# how long til it looks like milk? UPDATE...WE DRANK IT!



## GrowURown (Feb 15, 2011)

ok so later today im getting computer hooked up again...hence no replies to my other post as my phone is not that great. But at least i can post initially, even if it wont let me reply, so i will be watching this all day...we have fairly successfully milked the doe who kidded friday night twice now...how long til it looks like milk? Cause right now it looks like sweetened condensed milk...not chunky, wife says its yellowish almost ivory colored (i cant tell colors) and i was just wondering how long til it looks like milk or if we should head to the vet...


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## Ariel301 (Feb 15, 2011)

They can produce colostrum (the first yellowish, thick milk that is full of antibodies for the baby's immune system to use) for up to a couple of weeks, though normally only for a couple of days. My goats' milk is never a pure bright white like the store bought pasteurized cow milk, if I put it in a white bowl it is slightly off-white from the high butterfat content. You should see regular milk within a few days though, it sounds like you are still getting colostrum if she kidded that recently. Save that stuff up in the freezer if you are not already, in case you have an emergency with a future kid that  can't get any from its mom for some reason. It is very important the baby has some in its first day.


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## GrowURown (Mar 1, 2011)

WOOHOO! Consolidated FINALLY fixed the internet!  Anyways....so, we froze any and all colostrum we could actually get into a container (needless to say Caitlin was LESS than pleased about that - she's the goat ) BUT...it did finally start to look like milk! Then I noticed in the fridge it seperates...REALLY distinctly so.  It comes out fine, looks like creamy beautiful milk, but when I left a small jar in the fridge, and went back later to brave a taste...it was seperated...so I dumped it in shame and fear.

I SWEAR everything was clean AND sanitized, bought the CMT kit, checked, all appeared well IF I did that correctly, so now I want to know...is it normal for milk to seperate and be thin on the bottom and thicker looking on top? Does anyone have a pic of this they can show me? I'm back in internet HEAVEN right now, so please let me know!  Thanks again for letting me bug ya'll with stupid questions!


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## poorboys (Mar 1, 2011)

WHEN YOU THAW OUT YOUR COLUSTRUM, HAVE IT PLACED IN A BOWL OF HOT WATER TO THAW, DON'T COOK IT OR IT WILL TURN INTO PUDDINING.


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## GrowURown (Mar 1, 2011)

Thank you we will keep that in mind should the need arrise   We haven't had to thaw any colostrum yet...and hopefully we won't    we did try to save what we could as one of the does is so CLEARLY preggers AND TINY on top of being preggers...back up is good to have to my understanding....but the milk tho...I'm a little skeptical...first goats...first time....I told my wife we'd have a formal taste test as soon as I was ready....and then I saw it do that thing...thin stuff on the bottom, thicker on the top...I thought goat milk DIDN'T do that...     Maybe...IDK...I'm LOST!


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## PattySh (Mar 1, 2011)

It is best to drink raw goats milk within a couple of days of milking.
I find anything over 3 days is off  flavored a bit but is fine for cheese (maybe even better). I like to stay within 2 days personally to  use it for drinking, so we drink the freshest and use anything older for cheese. I like to make yogurt with it right out of the goat.  If milk sets it does develop a thin cream layer on the top, nothing to worry about, shake it slightly. You are ok to drink it now, it's milk at this point not colostrum. I use small stick on labels to mark the date on the jar lids. 

Make sure you strain, cover  and chill your milk immediately after milking, in hot summer I chill in ice water in winter by the time I get in the house it goes right in the fridge. Using a glass container gives the best taste to the milk. I use the plastic covers on qt and 1/2 gal canning jars. I do soak the covers in a mild chlorine rinse often and rinse well  as I noticed even with washing they develop a bit of smell. I generally wash the jars out immediately  when empty with bottle brush then dishwasher them and only rarely do I have to rinse them also in chlorine, generally when I leave on in the back of the fridge too long.

Our goats just started to freshen and my 5 yr old grandson has been waiting patiently for his goat's milk (as the first doe needed antibiotics we had a withdrawl time). He loves it and honestly I've noticed he is a bit hyperactive and cranky since on store bought milk since Dec. We will know soon if it is milk related. I suspect it is as neither his mom or I tolerate store-bought milk without stomach issues but can drink raw milk fine.

Go ahead be brave try it!


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## GrowURown (Mar 1, 2011)

LOL...bravery is not often my strength...see, what happened today was....

I PLANNED on being brave, I milked the silly goat...brought it in (in a glass jar   woohoo me, I am DOING SOMETHING RIGHT! - wife says I'm not doing much right at this point)  then, in attempts to cool it quickly to get a taste as I had my bravery all worked up and ready to go, I stuck it in the freezer - with ALL intent of it "only being for a moment"

Well, the internet guy FINALLY put in his appearance at said moment (we have been waiting for WEEKS for these people to fix this!...guess what got forgotten til JUST NOW...YUP, my now FROZEN MILK...I got a popsicle in a jar!  DANG IT ALL AGAIN!

