# Milk



## Lance Blythe (Jan 24, 2018)

I’ve milked a few goats and cattle for the babies. I recently had some extra. Is straight milk health for human children? What processes are a must before consuming? 
My herd isn’t a milking type herd being Pygmy or Pygmy fainters, but I’m interested in a Lamancha mostly to help feed bottle babies, but assumed I’d have extra and didn’t want to waste it.


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 24, 2018)

It can be used for human consumption, but you need to make sure you are doing it in a safe manner. 

We have several different breeds of goats, Lamanchas, Mini Lamanchas, Nigerian Dwarfs, and a Nubians. I use the milk for cheese, soap, and to drink. 

I start by cleaning the udder, I use soap/bleach water. Dry with clean towel. 

Strip first few squirts into cup and inspect for any possible issues. 

Milk into clean/sanitized milk bucket

Spray teats with chlorhexidine 

Strain milk through proper milk filters 

Chill milk.

You want to be sure your hands are CLEAN. 

We pasteurize the milk. Some drink the milk raw but I am a firm believer in pasteurization, especially when you are giving it to children. You cannot see listeria, e-coli, salmonella, and the list goes on. 
We have a machine, but you can do the stovetop method.


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 24, 2018)

You also want to be sure any dewormers or other meds haven’t been given recently/has passed the established milk withdrawal.


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## Lance Blythe (Jan 24, 2018)

Whoa, I assumed there was a process but had no idea it was so involved. How much mild do you get per whatever measurement compared to soap and cheese?


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 24, 2018)

Lance Blythe said:


> Whoa, I assumed there was a process but had no idea it was so involved. How much mild do you get per whatever measurement compared to soap and cheese?


It varies 

Right now 10# of milk is giving us 4-4.5# of chèvre  

It’s not too bad, you should already be washing the udder, stripping the teats, spraying the teats for the protection of the goat. The milk processing is fairly simple once you are familiar with how to do so.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 24, 2018)

Yes, it is fairly simple.
Like @Goat Whisperer  said- anytime you milk a goat even for feeding livestock you should always clean the udder, strip the  teats, milk , then use some form of teat dip.
Cleaning the udder ensures no bad bacteria gets into the orifices. It also helps with good let down of milk.
Stripping the teats just gets that plug out and you can see if there is anything to be concerned about ( like the beginnings of mastitis or a burst capillary).
The spraying of the teat with chlorhexadine (fight-bac brand is what we use) is cold and closes off the teat- closing the orifice which is necessary so bacteria doesn't enter.
Some use iodine, dips made of mild bleach water etc.

So it is all the same process until you get to the milk part.

We milk into a stainless steel pot (bucket)  
We take the milk and pour it through a strainer with a filter to remove debris (such as hair that falls in) and it goes right into a widemouth jar.
We chill it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to get it cold fast.

That is key! Chilling milk quickly preserves flavor.

Then we move it to the fridge.
When we have time then we will take the milk out and pasteurize for human consumption.

It is a pretty fast process.

It sounds like alot when you lay out step by step.... but if you typed out every step it takes to make a pot of coffee it could sound like it was a major ordeal. 

These are the products we use (Goat Whisperer is half owner of the farm)

This is a jar with the strainer and filters we use.



 

Milk pail, wash bucket, dry cloths


 

Fight bac- spray for after milking


 

Chevre Cheese- getting ready to hang


 


So many cheeses you can make besides Chevre!
Some fun dessert cheeses

With Homemade raspberry sauce


 

Lemon Raspberry-


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## BoboFarm (Jan 24, 2018)

I need dairy goats!


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## Southern by choice (Jan 25, 2018)

BoboFarm said:


> I need dairy goats!



Dairy goats are wonderful! 
The above was made from the milk of our miniature lamancha Trouble & lamancha Zephyr!

There is a great miniature Lamancha breeder out by you.


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## babsbag (Jan 25, 2018)

I have been milking for about 8 years and I always chill my milk in an ice bath or the freezer if I intend to drink it. I was always happy with the taste of the milk. But now that I have the dairy I have a commercial bulk tank that chills the milk and it is  FAST and COLD. I can't believe how much the better the milk it. Chilling is definitely the key.


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## babsbag (Jan 25, 2018)

@BoboFarm  Everyone needs dairy goats.


