# Goat Milk



## WV_RoyalWhite (Jan 13, 2011)

Right now my wife and I have sheep and chickens.  We are interested in possibly getting some goats.  I read in the Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series about using goats for milk.  They say some breeds have a higher butterfat content.

My wife has tried goat milk and said it was nasty.  I've personally have never drank it.  How does it compare to Cows milk??  Is fresh goat milk better  than store bought goat milk??

I'd like to try some before making the committment.  According to the article, they said it tastes better and is virtually indistinguishable from cow milk if you try and trick someone into drinking it.


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## chandasue (Jan 13, 2011)

Store bought goat's milk is generally 

My goat's milk (which we drank raw) was better than store bought cow's milk. Breed can make a difference and even individual goats can produce stronger flavored milk than others. The flavor can be effected by what they're eating in the pasture and feed, but the most important thing is cleanliness during the milking process and being sure to chill it as quickly as you can. You may want to consider getting a doe in milk that you can try the milk before you buy so you know exactly what you're getting. But generally going with breeds or crosses of breeds with higher butterfat gives you creamier tasting milk.


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## helmstead (Jan 13, 2011)

Yep, good fresh milk tastes like cow's milk, but richer and sweeter.  I have Nigerians and Nubians.  The Nigerian milk is much richer (they have the highest butterfat) .

This is, if you drink it RAW.  Pasteurize it and it will taste "off".  My kid's pediatrician scared me into pasteurizing, and it tasted SO bad we went ahead with raw milk LOL.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jan 13, 2011)

fresh, raw goat milk is like the cleanest, freshest, best glass of cows milk you ever had - only better. 

the only downside is that goats milk does not easy separate to give cream like cows milk. 

we are all raw milk all summer... but now, in winter and we arent milking, we have to buy cows milk from the store and it sooooo depressing. 

everyone who we 'double dog dare' to try our goats milk has the exact same reaction:

1. realize they have been double dog dared and need to man up and just do it
2. carefully peel lips back like we are making them drink boiling oil
3. squint eyes....
4. take sip..

eyes fly open, then they yell "its tastes like MILK!"

and then we laugh.


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## Roll farms (Jan 13, 2011)

Nigerians aren't listed, but here's a chart I found, % butterfat is the bottom number:

BREED
 305 day yield (lb)
 305 day yield (kg)
 fat percentage

French Alpine
 1979
 900
 3.5

La Mancha
 1771
 850
 3.9

Anglo-Nubian
 1618
 735
 4.6

Oberhasli
 1663
 756
 3.7

Saanen
 1998
 908
 3.5

Toggenburg
 1710
 777
 3.3

Another site I found said "Nigerian milk is usually between 5-8% butterfat.

The ADGA site had this info, look under "butterfat" section.
Nubians:
http://www.adga.org/index.php?optio...d=338:arttop10nubian&catid=913:categoryhidden
Nigerians:
http://www.adga.org/index.php?optio...336:arttop10nigerian&catid=913:categoryhidden

We pasteurize all our milk and I don't think it tastes nasty...neither do folks who try it.

I pasteurize it for the kids / cae prevention....just easier to treat it all the same than it is to keep some seperate for us / some to pasteurize.

I feel rapid cooling / clean handling is essential for good milk taste.

Store bought goat milk is gross.
Generally, folks who've tried goat milk and hated it, either had store bought, or tried it from someone who didn't have their goats on a good diet / keep things clean.

I am the biggest 'food wierdo' there is.  I won't eat anything that looks funny, I hate cheese, tomatoes, and noodles.  The list of what I won't eat is longer than the list of what I will....I won't eat venison, duck, squirrel, rabbit, etc.  
It took me 5 yrs of milking to work up the nerve to even *try* goat milk....but once I did, I felt like an idiot for not trying it sooner.
My lactose-intolerant hubby's been on the goat-milk bandwagon for years, he can finally enjoy dairy products.

We make all kinds of stuff....ice cream, cheese (for my cheese lovin' family), puddings and pies, FUDGE, cake frosting, and I drink it with meals.  Sooo many benefits to good goat milk....Nom nom nom.


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## freemotion (Jan 13, 2011)

It is very different from store bought cow's milk.  VERY different.  We've done lots of blind taste tests with  goat's vs store bought milk with friends who say goat's milk is nasty.  

They can all, 100% of them, tell the difference between the two immediately.   One little sip from each glass.

They say the store bought milk tastes like chemicals.  They say the raw goat's milk tastes like  the freshest, cleanest milk....one said it was like melted ice cream!

It took me two years to decide to get a goat, after my doctor (ND) finally convinced me that it wasn't very likely that it was milk that was making me sick when I took a tiny sip of store bought milk or dairy product.  It was the processing.  I couldn't find a source of raw milk nearby, so I got a goat.  I took two days off when I took my first sip, expecting to be housebound, very ill, for two days.

