# Dairy goat owners, I have a question.



## _sonshine_ (Aug 29, 2010)

I have had goat cheese 2 times and both times I didnt like it.  The first time I got some from an old lady that I purchased an Alpine from...it was a cream cheese it was good but had a slight bucky flavor it.  She said that she did not keep bucks, she takes her girls to get bred some where else.  The cream cheese was good except the faint bucky flavor.   The second time I got some from a local farm that resells a hard goat cheese made by Trickling Spring Creamery.  This cheese was so bad it tastes like a buck smells,  I could not even swallow it.  It even smells bucky, it was like chewing on a bucks beard yuck!!!!  

So we starting thinking, if this is the norm for goats milk cheeses then goats are not for us (we are new to goats).  Does goats milk taste like a buck?  This cant be right can it?

Thanks!


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## ksalvagno (Aug 29, 2010)

If there is a bucky taste, then bucks have to be nearby. My bucks are a pretty good distance from my does. Goat milk (or cheese or anything else) shouldn't have any type of "goaty" taste to it. My milk tastes like milk. My family (who was expecting the goat milk to taste bad) all said the same thing. "Wow, it just tastes like milk."

The other thing it could be if a buck honestly isn't around is that the milk is left in the barn while chores are being done or something and the milk is picking up the barn smells. Another possibility is equipment that isn't properly cleaned. I also have heard that some goats may naturally not have a good flavor to their milk. I had heard that Alpines milk can be a bit off flavor but I own an Alpine mix and her milk is wonderfully sweet so I'm not certain.

I just made a batch of soft cheese and added some herbs. It tastes wonderful. Tastes like herb cheese to spread on crackers.


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## goatgirl4008 (Aug 29, 2010)

I would agree with the other post I have also heard that some breeds of goats milk taste different. I know for a fact that the meat of any goat will have an off or bucky smell or taste when the grease gets burnt. We had 5 goats processed at our local plant last year had roasts, chops, ground goat and summer sausage made. And thank goodness I was at work came in it smelled like a buck in full rut was in the house and my husband said he tried to cook some chops. Anyway maybe all things goat are good when done properly.


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## freemotion (Aug 29, 2010)

Raw milk and raw milk cheeses are also different.  I find that I can detect a faint goaty smell when I pastueurize milk (which has only been for feeding to goat kids.)

I've only had milk from four different goats in my life, all unrelated to each other, and I've never tasted anything other than wonderful.  It was always fresh and raw, though, and milking and milk handling practices were quite good.  

I will tell you, though, that cheeses made from goat's milk such as cheddar have a different texture than what you are used to from the commercial dairies, bought in the grocery store.  You will not be re-creating Cabot, for example, but it will still be quite good.  We just opened a goat cheddar from May 2009 and talk about sharp!  Yum!  But it doesn't melt all creamy-gooey like storebought cheddar.  And when you eat a hunk plain, the texture is sort of powdery rather than creamy.

I just made a cheddar with 3 gallons goats milk and one gallon cow's milk (from a local dairy) hoping it will resolve the texture issue.  I'll let you know next year....


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## sunnygoats (Aug 29, 2010)

One other thing that I've heard will produce a goaty flavor in cheese is if the milk that is used is older. It could be that the woman you got the cheese from made it with milk she wanted to get rid of before it went bad.
My cheese doesn't have a goat flavor. I have Alpines.


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## Ariel301 (Aug 29, 2010)

I don't taste anything bucky or goaty in our milk or cheese. I do notice it has a bit of a "sharp" or "acid" flavor compared to cow milk, but goat milk is more acidic than cow milk, so that does make sense. I don't find it unpleasant, it reminds me of sour cream. And yes, the hard cheeses do seem to have a bit of a different texture; mine at least seem to be a little dryer and don't melt as well as storebought cheeses--but then, who knows what is added to storebought cheese to make it the way it is...