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## BoboFarm (Jan 25, 2018)

Please don't take this the wrong way, @Southern by choice, but I'm not sure about the whole no ear thing  I have been looking at Kinders on someone's suggestion, can't remember who. I like that they're dual purpose and smaller. Plus we're not ready yet. If I keep saying that then maybe I'll convince myself to wait


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## Southern by choice (Jan 25, 2018)

LOL - hear that alot.... until people get around them. They are an in your lap all the time goat. Miniature Lamanchas can have ears too....  we sell the eared ones to people that don't like the elf or gopher eared. 

Actually the mini mancha is not a large goat hence the miniature. We also had miniature Nubians. They generally stand 2 inches taller than a Nigerian Dwarf, but produce about 8# a day.
8# is roughly one gallon. 
Miniature Nubians are similar to the Kinder but they are all dairy goat. Kinder is Nubian with Pygmy. Pygmy being a meatgoat.

@frustratedearthmother  breeds Kinders.   She can give you an idea on size and lots of other info.

If you get kinders make sure stock is tested for G6S! It is a DNA test.


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## Alaskan (Jan 25, 2018)

I don't do all of the precautions etc. that were mentioned above
...

but then my youngest child is 9.. so the risk of accidentally killing my children is low.   I would probably be more careful if I had a toddler. 

My point... we don't wash the udders.   We gently rub the goat all over for stray hair and dirt to fall off... then squirt twice on the ground, the rest into the metal pot.

Metal pot gets brought inside.. milk is poured from the pot through a funnel with a filter into a clean jar. .. the jar goes into the fridge.  We drink it raw.


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## Latestarter (Jan 25, 2018)

I have to agree with the quick cooling of the milk. After I'm done milking, the very next/first thing I do is bring it inside, filter it and get it in the fridge (I don't use the freezer beforehand... may try that after kidding this spring). The milk has always been delish and tastes the same out to 5-6 days. It's never lasted longer than that...

I do wash the udder before milking... I see what they lay down in and don't really want all that in my milk  When I go to milk, after washing the udder and my hands, I dry both and try not to touch any other part of the goat until I'm done milking. If the goat decides to kick, etc, that kinda complicates things and I have lost milk because of it.

I drink the milk raw. I don't pasteurize. Just my choice. I wouldn't give the raw milk to young children. I have told my son and wife when they were here and I had raw milk, that the milk is raw and let them decide for their kids. I believe @Devonviolet had digestive issues drinking it pasteurized but can drink it with no problem when raw.

I haven't started into cheese making yet. I was only milking one last year, and that was used to bottle feed her kid as well. This year I hope to have multiple goats in milk and though I intend to dam raise primarily, I hope to separate overnight and milk mornings after they're a few weeks old. Getting excited


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## babsbag (Jan 25, 2018)

@Latestarter...if you pur your milk in the freezer first I bet you will notice a difference. But set a timer so you don't forget it...don't want to freeze it.


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## Latestarter (Jan 25, 2018)

I plan to this spring. Thanks. Though I find it pretty danged good not having tried the freezer


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## Alaskan (Jan 25, 2018)

Latestarter said:


> . I believe @Devonviolet had digestive issues drinking it pasteurized but can drink it with no problem when raw.


actually... the raw milk having the active enzymes. ... is one of the reasons we have the goats.

I have one child that is celiac and one with asthma and alergies and one with unspecified odd digestive issues. ... I think the raw helps them all.  It heals the gut.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 25, 2018)

Latestarter said:


> @Devonviolet had digestive issues drinking it pasteurized but can drink it with no problem when raw.


I had allergy testing 9 years ago, that showed sensitivity to casein, which is the protein in milk. I've never had a problem with milk. But then, I never drank a lot of it.

2-1/2 years ago I found a local dairy, that sold raw cow's milk, and I started drinking their milk, again without a problem.

Then I got our 2 LaMancha does last Winter & started milking last Spring when they kidded. After talking to some goat people, I decided to pasteurize our milk.

Gradually, I began to notice increasing amounts of phlegm in the back of my throat (which is my clue that I am reacting to a food.)  So, I thought I was reacting to the casein in the milk, and I would have to give up milking my goats. 

But, knowing that heating the milk destroyed the enzymes that helps the body digest the protein (casein) in the milk, I thought maybe pasteurizing the milk was causing my problem. So, before selling my girls, though, I decided to stop pasteurizing the milk and see if that made a difference. It took a while, before I noticed a decrease in the phlegm, but now it is totally gone!   

I do make mozzarella cheese, which only requires temps to 105°F., and that doesn't cause a problem.  There are cheeses that require high temps (something like 195°F) and I am staying away from those cheeses, at least for now.