I was fine.  Now I drink a pint or two every morning for my first breakfast, and we enjoy many dairy products that I make myself...many cheeses, yogurt, kefir, ice cream, dressings and dips, soups and sauces, etc.

I say dive right in.  You can always feed it to your chickens until you find a home for the goat if you don't like it.  That's what I told myself.


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## ChksontheRun (Jan 14, 2011)

I was a little unsure myself until I tasted the milk of a friends mini nubian.  It tasted "just like milk"  We are all so used to processed cows milk that we think nothing else can be like it.  But boy was I wrong.  We milked our mini nub in the fall and I loved it.  Now I can't wait till I have 3 does to milk so we can really get some good milk.  All are due any time.  I can't wait to make cheese and yogurt and ice cream.  And to top it all off, my cholesterol went down, I felt great, and I lost weight while on the raw goats milk.   go figure.  (I really don't think i made any other sig. diet changes.)  No claims of this for others by the way, just sayin what happened to me.


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## julieq (Jan 14, 2011)

ohiofarmgirl said:
			
		

> fresh, raw goat milk is like the cleanest, freshest, best glass of cows milk you ever had - only better.
> 
> the only downside is that goats milk does not easy separate to give cream like cows milk.
> 
> ...


We've experienced the same thing with people who've tried our goat milk.  We won't touch store bought milk (especially since we live next door to a huge feedlot dairy and see on a daily basis how those cows live out their lives).  

Store bought goats milk shouldn't even be available for human consumption!  

Same experience here on the Nubian and/or Nigerian milk.  Depending on the individual doe, it's definitely the highest in butterfat as compared to other breeds we've owned.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jan 14, 2011)

Nothing to add except that I completely agree with the other posters.  My dad wasn't able to have dairy for the longest time until he tried goat's milk and cheese.  To his surprise- no digestive upset!  He was so thrilled to be able to have cereal with milk on it again.

Our Nigerian's milk is so rich and creamy!


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## julieq (Jan 14, 2011)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> Nothing to add except that I completely agree with the other posters.  My dad wasn't able to have dairy for the longest time until he tried goat's milk and cheese.  To his surprise- no digestive upset!  He was so thrilled to be able to have cereal with milk on it again.
> 
> Our Nigerian's milk is so rich and creamy!


Our three year old grandson has gone through the same thing recently.  Severe stomach aches with store bought cows milk, yet he can drink as much goats milk as he wants without any problems.   Good stuff!


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## iamcuriositycat (Jan 14, 2011)

I have to buy goat's milk when I'm able to get it. And I drive WAY out of my way to get it fresh and raw from the farm (for pet use of course  and then somehow we end up drinking most of it ourselves--stupid laws). It really doesn't taste strongly of anything except MILK and really good, sweet, milk-the-way-milk-is-supposed-to-taste milk. And I don't even like milk. But I like raw goat's milk.

I remember trying goat's milk as a kid and thinking it was . Now I realize there are many things that can make goat milk that way--a buck in with the does, onions in the pasture, poor hygiene during milking, etc. But when it's good, it's GOOD.

One downside we've discovered, however, is that it does turn faster than cow's milk--even raw cow's milk. After a few days in the fridge it starts to gradually take on a "goaty" aroma that eventually becomes a "goaty" flavor and before long it's no good to drink.

But it doesn't usually last long enough to get to that point.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Jan 14, 2011)

Thank God we can still buy and sell fresh milk in NH!!!  I think it is a crazy law!!  But any whoooo??   

I think you should give it a try!! Fresh goats milk is delicious and healthy for you!!!  Nasty taste from fresh goats milk comes from uncleanliness, diseased udders and stuff like that.   

Like any animal that you gonna use..you must keep them healthy and happy and they will produce a lovely product!  ie..farm fresh eggs or store bought eggs.  BIG differance..I cant eat a store bought egg anymore. I think they are sooooo nasty.  My friends call me the "egg snob" Cause if I did'nt get it out of my henhouse..I wont eat it!  

But find someone who raises dairy goats and give it a try!!!  Also as stated..there alot of uses for goats milk if you find you dont like drinking it!!

Good luck on your quest!!!


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## scrambledmess (Jan 14, 2011)

Seriously the best ice cream I ever had was from goat's milk.  My kids aren't too excited about us having goat's milk in the fridge, but they still talk about the ice cream.  They can't wait!!!!

They will change their minds about the milk once we actually start getting some in the fridge, I am sure!  It is just hard for the human mind to embrace change, sometimes.


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## DonnaBelle (Jan 14, 2011)

As Benjamin Franklin said:  We know God loves us, because he gave us goat milk.

I only regret I didn't have it when I was young.

DonnaBelle


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## Heavenly Springs Farm (Jan 14, 2011)

I have both dairy goats and cows. To me they taste a lot alike except the cream raises on the cow's milk. I would never go back to the store milk again. I always have something milking all year long. Right now, I have milking two cows, but by the end of March I will be milking some of my goats as well.


