If you haven’t had fresh raw goat’s milk, man, you are missing out!
Most people turn up their nose at goat’s milk because they assume it tastes pungent and has a musky flavor. I’m here to tell you that isn’t true at all!
Goat’s milk is light, sweet, clean, and fresh tasting. There isn’t a hint of grassy, goaty, musky, or “off” flavor whatsoever. If you’ve visited my house, I’ve probably forced you to try my goat’s milk, not because I’m weird (well, okay maybe a little), but because I love to see the look on your face and hear you say, “Wow, that tastes just like regular milk!”
So, why has this myth about goat’s milk tasting disgusting become so common?
Well, for starters, there are some things that can definitely alter the taste of goat’s milk. Goats are very sensitive to pheromones. This means that if a male buck is kept in close quarters with a female doe, then you have a good chance the milk will taste musky. Male bucks give off a strong pheromone scent, which can affect the females hormones and the flavor of her milk. (To take care of this problem, most goat owners keep their males far away from the females except during breeding time.)
Another reason why goat’s milk can taste “off” is the way it is handled after milking. Here are my key tips for keeping our raw goat’s milk fresh and delicious tasting for 2 weeks or longer.
Before I begin with my tips on how to keep raw goat’s milk fresh, here are some previous articles of mine on milk (and goats).
- Milk Showdown: Cow vs. Sheep vs. Goat – Which is best?
- Why YOU should be drinking Raw Milk…
- A Simple Guide to Raising & Milking Goats
How to Keep Raw Goat’s Milk Fresh and Delicious
- Start with a CLEAN Seamless Stainless Steel Bucket. Milk can harden and become attached over time to your milk bucket, so it’s a good idea to use a SEAMLESS Stainless Steel Bucket. It’s the best option for keeping things as clean as possible. After milking, rinse out with COOL WATER, then spray my milking bucket with a natural cleaner, and use HOT WATER to rinse. The reason you need to start out with cool water is that if you use very hot water on milk, it can harden and create milk stone, which is sort of like a buildup of old milk that can make your milk go bad faster. It’s not something you have to really worry about, just remember to rinse with cold water, and wash with soap and hot water and you’ll be good. I don’t usually run my bucket through the dishwasher everyday, only about once a week. Most people buy a seamless stainless steel bucket like this one, but we had to purchase a shorter stainless steel bucket to fit under our mini goats (Nigerian Dwarfs).
- Filter the milk as soon as possible. If you’ve ever milked an animal before, you know that dirt, hair, bugs, and flecks of whatever can get in your milk. It sounds way worse than it is. The amount is pretty tiny, but to keep the milk tasting fresh, it’s important to strain every little speck out. I use special disposable milk filters and a stainless steel strainer to hold the filters.
- Chill the milk as soon as possible and keep it between 35-38 degrees. According to Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy, to make raw milk last a long time, be sure not to break the “cold chain”. We used to store our raw goat’s milk in our regular fridge, but we noticed it didn’t last very long. It turned out our regular fridge, even at it’s coldest, was around 40 degrees. Now it made total sense why our milk only lasted about 5 days before it tasted “off” or a bit sour. We decided to purchase a mini-fridge and it was the best decision we could have made when it comes to our milk. We had to play around with the temperature a bit, but once we found the right spot, it worked beautifully. A standard mini fridge can hold 4 gallons of milk, which is plenty for us goat owners:)
- Store the milk in GLASS jars. Glass is the best option for storing raw milk. We like to use these half-gallon mason jars and plastic lids. To clean them, we just rinse with cold, spray with a natural cleaner and hot water, then run through the dishwasher. They become very clean and sterilized. A couple times a month, you can use 2 TBS. of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and shake around in the jars and allow to soak before loading in the dishwasher.
Now it’s time to drink your raw goat’s milk, share with your friends (or force them to drink it), and enjoy how delicious and fresh it can be.
Hi I had looked up how to keep goats milk fresh and I came upon this post. Then I read a post from a website called RNR Farm and it looks like they copied you! They used almost the exact same words and everything! I though that this was a bit crazy.