I use the same process that @Southern by choice mentioned (except for the pasteurization, of course), and I don't put the milk in the freezer.

I filter it (with a slightly different filter), and I use the newer, white plastic Ball canning jar Lids (which don't fully seal), with a metal canning lid (the kind that comes with a 2 part canning lid/ring, for canning.  I screw on the plastic lid tightly and put it in the fridge right away. When the milk cools, it causes a seal to form.

The metal lid seals tightly, and our milk always has a sweet, fresh taste that lasts 10 days.

The filter (which looks very similar to a canning funnel), is slightly different than SBC's. It uses a stainless steel ring to hold a cloth fiber filter in place


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## Southern by choice (Jan 25, 2018)

I thought I'd add a bit about why we put it in the freezer.

We have a lot of goats- we milk alot of goats. When we put the miilk in the fridge the milk is so warm that it brings the temp of the fridge down and it takes a long time to get back up to temp. That isn't good for the other food in the fridge. When we put it in the freezer it is just better at getting it cooled down faster and to a reasonable temp as to not interfere with the fridge.
When you put 6-  1/2 gallon jars in the am then again in the pm.... it really taxes the fridge. We are also a big family, that means the fridge door is opened probably 100x in a day. 

We have a walk in commercial cooler 8x10 I think- it isn't set up though... waiting til we move. I can't wait.
We also have cooling tanks but have to figure how I can incorporate it so the milk chills fast and can stay in the walk . Woo Hoo! 

@Devonviolet  are those reusable cloth?  We use the disposable ones ... I don't like washing stuff   How do you like it?


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## babsbag (Jan 25, 2018)

I have that filter and I hate it. The milk goes down around the outside of the fiber filter. I bought 24" round  fiber filters that extend up to the edge. That'll do it but it wasn't cheap. 

Chilling milk in fridge or freezer is really not adequate, especially if drinking it raw. It is a prime medium for growing bacteria. Dairies are either Grade A or Grade B. But here is where your "dairy" would be if cooling it this way.  (the I in the article is not me.) 

I use an ice water bath and keep adding ice until it is chilled if I am drinking it raw. I great way would be an ice cream maker with salt and ice. Another great way is a small chest freezer filled with salt/ice slush mix or food grade antifreeze and ice. Pre-chill a milk can and pour the fresh milk into the pre-chilled can that is sitting in the slush mix. 

_*Grade A:*
The milk is placed in bulk cooling tanks, which are refrigerated, and the milk is quickly cooled while being stirred.  This method assures the milk will be at 40 degrees in less than 30 minutes.  Usually it is at the temperature instantly then held to just above freezing.


*Grade B:*
Milk is placed into containers small enough to place into tubs or a sink of ice water.  This is acceptable for home use.  This method cooled the milk to 48 degrees in 30 minutes, 42 degrees in 60 minutes and 40 degrees in 90 minutes.  Results would be considerably better if some form of stirring the milk could be used to speed up the cooling.  Using a home pasteurizer would do an excellent job too.


*Grade C:*
Milk is placed in a small container and placed in a sink of very cold water with the water being changed 2-3 times during the cooling process.  Water temperature from our well here in Michigan comes out at 50 degrees.  If you live in an area where the water comes from the faucet even warmer, this would not be a great method to use.  The milk would only get as cool as the water.

*Grade D:*
Milk is placed in the freezer.  I tested a one-quart jar and it took 30 minutes to reach 66 degrees.  In 60 minutes it was at 50, in 90 minutes it was 43 degrees and finally after 105 minutes it was at 40 degrees.  If using a container bigger than 1 quart the results would be even worse.


*Grade E:*
Milk placed in 1 quart jars and put into the refrigerator.  In 30 minutes the milk was at 76 degrees.  In 60 minutes it was at 67 degrees, after 90 minutes it was 59 degrees.  3 hours later it was at 51 degrees and finally after 8 hours the milk had reached 40 degrees.  This is way too long.  By now the bacteria count has become very high.  Results would be even worse if using containers bigger than 1 quart.  Many home dairies use this method, but this is the absolute worst way to cool the milk._


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## Devonviolet (Jan 25, 2018)

Southern by choice said:


> @Devonviolet are those reusable cloth? We use the disposable ones ... I don't like washing stuff  How do you like it?


The filters are disposable. However, I am always trying to find ways to save money.  

When I started using them, I looked at reusing them. There were comments about bacteria.  So, I came up with a plan to stay safe and be frugal.