I wonder if I let it thaw in the fridge whats going to happen....the saga of the goat continues at our place


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## PattySh (Mar 1, 2011)

Sorry had to laugh! No don't try the post frozen milk for your first sip of fluid milk, it will disapoint. Couldn't tell from your post if you are milking directly into a glass jar or not... LOL make sure you straining it, if you suck up a hairball it ain't gonna be pretty.I have a huge milk filer but for a few does  I use 4 inch milk filters from the feed store and fold them conically to fit into a canning funnel placed on top of a canning jar. It is easier to milk into a stainless bucket or a  big glass measuring cup with a handle even than a glass jar which takes a pretty good aim. I have the canning jar with the funnel in it near the milking stand, pour the milk into the funneled jar  cap it right after it strains. 

If you are not brave enough to try fluid milk (I also had trouble with that originally) you might want to make a smoothie or even try yogurt. Google "crockpot yogurt". Mixed with jam or fruit it's awsome.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Mar 1, 2011)

A small amount of cream will rise to the top, just not as large a proportion as cow's milk.


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## GrowURown (Mar 1, 2011)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> A small amount of cream will rise to the top, just not as large a proportion as cow's milk.


Thanks for this! It soothes me some!  and NO, I won't try the frozen milk, i'll thaw it for the chickens, they like it .  I have been milking into bowls, then giving it to the chickens...that's how I know they like it....

When I got all brave the other day, I milked into a glass jar, then strained it with a coffee filter into ANOTHER glass jar, set it in the fridge...and wimped out later that day...

SO...today I followed this process again, only to arrive at a goat-milk-sicle   typical at this point.... all the colostrum looking stuff was ziplock bagged up and frozen...then anything colostrum-y was fed to the chickens...and now that it looks like milk, I find myself getting braver and braver with each milking...perhaps by this evening I will toughen up and just go for it!

Its a good thing my wife keeps an endless supply of mason type jars and such around this place...at this rate with one goat. I'm washing jars every time I turn around....MAYBE, JUST MAYBE tonight will be the night...or in the morning...I'll keep ya posted tho...SHE SAYS she will drink it...if I do first...we'll see...might just sneak some in her coffee and see how that goes


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Mar 1, 2011)

Oh man, what's the hold up?!   Seriously, once you try it you'll be hooked.  Promise.


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## Ariel301 (Mar 2, 2011)

Frozen raw milk doesn't thaw out quite right for drinking, it will be sort of watery with chunks in it. It's fine for cooking with, making into cheese, and bottle feeding baby goats though. Just not a pleasant texture for drinking! 

Try putting it in the fridge for a couple of hours if you're wanting it for drinking.


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## GrowURown (Mar 2, 2011)

well, well, well.....GUESS WHO DRANK GOAT MILK TODAY!!!! I did it! It was good, very cow milk-y...not goaty at alll      Me gusta mucho!  I went out, milked my goat, came in, strained it, set it in the fridge, went about my day...THEN....tonight, we all lined up shot glasses about a third full and tasted it   Not bad, not bad at all!  No....I didn't pasteurize it first - I figured this, if this one taste makes ill or harms anyone in this house then genetically the whole family is doomed - I know for a fact we eat worse stuff when we go out to eat, I've even seen the kids pick stuff outta the dirt and brush it off and munch on it (grown enough to know better kids)...so we all took a chance and just drank it.  It was probably worse to let the kids use a shot glass to "take a shot of milk" then to actually drink it raw (don't tell CPS I let them use a shot glass....oh lord...they'll have me on the news I'm sure! "NEXT AT 10, FATHER GIVES CHILDREN MILK SHOOTERS!")  But...the point is WE DID IT AND WE ALL LIKED IT! Except my picky eater, she doesn't "drink" milk - only puts it in cereal ....refuses most white foods....weird kid...just weird...but it was the same to her she said..."icky without cereal"....so there you have it! I think there's another goat milk convert on here


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## Roll farms (Mar 2, 2011)




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## ohiofarmgirl (Mar 2, 2011)

WHOOOOT!


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## PattySh (Mar 2, 2011)

AWESOME!!! Raw is the way to go, many benefits, If your goats are clean and milk is clean caught and quickly refrigerated you can't feed your kids any better food! I am a bit older than a kid lol and my joints (and most definately my stomach) sure appreciate raw milk.


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## helmstead (Mar 2, 2011)

I raised my children from age 1 and up on raw goats milk.  They won't drink it if they KNOW it's goat's milk, so I have to put it in a store gallon jug .


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Mar 3, 2011)

It does separate after it's been frozen for a while, but I've never had anything separate that's been frozen less than a week or so.  I like to quick chill it in the freezer then put it in the fridge, but sometimes I forget and snag it after it's already frozen solid.  No worries.  Still normal milk.  I don't know at what point it does start to separate like that.


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