# First taste of goat's milk--supposed to be creamy?



## SkyWarrior (Jul 28, 2012)

After much theatrics and a lack of a stanchion, not to mention a goat who hasn't been milked except by me   I finally got a clean bit of milk that I strained and then pasteurized on the stove.  Actually, I went higher in temperature longer.   I put the milk in a ziploc and put it in the freezer to cool.  I can't wait for my pasteurizer.

Anyway, I tasted the milk.  Sweet and tasted like cream.  Is it supposed to?  How long before the goaty flavor sets in if pasteurized?


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## Roll farms (Jul 28, 2012)

Now I will admit that because I have sinus problems and smoke....my taster isn't as fine tuned as a lot of folk's.

But I've pasteurized for 12 yrs and never tasted 'goatiness' in our milk, neither has my husband or any of the people who've tasted it.


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## mama24 (Jul 28, 2012)

Goat milk is sweet and creamy. I don't know why the store stuff is so nasty and goaty. I don't pasturize our goats' milk, though.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 28, 2012)

I don't pasteurize our milk.  

I filter it, and keep it in glass bottles in the frig, cooling it ASAP.

I don't think any milk tastes as good as goat milk.  If I could (I have high cholestral) I'd drink it all day long.

DH has been drinking it for 3 years now, as have various friends and family, no problems.

We do have a 6 month old baby we are furnishing goat milk to, as she cannot drink anything else.  Her Mother heats it to 145 degrees for 30 minutes before baby drinks it.

It's a personal decision to pasteurize.

DonnaBelle


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## SkyWarrior (Jul 29, 2012)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> I don't pasteurize our milk.
> 
> I filter it, and keep it in glass bottles in the frig, cooling it ASAP.
> 
> ...


I'm pasteurizing because 1.  My DH won't drink raw milk 2.  New goat and not sure about her history.  3.  Safer and I don't trust my handling.  I get the concept of raw milk and I try to be very careful, but I don't think I'm up to it.

DH is very susceptible to stomach ailments.  So much so that he doesn't trust stove pasteurizing at all.  

So goat milk is sweet and creamy.  Why does a number of goat cheese taste so...well, goaty?


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## BlondeSquirrel04 (Jul 29, 2012)

I'd encourage you to try some raw just so you trust yourself. You don't need to treat the milk like it's some crazy contagious disease. Clean hands, clean udder, clean bucket, and right to the fridge. 

I've probably done some "no-no's" when I've milked, and I'm still alive  When I milk, I get that foamy stuff on the top of the milk that takes a few minutes to go away. If for some reason a goat hair has gotten past the strainer and I see it on the foam, I simply pick it out. Done that several times already, and I've never gotten sick. 

I think you'll find that drinking it raw will help any stomach problems because of all the good bugs in it. When a goat gets sick, we give it probiotics, right? Same concept here. Bacteria is not always bad, and we need a healthy amount of it in our gut to stay well.

As far as the cheese, that I can't speak to. I don't like any cheese. I've made goat cheese before, but I have never tasted it. Even if it was the best cheese ever created, I'd still probably spit it out. Possibly it could be the age of the cheese as milk tastes more "goaty" after it's been in the fridge for too long. Or perhaps the milk itself was not as sweet. Toggenberg goats' milk is better for cheese making because it is a bit more tart.


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## animalmom (Jul 29, 2012)

With regards to goat cheese tasting "goaty," I think it has to do with the culture used to make the cheese.  I do chevre and really didn't care much for it when I started.  I thought it tasted and smelled "off."  No one else seemed to notice the taste or smell.

I tried a different source for my culture and OMG the difference it made!  My chevre now tastes and smells clean and I use my older milk for making cheese.

I think it is just my tastebuds didn't like the one culture.  I don't think it was bad but I won't buy from that source again... maybe it wasn't real fresh.  I don't know.  I do know I like the second culture so much better.

When we started out with our goat milk we pasteurized it and were real franatics about milk handling and darn near drove us crazy.  We took the plunge and started using the milk raw and have not had any problems because of it.  When we make yogurt or cheese we do pasteurize the milk and then cool to the appropriate temperature.  When we have iced coffee we just add milk straight from the fridge.  Yummy and creamy!

There was someone on BYH selling a pasteurizer, a nice one, for a very reasonable price.  If you haven't already purchased yours you may want to look for the ad in the Buy/Sell/Trade section.