When I take the filter out of funnel, I rinse milk with hot water, to rinse fat out, put a drop of liquid dish soap, scrub well and rinse well.  Then I put it in a heat safe glass bowl in the microwave for at least 30 seconds+ to kill bacteria.  I never use a filter more than 3 days.


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## babsbag (Jan 25, 2018)

Do you boil your cheesecloth too? I do mine.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 25, 2018)

babsbag said:


> I have that filter and I hate it. The milk goes down around the outside of the fiber filter.


I used to have that problem. But then I figured out that if I push down around ring until I stop feeling it shift in place, That doesn't happen.  It usually means going around twice, which isn't bad.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 25, 2018)

babsbag said:


> Do you boil your cheesecloth too? I do mine.


Are you referring to cheese making?

For draining whey, I have several "flour sack dish towels" which are dedicated to only draining whey when making cheese.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 25, 2018)

babsbag said:


> Do you boil your cheesecloth too? I do mine.



We do. 
I usually only use a cheesecloth twice then pitch it.


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## Latestarter (Jan 25, 2018)

Dang Babs...  my goats milk is grade E...  I don't have the inclination to do all the work required to meet the grade A or B (or even C) standards  Maybe if/when I get an automatic milk machine I'll create a cooler that holds the milk receiving bottle that can be encased in ice.


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## Alaskan (Jan 26, 2018)

Devonviolet said:


> I used to have that problem. But then I figured out that if I push down around ring until I stop feeling it shift in place, That doesn't happen.  It usually means going around twice, which isn't bad.



I have the same filter you have... the one with the ring.

It works well for us.    I like the fact that it is super easy to clean.

Filters... eh.... we tried washing cheese clothes....  hard to do well x2 a day.   So we buy the filters in the largest size box to save a bit per filter.


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## AClark (Jan 26, 2018)

Alaskan said:


> actually... the raw milk having the active enzymes. ... is one of the reasons we have the goats.
> 
> I have one child that is celiac and one with asthma and alergies and one with unspecified odd digestive issues. ... I think the raw helps them all.  It heals the gut.



How old are the children? I've pasteurized what I have so far because I have a 1 year old and worry she might not be able to fight off food poisoning like the rest of us.


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## babsbag (Jan 26, 2018)

@Latestarter, get an old small chest freezer off of Craigslist and fill it with ice and Propylene Glycol. Then get a stainless steel milk tote and keep it in the freezer. When you are done filtering the milk just pour it in the pre-chilled can.  Of course if you had a way to agitate the milk it would be even better but I know of a few small dairies that chill their milk this way and it works well. I was talking to @Southern by choice last night about finding a way to mount an ice cream freezer motor in the freezer so it would stir the milk but you wouldn't have to deal with the small ice cream bucket all the time.


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## Lance Blythe (Jan 26, 2018)

So another newbie question. I know breeds like lamancha are milk goats is that because of the amount of production? Can meat goats be milked or just not worth the time due to less production?
You guys are all amazing. This summer I plan to make a stantion. Will take some time to figure it all out.


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 26, 2018)

Lance Blythe said:


> So another newbie question. I know breeds like lamancha are milk goats is that because of the amount of production? Can meat goats be milked or just not worth the time due to less production?
> You guys are all amazing. This summer I plan to make a stantion. Will take some time to figure it all out.



The dairy breeds have been bred for milk production .
The meat breeds are heavier and produce more meat 
But people eat dairy goats and milk meat goats
You just usually will not get the amount of milk in comparison to what you have to feed with a meat goat


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 26, 2018)

We have a grade E production here too


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## Devonviolet (Jan 26, 2018)

Lance Blythe said:


> So another newbie question. I know breeds like lamancha are milk goats is that because of the amount of production? Can meat goats be milked or just not worth the time due to less production?
> You guys are all amazing. This summer I plan to make a stantion. Will take some time to figure it all out.


Yes, LaMancha's are a full size dairy goat, bred for production, so they do give a nice amount of milk - a gallon to 1-1/2+ gallons each day, if milked 2× daily. I only milk my 2 girls (both LaMancha's) in the morning, and last summer I was getting 1-1/2+ gallons/day. They are (hopefully) bred for April kidding, and have slowed down considerably. Lately I have been getting anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon. Today I only got 1/2 gallon.  I am planning to start drying them off in about a month. But, it looks like they are doing that themselves.

In addition to giving decent quantities, LaMancha's also have higher butterfat than some other breeds. Nigerian Dwarf's have higher butterfat than LaMancha's, but less quantity, so it's a tradeoff.  