My husband says any goat product I have made tastes like licking a buck. But our buck doesn't run with the girls, and I do everything very, very clean. He also says it tastes worse when they eat alfalfa, and better when they eat grass. When we were feeding grass hay in the spring because the alfalfa was not available yet, he said it tasted fine, but then he tasted some from our neighbor, who was feeding alfalfa from last year, and he said it tasted bad. I wonder if he's got like an allergy or something to the alfalfa byproducts in the milk? lol


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## Emmetts Dairy (Aug 30, 2010)

I agree with Karen,   Barn cleaning practices, illness and bucks can throw off flavors...but you wouldnt want to eat or manufacture anything with that meat or milk if there sick or dirty...Ive never had anything but great milk from our goats...Should taste just like raw cows milk...Cooling it fast makes a huge differance too...so it really matters where your getting the cheese and milk from??  Find out how the farm your getting this funny tasting cheese from handles the milk and animals??  And then try someone else...If the milk/cheese taste bad..theres something wrong..and I would find someone else to get your stuff from...Dont shy away from it...Keep trying..!!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Aug 30, 2010)

If it hasn't been mentioned already the goat's diet can also affect the flavor of the milk.  Our Nubian's milk tastes like cow's milk but creamier since the butterfat content is higher.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Aug 30, 2010)

our milk and cheese are clean and delish. i've got several cheeses going now. and i just slugged down a "goat-puccino"

it may just be the case that you dont like goat cheese?? which is fine too. not everyone has the same taste for things.


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## cmjust0 (Aug 30, 2010)

There doesn't have to be a buck nearby to make goat dairy products taste like a buck anymore than there has to be vomit nearby to make parmesan taste like vomit.

And, let's face it...parmesan tastes a little like vomit.  

The "goaty" you're tasting in goat products is caproic, capric, and caprylic acid, just like the "vomit" you taste in parmesan is butyric acid..  They're all fatty acids.

Having said that, I've personally come to believe that some goats/breeds simply have more goat-acids than others.  

Does the handling of milk play a part in taste?...sure it does!  If you had a buck in the barn, could some of that bucky odor be imparted into the milk?...you never know, I guess.  

Does it mostly come down to the doe?...I definitely think so.


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## mabeane (Aug 30, 2010)

I certainly agree with you.
My daughter makes and sells cheese.  The first cheese I had from her I couldn't eat...too goaty.   Over time her methods changed and now what she makes is yummy.  She has also improved her herd.


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## _sonshine_ (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks! 
I wont give up on my goats (I have 4)  I will give my girls a fair chance!


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## ALANB (Aug 31, 2010)

I'm Alanb ; Hope to get several answers to this.  I love cold Goats milk !!  and recently got the urge (in our recesion) to make butter with little or NO succes !!  It takes a week or more to separate .  Welcome Ideas on my E-mail to bebop@i10net.com  . Thankyou ... ,  ALANB.


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## ksalvagno (Aug 31, 2010)

If you have the money to spend, you could buy a cream separator. Unfortunately, they cost around $500 unless you can find a used one somewhere. I haven't tried separating the cream so I don't have any other ideas.


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## dkluzier (Aug 31, 2010)

I love my nubian cross goats milk the best, we have a saanen and the only difference that I can taste is the difference in milk-fat, the saanen's being more 1%.  

I think that if you have a predetermined idea that it is going to taste "goaty" or "bucky" then it will. Period.

I also tried making butter and the end result was fabulous.  The only problem was that I only got a tablesppon of delicious butter from a pint of goat milk.  Not worth the effort.


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## Aegipan (Sep 5, 2010)

Well I have a different perspective on the goat milk flavor thing. And I am pretty well flummoxed so maybe someone can help me figure this thing out.

I had a Togg goat who gave birth to two bucklings around April. Didn't milk her for the first few weeks...just let the bucklings nurse. Started milking her sometime in May. The milk was delicious and sweet to our surprise since we had 1) had a bad experience with goat milk and 2) heard bad things about Toggs. So great, right? Not so much...

After milking for several weeks, the milk began to get more and more goaty. Finally no one could stand it. We thought, the bucklings are getting older, they must be making it taste bad. Got rid of the bucklings. Meanwhile, we bought a second dairy goat, a Nubian in milk. Began drinking her milk. Sweet and delicious. Hurray...At first. After several weeks, it now tastes like the other goat's milk (it never recovered to its previous taste and we had been giving it to the dogs - they adore it).

