Does milk thicken or have more butterfat as goat nears heat cycle?

[chicken tows]

My stainer is getting clogged after a half quart of straining. The quanity of milk has decrease by a pound over the last month. Can someone tell me what this may mean?
The filter is getting clogged with what I would guess is butter fat.
I am fairly new to milking. Me and flower have been partners for about 2 months.
Thank you in advance for any help.
Carolyn

 

[OneFineAcre]

The output will decrease the further she goes into lactation. How long since she freshened? You said you have been partners for two months, if she freshened 2 months ago, her output should actually be increasing since they peak at 3 months.

The output wll also decrease when a doe comes in heat. That could explain it.

I'm not aware that the butterfat increases when they go into heat.

Edited to add:
My wife said that sometimes the butterfat will increase as volume decreases.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Are you positive it is butterfat and not pus? What's her somatic cell count?

 

[chicken tows]

Thank you Mr. Brown. Logically that is what made sense to me, but wanted to verify.
Carolyn

 

[treeclimber233]

I was wondering why her strainer is getting clogged. The butter fat should not clog the strainer. The cream does not separate until several days after milking.

 

[chicken tows]

I first noticed because it was taking forever to strain the evening milk. She gives a little less milk in the evenings. I thought maybe I had put in 2 filters. That went on for a couple weeks. Over the couple weeks the milk has went from 5 lbs per milking to just a bit over 3 lbs..
When I rinse the filter, the 3 cutout holes have a layer of white that does not rinse off.
I hand milk, placing flour sack over the pail to keep hair Etc out. There has always been a little froth on top of the cloth, now it looks like something from Starbucks.
Since I am fairly new to milking, I thought perhaps I was using too long of a "drag" and "frothing" the milk. I also thought perhaps the filters may have absorbed some moisture from being in the kitch-en, so I ran it through the over for a few minutes.
Rookie here!
The milk looks and tastes fine. The doe shows no sign of illness, she has healthy rumen.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Are you using a reusable filter? My nylon one will accumulate a little bit of protein or fat if I am not careful about washing it right away or of the water is too hot. I wash it daily with dish soap and occasionally rinse it in vinegar to release the solids. Could try and see if this is what is causing the slow filtering time.

 

[chicken tows]

I am using disposable filter from KenAG. Little disketts fit in my funnel. They appear to be paper/linen type material. They are 2.25" and my funnel has 3 little holes in it the size of a pencil eraser. Not alot of straining area, but in the PAST the milk just flowed through.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Sometimes you have to tap the strainer (or lift it and set it back down a little hard) to get the milk going again, I have the same filters and they do it too. :/

 

[babsbag]

I had the little strainer and filters and gave up. I got the big ones for KenAg and fold them like a cone and put them in the funnel I use for filling jars when I can fruits. The little ones were painful, the big ones are awesome. Some day I will spring for the large stainless steel funnel.

I have milked my goats all the way through their 3rd month of being bred. Yes, the milk gets a little thicker and a little less but not that much. I would invest in a mastitis test kit just to be sure. They can have chronic mastitis and not act "sick". Better safe than sorry. IMO