast;
• poisonous crops.

An unpleasant aftertaste can also appear when eating raw potatoes, beets or tops.

bitter herbs

One of the reasons that milk begins to taste bitter is eating bitter herbs. Ruminant animals readily consume such plants.

Herbs that can cause an aftertaste in milk:

• sagebrush;
• lupine;
• wild onion;
• yarrow;
• dill;
• garlic;
• caraway;
• tansy;
• horsetail;
• avran officinalis;
• clover;
• chamomile;
• field mustard.

Also, bitterness in the milk secret sometimes appears when dairy animals eat cabbage, turnip, radish, rutabaga and other plants of the Cruciferous family.

Bitter herbs stimulate appetite and have a beneficial effect on digestion.

Breast injury

Any injury to the mammary gland, like mastitis, leads to a change in the quality of the secret and a decrease in its quantity. Milk can acquire a bitter taste, change texture and color.

In case of breast injuries, you should immediately seek help from a veterinarian

Mineral deficiency

The reason for the appearance of bitterness in cow’s milk in winter may be an unbalanced diet, namely a lack or excess of vitamins, micro- and macroelements.

The unpleasant taste of milk secretion, in the absence of other causes, is more often associated with a deficiency in the diet of a dairy animal of cobalt. The cow has a perverted appetite, which manifests itself in the form of licking objects, walls, eating the earth. It is also possible to reduce milk yield and fat content of milk.

Worms

A very common reason that milk has become bitter is invasion. One of the most severe diseases is fascioliasis. Fasciola affect the body of the animal, causing acute or chronic inflammation of the liver and bile ducts, indigestion, acute intoxication.

Parasites destroy the liver tissue, clog the bile ducts, causing stagnation of bile

This type of invasion is typical for damp and swampy areas. Infection with fascioliasis occurs more often in the second half of June when cows are on pasture.

hunting period

The composition and quality of the secret is affected by the period of sexual hunting of the animal. Milk yield and fat content of milk are slightly reduced, and its organoleptic properties also change. The product may acquire a salty taste, bitterness and have a different consistency.

disease

The appearance of bitterness in the milk secret of a dairy animal is very often associated with the presence of:

• liver diseases;
• helminthiases;
• mastitis;
• ketosis;
• infectious diseases.

Mastitis

When the mammary gland of a milking animal is affected by mastitis, a change in the consistency and taste of the secret is observed. Watery, non-fat milk with flakes or curdled clots, a bitter or salty taste occurs with purulent-catarrhal and purulent mastitis.

With these forms of inflammation of the mammary gland in cows, an increase in udder volume and local temperature is noted. The animal loses its appetite, is in a depressed state. With a purulent-catarrhal form, soreness and hyperemia of the affected part of the udder is also noted.

Due to impurities of pus and blood, the milk secret becomes yellowish or reddish.

Ketosis

Another reason why milk begins to taste bitter may be a violation of protein-carbohydrate metabolism in the body of a dairy cow. Ketosis in cattle is characterized by an increase in the content of ketone bodies in the animal’s blood (acetone, beta-hydroxybutyric and acetoacetic acid).

Such a pathological condition most often occurs when there is an excess of protein in the diet of cows, for example, feeding a large amount of concentrated feed, as well as silage and bagasse. Substances accumulate in various tissues and body fluids, including milk.

Liver or gallbladder dysfunction

The fact that milk begins to taste bitter is often provoked by congenital and acquired diseases of the liver and gallbladder. Serious disturbances in the work of these organs immediately make themselves felt in a change in the properties of the milk secret. Deformation of the gallbladder, a decrease in the lumen of the ducts cause stagnation of bile in the body. Milk is bitter and takes on a yellowish tint.

In the presence of a congenital anomaly of the digestive system, the product will always have a bitter taste.

Infectious diseases

Infectious diseases also negatively affect the organoleptic properties of milk. Leptospirosis is one of the most common natural focal infections caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. At the beginning, the disease is asymptomatic, as the liver, kidneys, and capillaries are affected, fever appears. Sick individuals lose weight, productivity drops sharply, and milk, due to bilirubin stagnation, acquires a yellowish tint and a bitter taste.

A bitter-salty secret can also become a very dangerous infectious disease – udder tuberculosis.

It is strictly forbidden to consume milk obtained from a cow with udder tuberculosis

Violation of sanitary standards

In autumn and winter, a cow’s milk can be bitter for the following reasons:

• violation of sanitary standards of detention;
• poor hygiene during the milking process;
• use of dirty containers for collecting milk;
• the use of stale water and dirty napkins when washing and rubbing the udder.

