Why cow milk is bitter: reasons and what to do, how to return normal taste

It happens that a he althy-looking cow begins to give milk with a noticeable bitter taste. The deterioration of the taste of dairy products is a serious problem for the farmer, associated not only with the difficulties of selling the product, but also with the need to treat livestock. The most common reason why cow milk is often bitter is the use of spoiled feed and bitter plants, but sometimes an unpleasant aftertaste of the product is a consequence of serious pathologies.

Why can a cow's milk taste bitter?

Rancid taste is associated with deteriorating cow he alth, improper diet or ignoring cattle hygiene.

Helminths

Milk is bitter with fascioliasis - damage to the tissues of the cow's liver by helminths. Helminthiasis is the cause of not only the deterioration of the quality of dairy products, but also the oppression of the physical condition of the cow. In an infected individual, the temperature rises to 40-41 ° C, appetite disappears, urge to vomit is noted. The liver is enlarged on palpation, the muscles of the peritoneum are compacted.

The symptoms of helminthiasis are most pronounced in the summer months. In the cold season, the only sign may be the bitter taste of the product.

If symptoms are suspicious, cow feces should be sent for laboratory analysis.

Fasciolosis is treated with closantel-based injectables. The injection is given once, the dose is 10 ml per 200 kg of body weight. Powder medicines based on fenzol, fenbendazole are also effective. They are given 2 times with a 2-week interval in the morning during feeding.

Mastitis

Of all cattle diseases, mastitis is the most common reason why milk tastes bitter. Provocateurs of inflammatory pathology - infection of the genital tract, mechanical damage to the udder, improper pumping, ignoring sanitary rules. Milk obtained from a sick cow cannot be used for drinking and making fermented milk products. In cattle, veterinarians diagnose more often chronic than acute mastitis. The acute form is accompanied by:

• udder swelling;
• development of gangrene;
• purulent and bloody inclusions in milk.

The chronic form in many cases is asymptomatic. The only sign is a change in the quality of the product:

• heterogeneity, the presence of clots;
• low fat;
• bitter taste.

Mastitis is treated with injectable antibiotics Mamifort, Masticid, Antimast. They are used once a day. You should also regularly treat the udder with antiseptic solutions: manganese, ichthyol or Furacilin. Medicinal fluids are injected into the nipple slowly, with extreme caution, avoiding high pressure. Milk must be expressed before the procedure.

Other he alth problems

A common reason why cow's milk is bitter is a violation of the liver, provoked by a viral, bacterial, parasitic infection.

Functional pathologies of the liver are manifested, in addition to rancidity of the product:

• vomit;
• diarrhea;
• temperature increase;
• breathing;
• swelling and tenderness of the palpable liver;
• decrease in milk production;
• watery milk consistency.

Milk is bitter, turns yellow, with a curvature of the gallbladder and anomalies of the biliary tract. These pathological conditions are common in cattle, due to which bile is released in small quantities, accumulates in excess, affecting the quality of the product.

Bitter taste is the result of a disturbed metabolism, leading to fluctuations in blood sugar, excessive accumulation of acetoacetic acid.

Another reason why the product is bitter is an increase in the acidity of gastric juice. If laboratory analysis has shown that milk is harmless, it can be consumed, then to eliminate rancidity, the product should be heated to 40 ° C, then cooled.

When a cow eats earth, gnaws on tree bark, licks concrete and brick walls, then a lack of mineral elements should be suspected. Bitter milk suggests that the deficient trace element is cob alt.

Heat in summer

In the warm season, grazing is used, so rancidity of dairy products is rarely observed. But on hot days, a cow can become infected with leptospirosis.

The chance of infection is high in lowland and wetland pastures as pathogenic bacteria thrive in damp and warm conditions.

The disease affects the vascular system, kidneys, liver, muscle tissue. A sick cow has diarrhea, fever, yellowness of the integument, darkening of urine. Leptospirosis is treated with hyperimmune polyvalent serum. A subcutaneous injection is given, 0.4 ml of the drug is taken per 1 kg of weight.

Trouble in winter

In winter, the situation when milk is bitter is more common than in summer. At low temperatures, the bacteria that cause rancidity multiply more actively than the microorganisms that cause the product to turn sour. To prevent the problem, livestock are kept in an insulated and ventilated barn during the colder months. Cows should not be in stalls all winter, they are periodically taken out to fresh air. The winter paddock should be regularly cleared of snowdrifts and manure.

Pregnancy

Milk for natural reasons is bitter in a cow that has 1-2 months left before calving. Due to hormonal changes in the product, the concentration of leukocytes and casein increases. Milk yield drops, the cow goes into a dry period. A few days after delivery, the quality of the product is normalized.

Irregular milking hygiene

If unwashed dishes are used for milking, bacteria and dust particles end up in the milk. Before each milking, the container must be thoroughly washed, and the remains of milk from the previous milking should be poured out. Before milking, the worker puts on clean clothes, washes his hands with a hygienic agent, thoroughly rinses the cow's udder with boiled water, and wipes it with a clean towel.

The first milk jets are milked into a separate container to pour out, because they have a high concentration of reductase, an enzyme that makes milk bitter.

Mistakes in content

If hygienic and sanitary recommendations are not followed in the barn, infection and dirt penetrate the cow's body, negatively affecting the quality of dairy products. To eliminate factors that lead to rancidity of the product, the farmer should:

• regularly clean the barn, disinfect;
• maintain optimal microclimatic conditions in the barn;
• clean feeders regularly;
• replace soiled and rotted bedding daily.

Poor-quality feed poisons the body of a cow, increases the acidity of gastric juice. So that milk does not taste bitter, you can not give it to livestock:

• rotten, moldy hay, grain;
• poisonous herbs;
• spoiled cake;
• meal from flax seeds;
• yeast.

Bitter herbs in the diet

Aromatic substances contained in plants accumulate in the mammary glands. Bitter products obtained from a cow that ate:

• rowanberry;
• wormwood;
• yarrow;
• spicy crops - dill, garlic and onion feathers, cumin;
• vegetables - potatoes, turnips, carrots.

In order for milk to become bitter, a cow must eat the listed plants for several days. In the spring, a cow can eat horsetail, her milk will become frothy, with a soapy taste. And excess beet silage gives it a herring flavor.

How to prevent the problem from occurring

In order not to encounter a change in the taste of dairy products, you must follow the recommendations listed in the table.

prior to calvingproblem resolves by itself, signaling the start of launchmastitis veterinarian recommends prophylactic doses of antimicrobials in the nipplehelminthiasis blood sugar reduction high acidity using lick stones containing soda, adding soda to food (1 small spoon per 10 liters) cob alt deficiency cob alt chloride tablets are used, the prophylactic course lasts a month, 2 tablets a dayleptospirosis walking the herd away from wetlands and floodplain areas, organization of a watering point, gradual transition from winter to summer keeping stall regulation clean thoroughly, ventilate the barn, wash the udders before milking, wipe dry be fresh and of high quality, do not exceed the daily portions of beets, potatoes, tops

Problem	Preventive measures
antiparasitic treatment 2 times a year
feed enriched with a small portion of sugar
	violation of hygiene

Why is sour cream bitter when milk is normal?

Good milk can go bad due to improper storage, resulting in sour cream and other fermented milk products going rancid. At the enterprises, products are pasteurized, so they last longer, and homemade milk spoils quickly, bacteria multiply in it.

Milk prepared for making sour cream becomes bitter when soured if taken from a cow that has undergone antibiotic therapy.

Sour cream starts to taste bitter at:

• standing in direct sunlight;
• high temperature storage;
• using iron or copper utensils;
• Incorrect handling of storage containers.

Spoiled sour cream should not be eaten because of the threat of poisoning. Heat treatment will not help restore the product's suitability for consumption. Observing sanitary and hygienic standards, following preventive recommendations, the farmer will receive only tasty and sweet milk from the cow.

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