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## rebelINny (Jan 14, 2011)

I have found any goat milk that reaches a boiling temp or a very high temp is HORRIBLE!!!! Or if it is older than three days. Fresh it tastes NO different than cow's milk!


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 14, 2011)

Even fresh raw goats milk can taste nasty under certain circumstances. In order to have the best tasting milk it's a good idea to follow these rules.

Keep bucks away from the girls
Keep a clean environment. If you don't you are more likely to not only get sick from your milk but also it will taste funny.
Brush down the goat and wash her udder before milking. 
Cool milk as fast as possible. I keep my jars in the freezer, and after straining the milk into them they go back in the freezer for an hour.
Feed: the more sweet things they eat the sweeter their milk will be. Although my girls ate a diet with just a very small amount of grain with a tiny bit of molasses no hay and lots of birch leaves and wild rose leaves for a month or two before I bought any hay and their milk will still wonderfully sweet.
Breed can also matter, but even with a breed that doesn't produce the best tasting milk, it will still be very good if the conditions are right.

I do blind tests too. My mom gets some excellent raw cows milk (wonderful tasting!) and when I compare them the only way I can tell a difference is that my goats milk is sweeter.


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## jodief100 (Jan 14, 2011)




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## 4hmama (Jan 14, 2011)

We are in WV and have Nigerian Dwarf goats.  The milk is richer than cow's milk, but it is good.  My son (12) had soccer friends over one night, and at breakfast the next morning, the boys wanted to try goat milk....  Long story short - I had really small bathroom cups, and they did 'goat milk shots' for breakfast.  Before the morning was over, they drank 2 quarts!  

We did have a buck in with one of our girls, and her milk was AWFUL...while he was in there.  If you know what a buck smells like - imagine milk that tastes like a buck smells.  YUCK!  Otherwise - it's good.

ND's are great because they take up very little space, the feed/milk conversion ratio is good, and they are really easy to handle.  If you are interested in nigis - let me know...I'm in WV and have babies due beginning in March.  You can also look up nigi info and see our animals on our website - www.jchmountainfarm.com

FYI: If you add chocolate syrup to it - it tastes just like melted chocolate ice cream!   ..and you can't go wrong with goat milk fudge!


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## WV_RoyalWhite (Jan 27, 2011)

Well, I found a farm in PA that sells Raw Cow Milk and they also sell Raw Goat Milk from a neighboring farm.  I bought a pint of the goat milk and a gallon of the cow milk.  The cow milk is delicious.  However, the goat milk tasted goaty.  I did let it sit for two days in the fridge before getting the nerve to drink it.  SInce this farm doesnt produce the goat milk, it may not be as fresh as their cow milk, hence the goaty taste.

I'll look for a closer farm in my area who may let me try some goat milk.


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## freemotion (Jan 27, 2011)

Since it is so hard to actually buy raw goat's milk, what if you found a breeder, went to look at goats, and ask for a taste of the milk?  Several breeders, if possible.  And ask how they handle the milk....be clever, ask like you want to know if it is a task you could handle because you are so busy, so they will be a bit more honest if they take shortcuts.

I'll have kids to sell for the first time this year and I would happily show a prospective buyer my routine and let them try some milk and if I had some, some of my amazingly wonderful feta.  Ever have grated feta on buttered popcorn?    Not store feta, REAL feta! 

I made a garden chowder the other night and I used half cheddar from the store and half home-made feta.  DH kept going back for more.  He is not a big soup eater.  Especially a veggie soup.  It was the feta and the goat's milk that made this so exceptional.

Get goats!  Just do it!


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## PattySh (Jan 27, 2011)

I am so missing the raw goat's milk. I cannot drink store bought milk without severe cramps and an almost immediate trip to the bathroom! I can drink as much  raw goat's milk as I want.  I also think it really helped my joints as boy am I achey the last month or so. (I stopped milking in Dec)  My does start giving birth hopefully somewhere around Feb 23 and I got smart and staggered the births til June so we won't be without milk again! Dreaming of making yogurt and cheese again and hoping for safe deliveries of cute kids. I am so excited I got my video camera fixed today!!

Edited to add: You can sell raw milk in Vermont, statutes are online.


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 27, 2011)

If the milk you tried tasted goaty then there was something "wrong". Proper goats milk will not taste goaty.


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## whetzelmomma (Jan 28, 2011)

CrownofThornsNDGoats said:
			
		

> Even fresh raw goats milk can taste nasty under certain circumstances. In order to have the best tasting milk it's a good idea to follow these rules.
> 
> Keep bucks away from the girls
> Keep a clean environment. If you don't you are more likely to not only get sick from your milk but also it will taste funny.
> ...


Yep. If your wife tasted anything "off" it's because she was trying milk that was wrong, not because it was goat.


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