Good luck with your milk and don't give up on cheese.  It can be good.


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## Catahoula (Jul 29, 2012)

SkyWarrior said:
			
		

> So goat milk is sweet and creamy.  Why does a number of goat cheese taste so...well, goaty?


I think it is the culture you add to milk to make cheese cause the different taste to the cheese (than milk). I can drink goat milk but don't care for the cheese. I am the odd one here too...I think whole cow milk tastes better than whole goat milk and I can't really tell the difference between pasteurized or raw goat milk.


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## quiltnchik (Jul 29, 2012)

Pasteurization will make goat milk taste "goaty."  The best  - and only - way (IMHO) to drink it is raw; that way you get the full benefit of the only reason to have your own goats (again JHMO).


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## SkyWarrior (Jul 29, 2012)

quiltnchik said:
			
		

> Pasteurization will make goat milk taste "goaty."  The best  - and only - way (IMHO) to drink it is raw; that way you get the full benefit of the only reason to have your own goats (again JHMO).


Now, I've heard the opposite is true.  I've noticed that the milk I drank was good tasting.  Yummy in barley tea.

I'm not disputing that raw has very good qualities.  I just know my DH won't drink it raw.


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## Catahoula (Jul 29, 2012)

quiltnchik said:
			
		

> Pasteurization will make goat milk taste "goaty."  The best  - and only - way (IMHO) to drink it is raw; that way you get the full benefit of the only reason to have your own goats (again JHMO).


Definitely, having your own goat and fresh milk is awesome. I guess I should have my own cow.   I am too lazy and not discipline enough to raise my own animals for food.


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## BlondeSquirrel04 (Jul 30, 2012)

To prove a point, I think I'd slip him some raw milk and see if he notices. Of course I don't think lying to your spouse is the best thing to do, but if he's just being finicky, then I would


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## quiltnchik (Jul 30, 2012)

BlondeSquirrel04 said:
			
		

> To prove a point, I think I'd slip him some raw milk and see if he notices. Of course I don't think lying to your spouse is the best thing to do, but if he's just being finicky, then I would


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## Catahoula (Jul 30, 2012)

BlondeSquirrel04 said:
			
		

> To prove a point, I think I'd slip him some raw milk and see if he notices. Of course I don't think lying to your spouse is the best thing to do, but if he's just being finicky, then I would


where is the LIKE button???


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## SkyWarrior (Jul 30, 2012)

BlondeSquirrel04 said:
			
		

> To prove a point, I think I'd slip him some raw milk and see if he notices. Of course I don't think lying to your spouse is the best thing to do, but if he's just being finicky, then I would


No, not finicky.  Paranoid, but with good reason.  He has spent most of his life with gut problems due to bad genetics that will erupt if anything is a little bit off.  What we can handle, he can't.  So, I'd rather play it safe than have a trip to the hospital.


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## quiltnchik (Jul 30, 2012)

SkyWarrior said:
			
		

> BlondeSquirrel04 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those "gut" problems will actually be HELPED by raw milk.  Do some research and show him the facts


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## BlondeSquirrel04 (Jul 31, 2012)

I think lots of people confuse raw milk for alien milk. I get asked all the time, "Did it take awhile for your body to get used to it? Did you get sick at first?" No, of course not. It's not foreign. We eat bacteria all the time...cheese, yogurt, and even unintentionally in our foods that we prepare. We're not milking E. coli into a bucket and drinking that; we're drinking good bacteria that our guts need in order to function properly. 

http://www.naturalnews.com/031586_raw_goats_milk_health.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/raw-milk-vs-pasteurized-milk/

Even with 100 articles, you may not be able to convince him or others that raw is the way to go. However, it's good for everyone to read and understand why people drink it raw and understand what pasteurization does to the product.


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 1, 2012)

DH tasted the pasteurized milk last night after I prodded him.  Conversation went like this:


Him: "Have you drank it?"
Me: "Yes, it's good."
Him: "This batch?"
Me: "Yes, it's good."
Him: "You didn't get sick on it?"
Me:  "It's pasteurized!  You'll be fine."
Him:  "Are you sure?"

You get the drift.  He hesitantly took a sip.  "Oh, this is yummy!"