Hello-
Yes, odd. Thanks for letting us know!
-Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I am new to goats and have 2 pregnant Nubians, the first will be kidding in about 6 weeks. When I’m milking both does, should I milk the first goat, go inside and strain and begin chilling the milk, clean everything, and then go do the same for the second goat? Or can I milk into the same pail, maybe dumping the milk into a reservoir (like Justin Rhodes does for his cows) in between goats? As a new milker, I’m worried about how long it will take me to milk each goat. Also, is it important to keep the milk from each doe separate?
Hi Nancy-
You can milk it all into one pail. Milking usually only takes 5-10 minutes per goat.
The only reason you’d keep milk separate is if you needed to test it for anything or just wanted to see if they taste different.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
.Can you please update the link for the disposable milk filters and stainless steel strainer. The current link says unavailable. Thanks
Hi Crescent-
I am sorry Amazon is currently out of them, we don’t have any control over that. However, these are the filters and strainer DaNelle uses, so you can try others, but DaNelle isn’t recommending them.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
New to goat milking can I mix my milk together from different days milking that week or do I need to keep them separate…
Hi Spencer-
It’s best to keep different days separate so you can track how old the milk is and how long it will stay fresh.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
My wife insists on pasturizing our goats milk in fear of getting sick but I was wondering should we pasturize it right after straining or should we chill it first abs pasturize it later?
It only seems to make sense to me to pasturize after filtering but then again I’m still new to goats milk. I also find the milk has a bit of an aftertaste and I’ve seen a few breeds are known for it but didn’t see alpines listed. Our buck is separated and doesnt have contact with them so I’m curious what the cause could be
Hi Joey-
DaNelle doesn’t pasteurize her milk so not sure when or how you should pasteurize it.
This article can help you with the goaty taste: https://www.weedemandreap.com/does-goats-milk-taste-bad/
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
If we we’re to get a weenling buck would we have to keep him away from the does?
Hi Amonnie-
Yes, you need to separate him because at 7 weeks of age they can begin breeding. At that age it wouldn’t so much affect the taste of the milk, but as he got older it may.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
These are great tips for keeping raw goat milk fresh! I love freezing my extra goat milk so I can use it during the off season. Cleanliness and of course freezing it right away is essential for it to keep that fresh taste. Thanks for sharing!
What literature or site or information even could you recommend for complete newbies? We bought what we were told was 2, 4-6 month old dwarfs. One truly is that age. The other we found out was older when she had a baby a few days ago. Apparently pregnant when we got her back in October. We planned to have more time to learn more, but now we are thrown into it all alot sooner than planned. We know nothing about milking and care. We are still learning about just caring for and raising what we thought were adolescent goats… Lol. Any help, tips, advice, ideas and direction would be greatly helpful and appreciated! TIA,
Well that is quite a surprise! But a happy one at least! I am giving you the link to the goat section on DaNelle’s webpage. There are so many articles about what to feed your goats, what supplements and minerals to give, how to vaccinate, deworm, and dehorn, what supplies you need, etc. With this general overall link you can peruse the site and find the information you need.
https://www.weedemandreap.com/category/animals/goats/
Also check out DaNelle’s YouTube channel. So many helpful (and funny) videos to get you started and keep you going. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4zEY4qO8OSK5P3sP9MMEQ
I hope this helps! Best of luck with everything and Happy Goating! Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I sanitize my milking equipment with the green bottle of Branch Basics or bleach water (2 Tbsp bleach and 4 drops Dawn, almost Fiasco Farm recipe). Tests on my bottled milk show rinsing the bowl well and then washing the bowl 3 times, let the bowl sit 2 minutes after last wash (I clean the milking storage container while I wait) and then rinse in cold water. Do not dry. Shake off most of the water. I have a towel in the bottom of my container to catch water. I wash my milking and container towels with bleach in the wash and the rinse and dried on the hottest setting. Also, I forgot to mention in my previous post that I use 1 to 4 frozen water bottles in my salt water to quickly cool my fresh milk.