Lately, I've been hearing about certain breeds having higher casein levels, which equates to higher ratios of cheese to liquid, of milk. I don't know all the details. Maybe @Southern by choice or @babsbag can add more details.

As far as milking meat goats . . . yes, you can. Many dairy goats have some meat goats and vise versa. I'm not an expert on which breeds and percentages. But, I think Kiko's and Boer's are a percentage dairy.  

I'm actually thinking of getting a full size Myotonic buck next summer, so my kids are meatier when it comes to butchering. 

Do you have any bred does right now? If so, the sooner you can get a stanchion built, the better, so you can get your doe up on it and she can get used to being touched around the utter and teats.

We built our stanchion & are very happy with it. I had seen an all metal one with an expanded metal floor, and that is what I wanted. 



 

We stopped at a welding shop & asked if they had any scraps of expanded metal. The owner was looking through their scrap pile.  I walked around the back of the pile & there was exactly what I was looking for! It was a 2×3' piece with angle iron frame. And it was even painted black! 

I asked how much, and he said $20!  I expected it to be more, so I turned to DH & said, "PAY THE MAN!!!"    I think at that point the owner realized he could have gotten more $$.


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## babsbag (Jan 26, 2018)

@Devonviolet  Nice stanchion and good score.    As far as milking meat goats you can milk Boers and probably Kikos too. The Boers have a very high fat milk but they don't give as much and don't stay in production as long as dairy does will. Some Boers are bred to dairy does but the breed in and of itself is not a mix. Kinders are, they are a mix of nubian and pygmy so you get a smaller goat, more meat, and more milk, maybe a win win for some people. 

Milk that is higher in Casein does indeed produce more cheese per gallon of milk, but for people that have an allergy to milk higher Casein is not what you want. LaManchas, Nubians, and Nigerian Dwarfs typically have higher Casein than other breeds. No ideas where the meat goats fit into that lineup. I have an Alpine buck that carries both alleles for higher Casein protein so his offspring will carry at least one of the two alleles depending on what the doe brings to the table and imagine that all my Alpine does do not carry the allele for high Casein.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 26, 2018)

Kikos are derived from the top dairy goats in New Zealand crossed with the Feral Goats of the Mountains... so technically they are dual purpose.

The kiko has very high fat which allows for higher wean weights/less creep feed and they can and do raise twins/triplets easily without interference.
They are not a heavy goat. The meat market weight goal is 60-80 lbs. good weaning weights are around 45# . They have less bone, as in not heavy thick bone so that weight equates to more meat.
The downside of using heavy meat goats on todays dairy goats are size... 
We have bred a Lamancha buck to a Kiko doe before.

Yes, you can milk them BUT duration of lactation is not going to be there. They give fat plentiful milk but are not going to milk for 10 months like a dairy goat. They also are very forage oriented, they do not do well on just a bunch of hay and feed. They do poorly under those conditions.

Eventually I am going to DNA my goats for casien.


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## Alaskan (Jan 27, 2018)

AClark said:


> How old are the children? I've pasteurized what I have so far because I have a 1 year old and worry she might not be able to fight off food poisoning like the rest of us.


yeah....  I would also be worried about a 1 year old too.  I think you can get your milk tested for a range of stuff.... 

but even then, I would need to research it awhile to see what all of the risks are and exactly why/ what causes them.

My youngest right now is 9.  I think we got them 2 years back????  So he would have been 7.


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## babsbag (Jan 27, 2018)

Since I just took my test for pasteurization license let's see if I can remember all of the "nasties" that can be in raw milk. E-coli, salmonella, listeria, q-fever, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, brucellosis, septic sore throat, diptheria, scarlet fever,typhoid fever, and para-typhoid fever. I have no idea how some of those would be contracted, like typhoid and diptheria. You can test you goat for TB and brucellosis but the ones that cause the most danger are E-coli, salmonella, and  listeria and I don't know if there are at home tests for those or not. I know that the big raw milk dairy in CA has all of their milk tested before bottling.  I drink it raw but I don't let anyone else drink it raw and I won't be selling it that way.


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 27, 2018)

babsbag said:


> most danger are E-coli, salmonella, and listeria


…and the hard thing is that they might be fine right now but it could be another story in 2 weeks from now. So testing 1 time isn’t going to tell you much.