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## vermillionoaks (Aug 8, 2012)

We've been pasteurizing our milk.  We've drank it both raw and pasteurized and don't notice a difference in flavor.  I didn't notice a difference in how long it lasted either way.  We tested our goats for CAE and CL.  When we decided to just drink it raw and not pasteurize it our 3 yr old developed a 106 fever.   It did not stay that high the whole time but he had a persistent fever for 2 weeks (no other symptoms).  The docs ran all kinds of tests and couldn't find anything.  We started looking for animal related sicknesses and came across milk fever.  Thankfully he didn't have it but it scared us back to pasteurized milk.  Maybe when my kids are older but right now I just feel better pasteurizing.  There is so much to learn already with goats that I don't want to omit doing something really important (like testing for some disease) and hurt my kids when I can protect them during my "learning period."  I'm not saying people who feed their kids raw milk are bad, I just feel better being safe.  Plus, its still better than the store-bought milk.

My husband and I had the same conversation the first time we milked our goat, except I was in the place of you husband! lol  Then again, I tend to research a lot and it usually scares the bejezes out of me and my husband tends to learn through trial and error!  We had never tasted fresh goat milk before.  We bought a carton of store bought goats milk and were terrified that is what it would taste like.  But we were very pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was fresh!  Enjoy that milk!


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## quiltnchik (Aug 8, 2012)

vermillionoaks said:
			
		

> We've been pasteurizing our milk.  We've drank it both raw and pasteurized and don't notice a difference in flavor.  I didn't notice a difference in how long it lasted either way.  We tested our goats for CAE and CL.  When we decided to just drink it raw and not pasteurize it our 3 yr old developed a 106 fever.   It did not stay that high the whole time but he had a persistent fever for 2 weeks (no other symptoms).  The docs ran all kinds of tests and couldn't find anything.  We started looking for animal related sicknesses and came across milk fever.  Thankfully he didn't have it but it scared us back to pasteurized milk.  Maybe when my kids are older but right now I just feel better pasteurizing.  There is so much to learn already with goats that I don't want to omit doing something really important (like testing for some disease) and hurt my kids when I can protect them during my "learning period."  I'm not saying people who feed their kids raw milk are bad, I just feel better being safe.  Plus, its still better than the store-bought milk.
> 
> My husband and I had the same conversation the first time we milked our goat, except I was in the place of you husband! lol  Then again, I tend to research a lot and it usually scares the bejezes out of me and my husband tends to learn through trial and error!  We had never tasted fresh goat milk before.  We bought a carton of store bought goats milk and were terrified that is what it would taste like.  But we were very pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was fresh!  Enjoy that milk!


Milk fever is something the animal gets (generally caused by mastitis).


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## vermillionoaks (Aug 8, 2012)

I don't remember the medical term.  It was something the doctors tested for at the hospital.  They called it milk fever.  It it caused by a bacteria in raw milk that can be passed on to humans.  It scared us that we had not tested for it before drinking her raw milk.

_Looked it up.  Its called Brucellosis.  Causes a fever that lasts for weeks, months, or even years if left untreated._


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## quiltnchik (Aug 8, 2012)

vermillionoaks said:
			
		

> I don't remember the medical term.  It was something the doctors tested for at the hospital.  They called it milk fever.  It it caused by a bacteria in raw milk that can be passed on to humans.  It scared us that we had not tested for it before drinking her raw milk.
> 
> _Looked it up.  Its called Brucellosis.  Causes a fever that lasts for weeks, months, or even years if left untreated._


Did you have your doe tested?  I've never had any problems, and my 11-month-old grandson drinks the milk from my girls.


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## vermillionoaks (Aug 8, 2012)

No we didn't have her tested yet.  She is not showing any symptoms, my son did not have it, and we are going to pasteurize her milk until spring when we will have our annual blood work done on all of our goats. They ruled it out as an option for my son but after being in the hospital with my 3 yr old and hearing him say "I don't think I'll ever get better." because every time we think its gone it comes back and then just pulling straws with the docs that came up.  Well it was really hard as a parent to feel like I might have failed him by not researching better before hand.  Like I said, I do plan on sitting down with the vet and doing a pretty big blood test for raw milk-related diseases as well as our normal CAE and CL.  But I am currently pregnant and would not feel comfortable drinking raw milk before then anyway.  I know those diseases are extremely rare but I just feel better taking those precautions.  I know I am not the norm but I understand when people want to pasteurize the milk when they are just starting out.  I wasn't raised in the country.  I don't have the immune system most country folk do.  Nor did I have any experience with animals other than cats and dogs.  I'm ok taking an informed risk, I just struggle jumping in without knowing the major consequences.