I have 3 Mini LaManchas. I put my milk in a bucket of salty ice water water in the fridge to cool it quickly. The water goes about halfway up on the first jar, never past the jar neck on any jar. You could also use a cooler. I do test my milk several times a year because I have shareholders. If my family were the only ones to drink it I would test only at the beginning of each lactation. That is the only time I have noticed problems. I have had several seasons when one or more goats (usually the younger ones) have had a pathogen in their milk with no signs or symptoms. I send a sample to TVMDL. Check colleges in your area.
So I am just starting this process and am concerned as I do not have a dishwasher. How can I be sure that my equipment is clean enough?
Hi Lindy-
That’s great you are milking and wanting to keep it safe. To sterilize equipment, such as glass jars, without a dishwasher, heat water over 171 degrees F and pour into your jars and/or submerse them. Just be careful and don’t get burned. This is very hot water and should be used with a lot of caution. Hope this helps! Happy milking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
this is what I am doing and since I am milking into a soup pot Right now since I didn’t have a Pail. I boil the jars and the pot and my fine mesh filter together.
I credit Danelle vidoes with helping me now what to expect and seeing all her goats ? I have been milking my doe for five days and I have a precious herd of of 4 does.
I enjoy all the thought and info that everyone writes in. You do a good job DaNalle!
Would there be any reason to have the raw milk tested once before consuming? I am a total rookie, so I’m just asking, as I am getting started. I’m just trying to learn. 🙂
Hi Chelsea-
So great you are interested in raw milk! I have been drinking raw milk consistently for well on 3 years now in my adult life, and drank it for the first 7 years of my childhood (except when I was breastfed). The milk I now consume, and did back then, I know was handled properly and the cows and goats are and were taken care of in the best manner possible. My thoughts on this, and this is just my personal opinion based on my own raw milk consumption, is that if you know where your milk is coming from and you trust that source, and sanitary procedures are followed, then no, you do not have to have the milk tested. If you don’t know the source personally, then, well, you really shouldn’t be drinking it. If you are a healthy adult or child, raw milk really holds no risk for you. If you are pregnant (although I drank raw milk off and on when I was pregnant), immune compromised, or very, very elderly with health problems then you may want to have it tested. That’s my caveat, warning, or whatever you want to call it, saying that I told you there are risks so make your own wise choice. I am never going to tell someone to do something they think is risky. My own choice is to drink raw milk from a source I know very well and personally and trust very much and I would never have it tested. So, that’s my opinion, but you are a smart decision making adult and you should always do what is best for you. 🙂
So the short answer is no, I don’t test because I know my source.
I hope this helps! Thank you so much for reading and posting! Happy Milking! 😉 -Bobbi
Hi DaNelle,
We are new to goats, and milking our Nigerian Dwarf. We are noticing a “goat taste” to the milk. We have a buck on the opposite side of the barn. How far should they be apart as to not affect the taste of the milk?
If the milk is tasting “goaty” right after milking, it could be that your goat is more affected by the buck’s hormones. It could also be that he’s in rut and giving off more hormones than normal. If it’s tasting “goaty” after a couple days, it’s that your fridge isn’t cold enough:)
I have recently become a crazy goat lady but have been given tips by some amazing people in my area. The number one thing they say to do is milk your goat into an iced bucket. My new friend Mary sets up a bucket of ice water, in that she has a smaller bucket with a filter attached. The milk from her Nigerian herd tastes much better then cows milk.