So now I have two goats who started out producing delicious milk that changed over a period of several weeks to undrinkably funky. Obviously it is something in my environment making the milk taste bad. I can't believe it is the way I am handling the milk, cleaning the does or utensils, or anything in the environment I am milking in, since that has been consistent whether the milk tastes good or bad. My procedures have been the same throughout.

We have no bucks on our property. I am pretty sure the neighbor's bucks are far enough away that that is not a factor (plus wrong time of year). And it doesn't taste like something they ate. It tastes (and smells) like old socks smell. To me anyway.

After the research I have done, I have to think the only thing that is left is that the goats are ill, but I do not know what it could be or what to treat them for. I'm assuming the second doe picked up whatever it is and began manifesting the symptoms after a few weeks of being on our farm.

Anyone have suggestions?


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## Ariel301 (Sep 5, 2010)

Have you changed your feed at all? Are the goats on pasture? If they are on pasture, there may be something they are eating out there that is causing it, and either it was not growing earlier, or they had not found it yet.


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## cutechick2010 (Sep 6, 2010)

Sounds to me like your goats are missing something, like a mineral that they need. What are you feeding them? I know with mine, I was getting an off flavor in the milk (they are Nubians, BTW) and I couldn't figure out why. Then one morning I had my Rose on the stand, she turned her head and looked at me, and I saw that she had "spectacles". That is a classic sign of copper deficiency. So I bolused with copper, and the milk tasted fine again in a day or two. That doesn't mean necessarily mean that copper is what your goats need, you will have to do some research on mineral deficiency to find out what tends to be low in your area, etc.


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## Aegipan (Sep 6, 2010)

Wow, that might be it, cutechick. I have been really bad about giving them their minerals lately.  It could well be a mineral deficiency.

Thanks for suggesting that. I will get right on it. I am sure they must need their minerals anyway. (Shame on me.)

Ariel, I kind of doubt it is the pasture for the reasons of the timing as I explained (kind of complicated). I wondered about the feed but I have been giving them alfalfa hay and commercial dairy goat feed on the stand 2x a day and I am pretty sure the hay has been the same all along. Maybe it would be worth trying a different hay for a while. I'll try just about anything at this point. I am super frustrated.


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 7, 2010)

I notice that when I don't feed dry hay and just let my doe graze pasture, her milk is more goaty tasting.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 7, 2010)

i'm guessing its the feed also. even if they are nibbling around they could be getting some kinda weird grass or weed. or maybe there is something in the hay?? since the nubian was new and then she changed.. has to be something environmental.

cutechick - great info, thanks for posting


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## cutechick2010 (Sep 8, 2010)

Your welcome.


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## henrymilker (Sep 9, 2010)

If I had to eat goat cheese or drink goat milk that had that stink (I know it well because I had plenty of it as a child) I just would not drink it or eat the cheese. It is not a good taste to me.
*
Your milk will not have that STINK taste if you*
1. Keep your doe and buck separated (BUT especially during rutting and in-heat times).
2. Keep the goat's living area absolutely clean. This is a must.
3. Feed a balanced diet with a quality concentrate. (only pasture and roughage will not produce a quality, stink free milk/cheese)
4. Before milking, clean the teats and udder properly.
5. Always strip or pre-milk out of the bucket before collecting milk!
6. Be sure that you protect the milk bucket or milk container from any hair, goat poop, hoofs or anything else. It's not good enough to allow all of that "stuff" into your milk bucket and later strain it out. It is contaminated. 
7. Get the fresh milk cooled down immediately (or drink in warm and fresh)

Anyone of these conditions will lend to Stinky Milk. I love goat milk and goat cheese that does not stink.
Mike Henry


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## henrymilker (Sep 26, 2010)

Your experience is very sound support for the absolute need for a complete diet needed for dairy goats. I hope you can get back to the sweet, delicious tasting milk you know your goats can produce. Milking goats is much more fun when you can look forward to quality milk. Keep after it, it's in the feed!
Mike Henry


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## jenjscott (Sep 30, 2010)

When we were in Mexico, my daughter complained about the cheese, I think it was grated on refried beans, we asked and it was goat cheese.  To me it was fine.  I have tried to sneak goat cheese in on her a couple of times, but she always knows.