A large number of bacteria entering the milk adversely affect its organoleptic properties. To eliminate the unfavorable factors that contribute to the appearance of bitterness in the milk secret, it is necessary:

• clean and disinfect the room where the dairy cow is located, as well as maintain a favorable microclimate in it;
• feeders and drinkers subject to regular sanitization;
• change old dirty bedding daily, as it often causes disease not only for farm animals, but also for contamination of finished products.

Before milking, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the cow’s udder with clean water and dry it dry. The container for collecting milk must be clean, without residues of the product that was milked last time. Detergents used in the treatment of the container can also lead to bitterness in the milk.

Follow the rules of personal hygiene. The farmer’s hands and clothes must be clean.

The first streams of milk are best expressed in a separate container or poured out.

Violation of milk storage rules

If the rules for storing the resulting product are violated, milk may be bitter if:

• direct sunlight enters (oxidation of milk fat, proteins);
• the product is kept in a metal container (iron or copper);
• the storage container is not properly handled;
• do not comply with the temperature regime in the room;
• mix different batches of the product (morning and evening).

Shelf life of raw milk at different temperatures:

• +1 … +2 ° С – two days;
• +3 … +4 ° С – 36 hours;
• +6 … +8 ° С – up to 18 hours;
• +8 … +10 ° С – up to 12 hours.

Purchased milk may be bitter due to improper transportation and storage.

What to do if cow’s milk is bitter

If the cow’s milk is bitter, the problem can be corrected, however, first of all, it is necessary to identify the cause of this phenomenon.

First of all, it is important to review the nutrition and conditions of the dairy cow. The diet should be balanced in terms of the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, macro- and microelements, as well as vitamins. The use of a large amount of bitter herbs should be avoided.

With increased acidity of the stomach, you can buy lick salt with soda. Also, do not forget about an important component – water. The norm for an adult dairy cow is approximately 70-80 liters. This indicator depends on milk yield and ambient temperature.

Sometimes thermally untreated milk does not turn sour, but bitter. This phenomenon is due to the effect of antibiotics in the animal’s body after the treatment of diseases.

To remove an unpleasant bitter taste from fresh milk, you can heat it in a water bath to 40 ° C and cool

How to treat a cow if milk is bitter

If the cow’s milk began to taste bitter, first of all, it is necessary to take blood tests to detect diseases. You should also carefully analyze the diet and conditions of the animal.

Treatment of fascioliasis is carried out with the help of preparations with the active substance closantel:

• “Klosaverm”;

  

• «Rolenol»;

  

• “Brontel”.

  

Injections are administered once at a rate of 10 ml per 200 kg of animal weight.

For the treatment of fascioliasis, preparations in the form of a powder are also used, the active substance of which is fenbendazole, fenzol, etc. These are Brovadazole and Albendazole.

Powder anthelmintic agents are given twice with an interval of 10-14 days during the morning feeding.

With a deficiency of cobalt, cobalt chloride must be introduced into the diet of a milking individual. The course is two tablets per day for 30 days.

In the treatment of leptospirosis, polyvalent hyperimmune serum is used. The drug is administered in the amount of 0,4 ml per 1 kg of the body of an adult animal subcutaneously. Protective properties remain for 25 days after administration.

If you suspect liver disease, mastitis, infection, you should immediately seek the help of a veterinarian. Self-treatment or the use of folk remedies can lead to complications or death of the animal.

In the treatment of mastitis (purulent and purulent-catarrhal), a daily single use of drugs is recommended:

• “Masticide”;

  

• “Mamifort”;

  

• Antimast Forte.
  

For washing the mammary gland, antiseptic solutions are used: furatsilin, potassium permanganate, ichthyol and other means. Any liquids are introduced into the cow’s udder very carefully, without creating a lot of pressure.

Is it possible to drink milk if it is bitter

It is not recommended to drink milk that is bitter, because it is not known for what reasons it has acquired an unpleasant aftertaste. A product with bitterness, bought from hands in private households, may be contaminated or contain medicinal substances, including antibiotics.

Preventive measures

To prevent the occurrence of diseases that negatively affect the organoleptic properties of milk, the following measures should be taken in a timely manner:

• vaccination against infectious diseases;
• carefully monitor the physical condition of the dairy animal;
• comply with hygiene standards.

Conclusion

If a cow’s milk is bitter, this is a serious reason to think about the health of the animal. The sudden appearance of such a taste often indicates serious liver diseases, infectious and inflammatory processes. If all adverse factors are excluded, then the owner needs to seek the help of a specialist in order to identify the true cause.