There are lots of different goat odors…..our buck doesn’t go into rut until the fall, so typically don’t have to worry about buck smell year round. Our buck is actually quite decent the rest of tbe year when he isn’t blubbering and peeing all.over himself. He is actually cleaner than the does. Depending on where you milk your doe (s), you can get off odors or tastes in your milk. Milk is very susceptible to getting odors from its environment (including in the refrigerator). Strong odors, no matter their source, can make milk taste bad or off. Also, look at your udder cleaning regimen and your milking process. I sterilize all my milking equipment each day, clean the udder and teats before milking, use gloves to milk, then pour milk from bucket to milk can through a strainer. After milking, I spray her with fight back teat spray and let her back into the stall with her babies…Then I take the milk right into the house after milking and filter again through a disposable milk filter (sort of like a paper coffee filter) into the sterile canning jars. I write the date on the jars and then put them immediately into ice to cool rapidly. We don’t have an extra refrigerator for our milk, so we just keep the milk in the cooler all the time and refill the ice. An ice maker is cheaper than an extra refrigerator. Anyway just a few thoughts I thought to pass on. I hope this helps.
Hi, i have been looking for just a simple vanilla ice cream recipe? Would live to hear some of y’alls. Thanks!!!
I heard of a lady who quit storing her goat milk in half gallon jars because she couldn’t get it cooled down fast enough for the milk to not get the off flavor. I had a though; I use the Henry Milker 2 and was thinking of using cold Jars and actually putting a cold pack in the carrier with it so that pretty much as soon as the milk leaves the goat it is getting cooled. thoughts?
I have 2 alpine and 2 short cross so this year will be interesting for sure.
thank you for all you do and keep the goat talk coming.
Hi there. After milking we take the milk can right into the house and after straining/filtering into sterile canning jars, we put the jars full of milk into our cooler full of ice. You can also take out the jars once or twice as they are cooling and give them a little shake for half gallon jars. We are usually too busy to do this and our milk is fresh and delicious and keeps for a very long time. The ice cools off the milk very quickly. Refrigerators and freezers just don’t cool the milk off as quickly as the ice. Anyway….that’s what we do, and it works really well for us so I thought I would pass that along to others. =)
Hi! I want to start a raw dairy and am going to start small with 2 goats. I’ve read that after you milk and strain, the milk needs to go into a bulk tank to cool and then bottling. The smallest bulk tank I can find is a 15 gallon. Is this the case with 2 goats? How do you chill your milk after milking? Thanks!
I wouldn’t use a huge tank like that. It’s not the size that makes it cool faster. We pour it into glass jars and chill in a 38 degree fridge immediately.
Hi DaNelle,
I am so happy I found you, perfect timing!
I am interested in buying a couple of Goats (mostly because they are so adorable) but it would be great
to get milk and would love to learn how to make soap!
I am thinking of Nigerian Dwarf goats , but have never owned any goats,
I just want to thank you for all the info you supply, it really will make a difference!
I keep “dabbling” with providing a healthier more organic living for my family but end up
“falling off” the healthy ban wagon ! I am ready to make Lasting changes now.
I Also love your info on essential oils, will be trying some!
Thanks again for all you do!
Have a great day!
Thanks so much for saying that, Carol! I think you would really love Nigerian Dwarf goats! And I think you’ll also love essential oils:)
I’d like to know why raw goat milk I purchased from a local farm curdles up even in the fridge a couple of days later? Thanks
Wow, that’s really interesting. It shouldn’t be curdling that soon. I’ve never had my milk curdle even when it’s 3-4 weeks old. How warm is your fridge? It could be that it’s not getting chilled well enough.
I have heard that making goat milk soap is not as easy as it seems. the temp that the lye gets to you can end up scalding the milk. have you done it before?
From what I have heard, you freeze the goats milk first before adding it to the lye mixture
Making milk based soap is deffinately a challenge but super possible. We make organic soap and use oat milk and almond milk and have used goat milk in the past. The key is to freeze the milk in an ice cube tray first and also suround your glass mixing bowl with ice. We do this in the sink so its easier. Also adding the lye a little at a time and stiring it to keep it cool. Make sure all the lye is incorperated and strain it before adding to the oil to make sure you dont get a dissolved lye in your oils. Hope this helps
This is exactly where I/We are! Just moved from the city to 16 acres in the middle of no where! We have 3 girls (19, 14, and 6), 4 hens, 2 dogs and 2 cats. A small garden to get my feet wet. I started using essential oils this year and using more raw acc, coconut oil and local raw honey. Now I am on the raw goats milk wagon and am constantly researching. Thank you so much for all your information!!