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## PattySh (Sep 30, 2010)

I am milking 2 goats, a Nubian and an Alpine/Oberhasli. Neither milk tastes "Bucky" although my alpine buck is in rut and in pretty close proximity to my barn right now tho outside of it in his own shelter/pen. I use very clean milking regimne(unscented baby wipes, squirting first milk, milk filters, canning jar with plastic top right after straining which I do in the barn right after the milk leaves the goat, and fightback on the goats after milking. I have had excellent luck with my fresh milk and yogurt and soft cheese(which we flavor with garlic and chives),and custard style ice cream none being "bucky" in taste and accepted by all family members and most friends who have tried it(some balked because awwww it came from goats!). Actually the yogurt(crockpot style) is awesome mixed with our homeade jams and strawberry rhubarb sauce!The ice cream also extremely good!  The Nubian milk being a bit sweeter(tend to use that for ice cream) than the Alpine but both taste rather like cows milk. I have tho had trouble with my first batch of hard cheese being rather tasting like um...................male goat nards!!!!!!!!!!LOL, not sure what went wrong. Aged for a month as directions say. Quite disappointing. We made farmhouse cheddar but  I am thinking possibly kept it at too low a temp in a refrigerator to age. Our second hard cheese just made is being aged on a top shelf in the kitchen as it's been rather cool here. We'll see. Looking forward to my Jersey/Holstein heifer being bred this Feb to mix goat and cow milk together for a hard cheese. Next try is soap, have all the ingredients, only lacking time!


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## PattySh (Sep 30, 2010)

I should have mentioned my goats diet which is mixed grass hay at all times, pasture and mixed browse (tree leaves a fav. apple leaves and what I call swamp maple not sure exactly w hat it is but they love it). For grain I have used several because being rural the farm stores sometimes run out.  Both a dairy mix pellet and sweet goat feed  and originally even a horse pellet and the milk always tastes the same. My daughter works in a restaurant environment and brings home kitchen trimmings which for the goats includes pieces of cookies, cinnamon buns and scones in very small quantities.Also celery, carrot, fruit and lettuce is small quantites. They always have more than enough fresh water at all times, buckets scrubbed out often. I think water is a huge factor in milk production. The girls have heated buckets in the winter.So I think they eat alot of things that could flavor the milk but we don't notice any changes. I only use 3 day old milk or less tho for family use and we drink raw milk anything older goes to the pigs or chickens. I noticed  years ago when we pasturized all the milk was a bit goaty. I might also add that I am feeding an orphan litter of 6 pups right now on raw goats milk and they have surpassed any pup I have ever fed puppy formula. No problems at all, and with formula a host of problems, flaky skin diarreah etc. They are gowing well and thriving. I love my goats!!!!!!!!


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## Aegipan (Oct 2, 2010)

Just thought I would stop by and let everyone know that adding the minerals back into the goat's diets solved the problem.

I previously did everything else pretty much "by the book" 

Diet - goats are getting mixed pasture with plenty of browse, some alfalfa and goat feed during milking. Mostly pasture, though.
Milking - clean udder with soap/iodine water, dry thoroughly before milking. Wash & dry teats after milking. 
Mastitis - None. Been using Molly's Mastitis balm when I had some signs (tested "clean" on mastitis test but had a bit of clumping and blood occasionally). Molly's cleared it up within a week.
Milk - milk into clean glass jars, strain and put in fridge or freezer immediately. (Does not seem to affect taste if I put it into the fridge - milk still tastes fine for a week or more.)
No bucks on site.

Within a day or two of giving the does their minerals again the milk was back to normal taste.

So this just is more evidence that a balanced diet with minerals is highly important to the taste of the milk. 

So glad for the knowledge and information here!!


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## Aegipan (Oct 2, 2010)

By the way - a note on feeding milk to puppies - if they are a large breed like Pyrenees, you should not give them the milk. The reason is the excess calcium causes the bones to grow too much and they can develop joint disorders such as osteochondrosis, and hypertrophic osteodystrophy. 

We did not know this and fed it to my Pyr/Akbash puppies and now one has a pretty bad limp. 

I am not sure if this is a problem for smaller breeds.


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## _sonshine_ (Oct 2, 2010)

Glad the milk is back to normal!!


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