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## alsea1 (Jan 27, 2018)

The animal must be healthy. Rumen must have correct ph balance. A balanced rumen is less likely to have bacterial action.I toss milk if a goat is off at all. 
I used to wash and dry the udder and teats, but now I focus more attention to keeping the stalls as clean as possible and do a clean if the udder is dirty.  I use the towelettes for babies to clean off my hands before milking. I also make a point to evacuate the teats before milking into the pail. I keep hands and fingers away from the teat opening. 
My goats produce very good milk so have not worried too much about getting it into super cold containers. I'm only milking three goats and sharing it with kids so not too much milk to worry about.


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## babsbag (Jan 27, 2018)

The "big 3" are found in the environment so a goat could pick it up any day of the week and you would never know.


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## Lance Blythe (Jan 28, 2018)

I currently have an unregistered herd of half Pygmy and half Pygmy fainter. I have 1 mixed girl-maybe Nubian-boer cross, 1 blue eyed fainter buck and a dwarf nigerian buck.

I own a tree farm which is next door so I have no desire for anything larger than Pygmy.


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## AClark (Jan 29, 2018)

babsbag said:


> Since I just took my test for pasteurization license let's see if I can remember all of the "nasties" that can be in raw milk. E-coli, salmonella, listeria, q-fever, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, brucellosis, septic sore throat, diptheria, scarlet fever,typhoid fever, and para-typhoid fever. I have no idea how some of those would be contracted, like typhoid and diptheria. You can test you goat for TB and brucellosis but the ones that cause the most danger are E-coli, salmonella, and  listeria and I don't know if there are at home tests for those or not. I know that the big raw milk dairy in CA has all of their milk tested before bottling.  I drink it raw but I don't let anyone else drink it raw and I won't be selling it that way.


Camphylobacter too I believe. Listeria you always hear about in the news with cheeses and deli meats - and that's stuff from the store, it's damn near not safe to eat anything anymore lol.
I rapid cool it after I pasteurize and the milk is great, it only takes me about 10-15 minutes total to do it as well (slow heat time on the stove up to 160F). Probably well worth the little extra time not to give everyone a case of "Montezuma's Revenge".


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## Southern by choice (Jan 29, 2018)

Camphylobacter is alot more serious than many think. It is very high on the food poisoning list .  Commonly found in undercooked /raw meat as well. That is why the labels on all meats say to fully cook so the multiple dangerous bacteria are killed. 

The seriousness of Camphylobacter... 76% of Guillain-Barré syndrome patients have this present at time of infection.  (GB is also highly associated with the flu shot -just an FYI )

This lady was part of a cowshare- robust and healthy- not immune compromised... 
http://www.about-campylobacter.com/family_campylobacter_outbreak#.Wm86IqinGUk

This young man's cause was from an injection-  but thought you might want to see how GBS progresses... 






Not a debate about raw or not- everyone should choose for themselves but many are not educated about risks UNTIL after a crisis.  
Get educated... so you can make an informed decision.
Almost all patients that got E-coli or Camphylobacter from raw milk all say the same thing... I wish I would have educated myself better.


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## alsea1 (Jan 29, 2018)

We tried pasteurizing but didn't like the taste afterword.


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## AClark (Jan 29, 2018)

I know some people say they can taste the difference - I personally can't. I tried it raw (just on me, not the family) and didn't notice anything different with pasteurized vs non-pasteurized. What I did notice though, is if it isn't cooled rapidly, it gets an off-taste. I put my jars in the kitchen sink full of ice water and sit and spin them while I'm cleaning up the kitchen/milking supplies. More area exposed = faster cooling, or that's my theory. I think it tastes like thick creamy regular whole milk.


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## Devonviolet (Jan 29, 2018)

Southern by choice said:


> This young man's cause was from an injection- but thought you might want to see how GBS progresses...


WOW! I watched the video. What an amazing journey!  I bawled my eyes out! But, it had a happy ending.  How sad that this young man had to go through it, though!


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## easykeeper (Jan 31, 2018)

Lance, here's an article that may be helpful for you as it adds some additional information to the conversation. While it focuses on troubleshooting off-flavors in milk, the information included in it will help you ensure you get the best quality milk. http://community.easykeeper.com/easykeeper-extension/troubleshooting-off-flavors-in-goat-milk


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## Eddy Winko (Jan 31, 2018)

A good cleaning regime is essential, we use commercial teat wipes which clean the udder and your hands, but we drink our milk raw, make kefir and cheese from raw milk as well as ice cream, although that gets pasteurised in the process. Also used in soaps.
Keeping things cold certainly helps to prevent any goat flavour.


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