I love reading your blog, lol it keeps me sane in China(or as sane as I can get). I am setting up my farm for when I go back to the U.S and my wife thinks it is silly to have my farm thought out a year before we can even get her visa. Lol even looking at land now to pass the time. Ok done with my rambling awesome site that I can read past the GFW xD
Thanks, Ethan! That means so much! It’s fun to dream about farm life, hopefully you’ll be able to get one as soon as possible!
Very nice and informative. Thanks for putting these together.
Can you milk into a strainer and/or filter to prevent hair, dirt, and the like from getting in the milk in the first place? I don’t have goats yet (I don’t think they’d bode well in Baltimore), but someday!
Yes, lots of people do that! It just tends to spray up and make a bit of a mess. I like to spray directly into the bucket:)
As a child, I was lactose intolerant. I hated cow milk, bc it would make me puke. I got really sick, and lost ability to walk. (lack of Vit D), I spent about a month in the hospital. An old country Doctor told my family to buy a goat, and I drank goat milk – I owe a lot to “Annie ” She gave birth during the Gemini landing on the moon, and we named her kids Gemini and Molly Brown. I remember our family running inside to watch tv, and back outside to watch the birth. I haven’t owned a farm in 35 years, but it’s calling me back. We are in negotiations for 10 acres! Can’t wait to buy my first goats!
Wow, what an amazing story! I hope you get your farm too, 10 acres is amazing!
the problem you probably had with cows milk was it was a1 an not a2 99% of people who are lactose intolerant will not have any problems with a2
I have been milking 1 or 2 does for the last five years. When I started, a friend told me he put cans of frozen vegetables in his pail to prechill the milk before it gets to the house. Rather than cans, I have used plastic water bottles that I wash clean after each use, then keep them in the freezer till next milking. Three bottles in a gallon pail makes the milk cold enough to drink before it gets to the fridge. Our milk does keep well.
Hello DaNelle!
Can you add today’s milk to yesterday’s glass jar? I am just wondering which size glass jars to get – I hate to get 1/2 gallon jars and then only have them 1/4 filled all the time!
Thanks so much 😀
Yes, we do that all the time!
Hi..Danelle….
My goat just delivered two baby goats .one male and female..
i have never gone through the experience of milking a goat..can u pls let me know how do i clean the udder n teats.
We stay in a remote location where we can depend only on household options…
pls suggest some remedy………
Hi Santosh,
All you need to do is take a clean rag and soapy water out with you to the goats, then clean her udder and teats as good as you can. Here’s my full tutorial here on milking a goat: https://www.weedemandreap.com/how-to-milk-a-goat/
Dont know if this has been answered but i just started milking my goats (totally new at this!) And i noticed my glass jars of milk have somewhat of a buildup against the glass. Is this normal?? Did I make any sense?? Thank you for all your posts! Im learning sooo much!
Hi Taylor,
Yes, this is normal:) It is just the fat molecules that attach to the sides. We shake the jar before we pour to catch it all:)
Hi there DaNelle I was wondering if It would be a difference if I milked into a plastic bucket instead of stainless steal one thank you.
Hi Igor,
Yes, it’s not recommended because the milk particles will get stuck on the plastic and over time your milk will taste “off”. Stick with stainless steel, it’s very easy to clean:)
I love this article! What state are you guys in? I really want my baby to be weened onto raw goats milk after breastfeeding but here in MN its hard to get a hold of raw milk as, legally, stores cannot sell unpasteurized dairy. =(
Hi Cassie, we’re in Arizona:)
Hi DaNelle! Quick questions regarding milking – when you’re finished, do you immediately clean/ balm the utter AND THEN take your milk inside to strain, or do you leave the goat there on the milk stand while you run inside and strain your milk? Seems like there are pros and cons of each way.
PS – I LOVE YOUR BLOG!! It has been Extremely helpful and fun 😀
Hi Samantha! I keep the milk out with me till I finish all the outside chores:)
I have four Nigerian s and they all have baby’s now when old be the best time best time to start milking and how many goats would I need for cheese and ice cream and butter?
Yay for new baby goats! Most people start milking when the babies are 2 weeks old. You can read more here: https://www.weedemandreap.com/raising-goats-milking-goats/
Thinking about getting a goat for milk and cheese but may not be able to milk her daily. How big of a problem would that be?
Hi Mike,
THe goat would need to be emptied at least once a day. You can use the babies as filler milkers and put them in the with mother any day you don’t want to milk:)
Hi, thanks for sharing your helpful tips,sorry if this is a silly question but I’m learning how take care of my milk, can I do freeze my goat milk?
Thank you.
Hi Enid!
Absolutely! Goat’s milk freezes beautifully!
Do you freeze it in the same glass jars you store in the fridge?
I normally freeze it in ziploc bags, but you can freeze in jars if you leave enough headspace:)
My father do the same thing (forcing everyone to taste the milk and make them think the goat milk is like the regular one. lol) but the thing is to store the raw milk, he freeze it. and if you keep the milk in 35-38 temperature, how long it will last?
Hi Izza,
If you keep the milk at that temperature, you can keep it good for up to 3 weeks. After that it starts to taste sour:)
Wow, that’s a long time for fresh milk! Wonder why cow’s milk from the store doesn’t keep that long? We currently buy our store milk in pint cartons (there’s only 2 of us) because if we buy anything larger, it goes off after about 3 days… -Michelle G
Do you pasturize your milk before consuming it?
I don’t:) We strain the milk and refrigerate it, but we don’t pasteurize.
Do you put the milk in an ice bath after milking? Do you leave the lids off while the milk cools? Do you wash the udders? How?
Hi Shannon,
I don’t use an ice bath. We simply bring the milk in, strain it, and place it in a clean jar and right into the cold fridge! We wash the udders with my homemade udder wipes here: https://www.weedemandreap.com/homemade-udder-teat-wipes-milking/
Thanks for this great article! Can you please tell me the “natural cleanser” that you like to use for your milk bucket? Thanks!
I loooove Branch Basics: https://branchbasics.com/?ref=23
I live in Zimbabwe and work at an orphanage. My husband and I own over 200 of our own goats, but I also run the Saanan goats at the orphanage. This year we are up to 21 milkers and growing. We do have the musky taste in the milk, and this article has helped me see where we are going wrong. Thank you so much.
I see this was posted about 6 months ago, has the milk improved in taste now? -Michelle G
Hi. Can I give goat milk to my infant. I plan on breastfeeding but when I can’t, I want to give goat milk? What are your thoughts?
Thank you
Hi Daisy, I’d recommend this recipe instead https://www.weedemandreap.com/goats-milk-infant-formula/
If you are using Nigerian Dwarf milk, don’t bother with cream – use whole milk. It is much, much better. I make ice cream all the time and have a waiting list of friends and family. I make a custard base ice cream using ND whole milk and back yard chicken eggs. The only other ingredients for vanilla ice cream are organic cane dried sugar and natural vanilla.
Even when I was in high school, we used whole cow’s milk – it was just too rich with cream.
I have made ice cream for years and cannot imagine why you get any kind of “off” flavor because you are freezing it.
Could you please provide your full recipe for vanilla ice cream using ND milk? I would love to try it! TIA
Hi………Could you please provide your full recipe for vanilla ice cream using ND milk? I would love to try it ! THANK YOU KINDLY FOR YOUR REPLY!! Blanche
I think this will scratch your itch! https://www.weedemandreap.com/recipe-homemade-orange-vanilla-ice-cream/
I was wondering if you could tell us exactly what mini fridge you purchased and what settings to keep your milk at a good 30?
Thanks!
Nicole
You can purchase a temperature controller at a wine/beer or cheese supply store; it overrides the thermostat on the fridge. They are most commonly used to hold at a warmer temperature but they should hold at any temperature. Of course, ask before you buy.
Hi Nicole,
It’s just a standard mini fridge, but I was sure to get one with a temperature control dial. There are no numbers on ours so we had to place a thermometer in it to get it around 38 degrees.
I would love to get your news letter. I am milking my goat after taking away the twin bucks from this year. I love her milk and plan on making some soft cheese.
Love your blog! Signing up for your newsletter.
Thanks Linda!
DaNelle,
My vote is with Ivey. We keep any where from 6-12 milkers year round, are on our 7th buck, sell fresh raw milk from the farm (Oklahoma law) and nada taste or a complaint from a customer about goaty (Bucky) flavor. The trick is having a separate milking area to milk in that is off limits to the buck. Milk is finicky, if you are milking outdoors in the same pen as the buck, It’s going to impart his flavor, same as it would taste off if you milked next to the compost heap or stored uncovered in a fridge with raw onions. 🙂
i am a missionary working in northern part of india i.e. allahabad-uttarpradesh
planning to start a goatery project… and also want to start selling “Goats milk” in pouches
in india nobody milks goats …want to encourage the poor villagers to milk goats and earn some revenue ..enabling eradication of “Poverty”, can you pls. guide me how to collect the milk in villages and then transport the milk to about 35 kms and how to pack in pouches and sell it
all this exercise is to help the villagers earn some money which they had not known till now
may God bless you
Hi DaNelle,
I don’t know your location, but I am looking to purchase raw goats milk, In my desperation, I am hoping to find out where!? I am located in Placer county or Sacramento county. I appreciate your help.
Thanks,
Terry
Hey Terry, I’m actually in Arizona, and we don’t sell our milk. Sorry!
Do you have to milk your goats at the exact same time everyday? like exactly every 12 hours?
It is best if you milk your goats approximately the same time each day (every 12 hours). They, and you, work best on a schedule. Many of us have Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats and milk once a day. Those of us who dam raise, separate babies at night, then take morning milk for ourselves and let babies have milk produced during the day. After babies leave (sold) or weaned, we milk in the evening and when production starts decreasing, go to once a day. For me, part of the attraction of NDs is that, unlike a cow, can be milked once a day.
Do you have to milk your goats at the exact same time everyday? Like every 12 hours?
No, we don’t have to do it the exact same time. Sometimes we’re an hour or even two late, though they’ll definitely let us know! 😉
How long exactly does it last now that you store it in the mini fridge?
It’ll go 3-4 weeks for us!
I am wondering if there is a reason you use the plastic lids for storage rather than the metal canning lids? Do the metal ones change the flavor?
Hi Kathryn,
The metal lids don’t change the flavor, but they can rust over time. It’s also a bit easier because with the plastic ones, you’re not dealing with two pieces.
We just had our first buckling, a very exciting experience. We just have 2 Saanens, but that’s enough methinks. We are in New South Wales Australia, so the seasons are reversed.
I’ll say first off that your site is lovely to read and has really helped. Our experience seems to be similar in many ways, having no experience with goats but lots of desire to learn and just do it!
My question is this: how soon after kidding can we drink the milk? She’s producing about a litre per milking right now and we’re using it to feed the young one (she only had one). Little mate seems to only drink a litre or so per day, so the rest isn’t getting used.
Ben
You can start to drink some of the milk when the babies are 2 weeks old, and then you can completely wean the babies and drink all the milk at 8 weeks old:)
We use the milk after 5 milking’s , The first milk has colostrum for the Kids, which is usually a thick and dark yellow milk..with antibodies for the kids health.
Very interesting website with good information. Thanks.
Do you have a tutorial on how to make your cheese, yogurt, butter and other awesome organic goat milk food? 🙂 I’ve convinced my bf (a dairy farmer) to let me get goats and I’m both excited and nervous. I want to make everything and I’ve been reading your blogs over and over again and I think they’re really helpful and they’ve put my mind at ease and got me motivated to start making organic goat milk goodies. Definitely will invest in a mini fridge to keep it all cool and safe when the time comes!
Yes, I have cheese & yogurt posts coming soon!
Just wondering I have been told it is against the law to drink raw milk in Arizona. I am in AZ and will be raising a few goats soon so I was just wondering if that was true.
Thanks, Mary
Hi Mary,
It’s only against the law to sell it without a license. So if you live in Arizona, your options are to either own your own milking animals, or purchase from a certified farm:)
You can sell it here in AZ. You just have to label it”Not for human consumption”. I sell it at the farmers market. I tell people it’s for animals, but my family drinks it.
I would love to see a video of this process! My husband is going to bring the fridge that was left by the previous owner of his second practice to keep out in the barn for the milk. Maybe I should have him test the temp first before lugging it for the hour and a half drive!
One of our bred Nigerians we got a couple of months ago kid two days ago. Lost one 🙁 and the other two are bucks. We want to start milking in a couple of weeks. How soon will we need to worry about the bucks affecting the flavor of the milk? The plan is to sell them once they are weened.
Hi Jen,
Sorry to hear about your lost kid. The bucks won’t be affecting the milk until 6 months – 1 year.
DaNelle,
Did you get the 1 qt or the 3 qt SS bucket? We are getting Nigerian Dwarfs Sunday and I’m not sure which one would be best?
Much thanks! (and wish me luck 🙂 )
We got the 3 quart bucket. Good luck!!
I have Nigerian Dwarfs and think the three-quart bucket is a bit much. There not a lot of room under these sweet little girls. I milk into a 16-oz stainless steel cup and empty into my storage jar (with strainer in place) often during milking. That way if a foot goes into the milk, only a little is lost. Because the cup is small, I can hold it in my hand (and milk with the other hand), if my goat decides to kick, I can usually get it out of the way. I started out milking her like I did the cow – goats are *not* cows so I had to find my own way for her and me. It was the first time for both of us though it was her second kidding.
After I filter our milk, we stick it in the freezer for one hour to get it cooled quick!
That is how I started as well. Then my son pointed out to me that if I put it in ice water, it would cool faster. He was right, it’s physics – the cold water transfers temperature faster than cold air. I have my bucket of cold water in the fridge all the time and put the jar of milk in the bucket immediately and add ice as needed. It stays there until the next milking. It is an ice bucket picked up at Goodwill – works beautifully. And I don’t have to remember to take it out of the freezer. (Can you tell I have forgotten?)
I’d like to lay to rest the myth that a buck affects milk flavor.
Actually, proximity of the buck has nothing to do with the flavor of the milk – unless, of course, the doe is rubbing her bag against the buck, or the person who milks is giving the buck a scratch and then milking without washing up.
Goat milk is incredibly delicate. Processes like heat treatment (as done for commercial milk products) damages the milk, hence the “yuck” factor when you buy canned or bottled milk at the grocery store.
Also, what the doe eats can have a negative impact on milk flavor. All the lovely garlic chives out there right now can definitely impart an unpleasant taste to goat (and other species) milk.
And then, there are some does who have off-flavored milk no matter what they eat or how clean and cold your milking methods. Some folks use this to advantage when cheese making.
Of prime importance to good milk flavor is quick milking into a chilled bucket (some folks put the milk bucket into a larger bucket with ice in it), getting it filtered and into the fridge ASAP.
We’ll have to agree to disagree. We had a borrowed buck and it made all our does milk taste bad. Maybe it depends on the buckiness of the buck:)
It might depend on the doe’s sensitivity as well. I cannot peel onions, even with gloves and under the running faucet, without absorbing the onion smell. Regardless of how careful I am, the next day when I wash my face, I smell onions! I don’t know of anyone else who has this happen but it does. If my body can absorb onion odor through breathing then a goat certainly could.
Thank you, this is the article I’ve been waiting for! I do still have questions, though. I’ve read some other articles where people freeze their milk. I know that this is good if you plan to use it for soap making. