# Udder Wash Help.



## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

In the past I've tried the home made udder wash from Fiasco Farms......Did not like it.

I've been using an iodine udder wash I bought from Hoeggers & regardless of how I mix it (stronger, more diluted, exactly as the lable says) it's VERY, VERY drying......to the point I'm having to moisturize the girl's udders at least three times a week or they crack & bleed 

I want to make my own udder wash based on something I saw posted here but I need a bit of help. 

I have an 8oz bottle of Nolvasan wound cleaner. This one is a gel (like thick dish soap) that can be applied directly to wounds, there are no directions for diluting it.......it's not the concentrated type that comes in a gallon jug.

I was going to mix some in water and add a bit of glycerin to use as an udder wash. I keep my udder wash in a sturdy spray bottle.... I soak the udder from all sides, wipe with a clean cloth & repeat.....this has proven to be the easiest way for me to do things so I want to mix up a batch to go in my spray bottle.

Can anyine give me an idea on how much Nolvasan to mix to how much glycerin in water (Like 10 parts water, 3 parts Nolvasan, 1 part glycerin- this is just an example, and I just wanted a ratio of some sort to go on to make a good disinfectant wash that isn't drying, but in a smaller batch as I don't have a bulk amount of the ingredients at this time).....Hope all that made sense....lol

Thanks in advance!


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## Holly Govero (Mar 26, 2009)

I just use the wipes and add achol. And it works very well for my goats. I am very happy with it.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I have a 2 quart sprayer, I add 3 tablespoons of nolvasan and 1 tablespoon of glycerin fill with clean water...I use it as a teat spray after I milk. Spray to dripping. You could easily use it to wash udders before. I also use babywipes and alcohol added to them to wash teats before machine milking or udders before hand milking. Vicki


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Thank you, Thank you!! 8)

Can I ask how much alcohol you add to a tub of baby wipes? I'm assuming if I go that route I should use unscented baby wipes? Is the alcohol drying? I keep a container of the generic antibacterial "Wet Ones" in my milk caddy to clean my hands directly before milking since I handle feed/goats/gates before I can actually milk, but perhaps if I did the baby wipes/alcohol, I could clean my hands with that prior to milking & have one less thing in my caddy. 

Going to try both methods on my girls & see which one works best  It's gotta be better than the Hoeggers udder wash I've been using! I'm so worried about bacteria getting into cracked skin... Would hate for them to get an infection or something..


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

I buy the big bottles of alcohol from walmart and add about 1\3 of the bottle. The wipes are also from walmart in the shampoo dept. Their in a round tub and are like 1.96 for a big roll. I am loving this method for washing udders!


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## Holly Govero (Mar 26, 2009)

Well I use the baby wipes (unscented) Becuz it is cheaper for me and I get 3 of them as a pack. So it last longer for me. I add 1/2 cup of alcohol. It works great for us.


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

OK guys, I make my own dip/wash and have for over 2 years. No mastitis in the herd, non existent bacteria counts on my milk with monthly tests to prove this. I use this on both the cows and the goats.

Easy to remember: 2 cups of liquid laundry soap that I make with my Unscented CP goat milk soap, 2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide. Add essential oil if you want, I do. I pre dip, allow to stay on for 10 sec and wipe off with a paper towel ( I take a section of paper towel and cut it into quarters for the milk parlor) Post dip after milking.

This is cheap and it works! Plus you get your aromatherapy at the same time. Lavender EO is nice in the dip.

Goats have very clean udders around here, the only time I wash an udder with warm waterr and a bit of beach (sanitizing wash rinse from the doing the pipeline) is the cow who sometimes has a dirty udder. Then I pre dip with my mix, dry, milk and dip again.

ACV is $4 for a half gallon, peroxide is $1 for 16ozs and most of us make our own soap (you can use Shaklee's Basic H soap too)


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

I always just used the baby wipes and alcohol


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## prairiegirl01 (Jun 2, 2008)

I have had really good luck with a chlorhexidine wash that contains lanolin. It's made for dairy cows and is not drying. In fact, because it's an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, I sometimes use it for other disinfecting purposes. It comes in a gallon jug and you dilute it with tap water. It's VERY cost-effective as it takes a very small amount. I dilute it in a spray bottle and then wipe with clothes that I have made from old t-shirts. I bought it at Fleet Farm.

Alcohol seems like it would be way too drying in my opinion.

Hope this helps!

Chris


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## helmstead (Jun 19, 2009)

I love the wipes idea. We've been using disposable auto paper towels, and a bowl of disinfectant. It has not been too drying...but creates a LOT more waste than the wipes would. The teat spray we use contains moisturizers, I guess just enough to prevent drying...altho we do use an udder balm about once a week, also.


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## emeraldcowgirl (May 19, 2011)

Jennifer, sounds great! I'll have to make some up this weekend to try it out.


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## Rosesgoats (Apr 22, 2011)

I have been using FightBac spray this year and I really like it. I was using the Fiasco Farm dip recipe but the amount of dixie cups I was throwing out was getting crazy (a clean cup for each goat, 2X a day, everyday). I wipe the teat with a baby wipe before milking, milk the goat, then spray with FightBac until the teat turns blue (3 seconds or less). It dries clear and the teats have stayed nice and soft. It's good stuff. I got it from Jeffers. One can lasts for 300 sprays or something like that.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Thanks all! I use Fight Bac as my teat dip after milking too.....like but I needed something else for washing the udder prior to milking.

I'm going to try the wipes & the Nolvasan/gylcerin mix.....one for each doe & see how it works out & what I like best. I know for a fact that the udder wash I used previously did dry them out as they dried MY hands out too. I'm sure my girls will appreciate something less harsh


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Of all the various types of wipes and sprays and cloths I've used, the baby wipes have been consistently the most gentle. I have one doe with an udder that loves any excuse at all to get poor texture, dry skin, cracking, etc. I think it's the softness of the cloths. My mom made me a bunch of dairy wipes out of flannel. Those are nice too but we do not yet have our dryer hooked up and so hanging all those things out is such a pain. But, they are very gentle.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I use the pre-made udder wipes in a bucket that you can get from Hoegger, Jeffers, etc. Not economical, but if you only have a couple of goats to milk, it's easy and works well. They do not dry my goat's teats or udders out.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

We've had good success using Wipe Outs udder wipes pre-milking and Fight Bac post milking. You can purchase Wipe Outs by the case directly from Immucell or by the bucket from Jeffers or Caprine Supply. I try to do a co-op buy once a year and purchase six cases for us and anyone else in our area who uses them. The cost (with shipping) is less than $20 per bucket when you buy in bulk. There are 500 wipes in each bucket.

Caroline


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

I use the KTP Milk Check Teat Wipes. There are 700 wipes per roll, we buy in cases (4 rolls). I use an Iodine/Glycerin post dip. BTW, good to see you here, Caroline!!!


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks Janie! Good to see you here too! I'll have to look into the Milk Check wipes. Sounds like you get more for your money with them.


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## Qvrfullmidwife (Oct 25, 2007)

I do not care for the diaper wipes that come in the round tub--the texture drives me nuts and they seem some what flimsy. When we use diaperwipes I get the wipes from the baby department of walmart. 705 wipes for just under $11.

These days we are more likely to use novalsan/glycerine/water according to the direction on the jug of novalsan and dairy towels.

Post-dip of choice is blockade.


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