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## that's*satyrical (Aug 8, 2012)

It is very, very rare in the US. There are usually only 100-200 cases per year. If you practice keeping your animals living surroundings clean & a clean milking area and/or live in one of the states below your chances are even less. In other words I wouldn't sweat it.  

78.43 - Validated brucellosis-free States.

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 8, 2012)

vermillionoaks said:
			
		

> No we didn't have her tested yet.  She is not showing any symptoms, my son did not have it, and we are going to pasteurize her milk until spring when we will have our annual blood work done on all of our goats. They ruled it out as an option for my son but after being in the hospital with my 3 yr old and hearing him say "I don't think I'll ever get better." because every time we think its gone it comes back and then just pulling straws with the docs that came up.  Well it was really hard as a parent to feel like I might have failed him by not researching better before hand.  Like I said, I do plan on sitting down with the vet and doing a pretty big blood test for raw milk-related diseases as well as our normal CAE and CL.  But I am currently pregnant and would not feel comfortable drinking raw milk before then anyway.  I know those diseases are extremely rare but I just feel better taking those precautions.  I know I am not the norm but I understand when people want to pasteurize the milk when they are just starting out.  I wasn't raised in the country.  I don't have the immune system most country folk do.  Nor did I have any experience with animals other than cats and dogs.  I'm ok taking an informed risk, I just struggle jumping in without knowing the major consequences.


I feel similarly to where I think pasteurization is necessary for me.  I feel that those who drink raw are perfectly in their right to do so, but at this time I should not.   My handling of the milk isn't as good as should be even though I clean everything.  Annie, the first freshened goat, isn't perfect and will jump around.    Eventually she'll settle down and maybe I'll get a clean bucket from her sometime.


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## quiltnchik (Aug 9, 2012)

SkyWarrior said:
			
		

> My handling of the milk isn't as good as should be even though I clean everything.  Annie, the first freshened goat, isn't perfect and will jump around.    Eventually she'll settle down and maybe I'll get a clean bucket from her sometime.


Never, ever, EVER use milk that has had a foot put in it; that's a great way to introduce E. coli to your milk (think about all the poo caked up in their feet).  It's very easy to keep the animals clean (I use 2 baby wipes before milking and spray with a Nolvasan mixture afterward), and to use hobbles to keep them still while milking.  Everyone has to do what makes them comfortable, but keep in mind that pasteurized milk is dead, while raw milk contains beneficial bacteria that helps our bodies in so many ways.  People who drink raw milk have far fewer illnesses (colds, allergies, reflux, etc.), and are just much more healthy in general.  As for being "country folk," I had never had goat milk in my life, much less RAW goat milk, until last year.  I've done my research and have absolutely no problems giving it to anyone in my family.  A night without a tall glass of cold raw goat milk is a bad night IMHO.

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/

http://realmilk.com/

Also remember that pasteurization was started because of the terrible conditions that dairy cows were kept in back in the 1920s (and I'm sure some still are today).  If you have your own animals (cows and/or goats) and know that they're healthy, how they're living, what they're eating and how the milk is being handled at all stages, that milk is perfectly safe to drink raw.  One of my FAVORITE breakfast "meals" is to throw 2 cups of raw goat milk, 2 raw eggs, some sugar and a bit of nutmeg in the blender, and blend up a huge glass of fresh eggnog - there's just nothing better! (Yes - I said raw eggs.  I know where my chickens live and what they eat, so I feel perfectly safe eating their eggs raw.  I would NEVER eat store bought eggs raw, ever!)


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 9, 2012)

quiltnchik said:
			
		

> Never, ever, EVER use milk that has had a foot put in it; that's a great way to introduce E. coli to your milk (think about all the poo caked up in their feet).  It's very easy to keep the animals clean (I use 2 baby wipes before milking and spray with a Nolvasan mixture afterward), and to use hobbles to keep them still while milking.


Nope, haven't used milk with a foot in it, even though E. coli is killed with pasteurization.  I spent about a week learning to milk on her with her doing that (the chickens loved the milk!).  Still, she's antsy and I need to purchase some hobbles.  My DH needs to finish the stanchion.  We still end up with hair and occasionally some straw in the milk.  

I've read both sides of the arguments for and against pasteurization.  Pasteur was looking for a way to eliminate tuberculosis in milk (as well as other harmful bacteria).  Pasteurization was the result.  

My thought is that we can agree to disagree.  I think it's a choice each person should make on their own.  Maybe I might try raw when things are a little better settled down, but at the moment,  I don't think drinking raw milk is right for me.


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## Pearce Pastures (Aug 9, 2012)

No one should be pressuring you to take a risk you are not comfortable taking, and there is a risk.  Raw milk can have risks and can me good too but it is a personal choice.  I won't give raw milk to my young children because though it wouldn't kill them, I do not want to take a chance on getting them sick, even if the chances are low, even though I am very careful about cleanliness.  I on the other hand do drink it raw from time to time but I would never deceptively force that onto someone else and the rest of my family prefers it pasteurized. No biggie.  I just like that they like goat milk.  

Enjoy your milk!!  It is so fun and satisfying to have you very own supply in your backyard.


http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitnes...k-causes-most-illnesses-from-dairy/53196680/1
http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/


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## that's*satyrical (Aug 9, 2012)

No pressure. To each their own. Just saying the risk is about as high as getting hit by lightning. Especially if you are getting the milk from your own animals & practicing cleanliness.


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## Pearce Pastures (Aug 9, 2012)

Had a chicken get hit by lightening in my front yard   Sad but was too funny at the same time.
Just wanted to add I just meant to be supportive of her choice and I did not mean for my post to sound snippy or judgey or anything.


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## daisychick (Aug 9, 2012)

I agree, it's your milk and your body so drink it how you want.   No one should feel pressured to have it one way or the other.    At our house I keep a jar of raw and a  jar of pasteurized, that way if anyone wants some they can choose for themselves which way they want it.     I think it tastes the same from both jars, and it is creamy and good!


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## Catahoula (Aug 9, 2012)

A goat breeder I know who is also a veterinarian pasteurize her goat milk. She has four milking does and milk twice a day each. That's a lot of milk!


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 16, 2012)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Had a chicken get hit by lightening in my front yard   Sad but was too funny at the same time.


   Really?


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## Pearce Pastures (Aug 16, 2012)

Yeah, really!  It was crazy.  She and a few others had hopped the fence and then when the storm hit, she tried to duck under one of the only bushes in our front field.  The bush got nailed and she was super dead.


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 17, 2012)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Yeah, really!  It was crazy.  She and a few others had hopped the fence and then when the storm hit, she tried to duck under one of the only bushes in our front field.  The bush got nailed and she was super dead.


Wow, first time I've heard of a chicken getting hit.  I know I should be sad, but...    didn't her mom tell her not to stand under a tree during a lightning storm?


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## kstaven (Aug 17, 2012)

Sky Warrior: Personally I think you are being smart about the whole thing considering you don't know the whole history of the animal and right now your practice and milking area are still being developed.

Take it from some one who deals in raw milk all the time. Its not as fool proof as some make it out to be and there are some very real risks involved. Yes, there are some benefits also. But in the end it all comes down to personal choice and comfort level. Reality is that your own milk supply from a healthy, well fed animal is far better for you, pasteurized or not.


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 17, 2012)

kstaven said:
			
		

> Sky Warrior: Personally I think you are being smart about the whole thing considering you don't know the whole history of the animal and right now your practice and milking area are still being developed.
> 
> Take it from some one who deals in raw milk all the time. Its not as fool proof as some make it out to be and there are some very real risks involved. Yes, there are some benefits also. But in the end it all comes down to personal choice and comfort level. Reality is that your own milk supply from a healthy, well fed animal is far better for you, pasteurized or not.


Thank you.  I personally feel that although Annie is a sweet and healthy goat, I'm really not as confident as many folks who drink raw milk are.  I think it is their personal preference, and I think they have the right to drink milk however they see fit.  So,  got to play around with my pasteurizer and it makes life so much easier!  And my husband prefers Annie's milk over anything else with the exception of the non-homogenized milk we have bought in the past.  But Annie's milk is very fresh and while not free, it doesn't cost us extra.  My DH was commenting how loving Annie is.  Yep, it's hard not to be fond of a goat who gives such awesome milk and is friendly.


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## eweinHiscare (Aug 17, 2012)

My does sometimes are antsy when being milked the first time of the season. 
To prevent them from stepping in the milk pail I use strips of Velcro wrapped around their hind feet.

The Velcro is attached to a twine that is tied around the board they are standing on. 
 It is a very quick and easy way to secure their feet and very gentle since the Velcro is a wide tape.  

They learn to stand without any chance of getting bad habits.

Also I've found that if I feed them their grain first in a different place, and after they've finished eating,  then take them to the milking stand they will
just begin to chew their cud contentedly as I milk.

When I started out with goats I tried to milk them as they ate their grain but I was too slow and they would finish their
grain and then start acting up because they had me trained to keep giving more grain to try to calm them down !

I just strain the milk through a piece of paper towel into glass jars, and with the date written on the lid,  put the jars into the fridge or freezer.
I have never bothered with pasteurizing.  

The milk is always good tasting, it has never had the goaty flavor.


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 18, 2012)

eweinHiscare said:
			
		

> I just strain the milk through a piece of paper towel into glass jars, and with the date written on the lid,  put the jars into the fridge or freezer.
> I have never bothered with pasteurizing.
> 
> The milk is always good tasting, it has never had the goaty flavor.


You use a paper towel?  What do the rest of you use to strain your milk?

Annie is getting better now that I am milking twice daily.  I also put udder cream on my hands so I'm less irritating.  I've milked her out twice now and oddly enough, one teat produces more milk than the other.  Normal?


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## BlondeSquirrel04 (Aug 18, 2012)

Normal for one to produce a bit more. My best milker always needs a few more squeezes on her left side.

I put a strainer (metal kind with the mesh) in the bucket. It fits perfectly on top of the pail and catches any hairs, pieces of dirt, etc. It happened by accident, really. I was using cheesecloth but it never stayed in place nicely enough and was a pain to clean twice a day.


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 18, 2012)

BlondeSquirrel04 said:
			
		

> Normal for one to produce a bit more. My best milker always needs a few more squeezes on her left side.
> 
> I put a strainer (metal kind with the mesh) in the bucket. It fits perfectly on top of the pail and catches any hairs, pieces of dirt, etc. It happened by accident, really. I was using cheesecloth but it never stayed in place nicely enough and was a pain to clean twice a day.


I figured that was normal for Annie, but I also figured it couldn't hurt to ask.  

My strainer was improvised.  I love loose tea but can't abide tea leaves in my tea, so I have several long fine-mesh strainers made of plastic and stainless steel.  They're made to hold tea leaves -- even the finings and dust.  I'm thinking of buying one of those metal and paper ones from Caprine or Hoegger.  I was wondering if a coffee filter would do the same thing?  I don't drink coffee, but I have a coffee pot because I have family and friends that do.  Thoughts?


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## BlondeSquirrel04 (Aug 19, 2012)

A coffee filter should be fine. Just have to set it in something to make it stay. If you are pasteurizing, I'd worry less about straining. Not saying not to strain, but you don't have to be quite as picky since you are going to be killing most of the germs anyway.


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## kstaven (Aug 19, 2012)

Many people out there use reusable mesh coffee filters for the task.


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 19, 2012)

kstaven said:
			
		

> Many people out there use reusable mesh coffee filters for the task.


That's how my tea strainers are.  Good to know!  Thanks!


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## eweinHiscare (Aug 19, 2012)

SkyWarrior,

I use a 3 part strain set up:  first on top the quart canning jar I set a funnel, inside that I place a wire mesh strainer, inside that I place the piece of paper towel.

The funnel prevents spills,  the mesh strainer supports the paper towel,  the paper towel is disposable of course and strains the milk very well.

I think I first heard of using paper towel on the Fiasco Farm website, but I'm not sure... anyway it works very well and there's nothing cheaper.

I tried using coffee filters, they work ok too, but not any better that I can tell.

And I milk my goats into a 8 quart stainless steel stock pot that came with a lid that fits it, which is very handy to keep the milk clean in between goats and the walk back to the house from the barn.

I secure the lid with a tiny bungee cord from handle to handle.  The stock pot with lid was less than $15.


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