Teat Dip: A Natural Approach

Reader Contribution by Tara-Sky Alford
Published on November 12, 2013
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When I was younger, I often thought of the many esteemed writing topics that would accumulate in my portfolio. I have to admit, a blog about teat dip was not among them. Yet, teat dip is an important  topic for owners of dairy goats. In this world of commercialized dairy, navigating aisles of premixed dip solutions can become quite the frustration. Fortunately, it takes just a few simple ingredients to make a naturally disinfecting solution.

First of all, using teat dip is a critical step in the milking process. Bacteria can easily enter the teat orifice after milking and cause mastitis. Spraying or dipping each teat into a disinfecting solution not only sanitizes the area, but it also closes up the orifices to prevent the introduction of bacteria into the udder. I always begin every milking by cleansing the udder with soap and water (natural baby wipes work, as well) and end with a sanitizing dip or spray.

Generally, I prefer to do everything on our farm as naturally as possible. This is especially true when dealing directly with raw milk; I do not want polyethylene glycol (one of the many ingredients in commercialteatdipsolutions) finding its way into my bowl of oatmeal! Because of this, I stick with some basic ingredients and make my own teat dip at home. The following formula was suggested to me by the farm that sold us our first milking goat:

Teat Dip Solution

1 part water

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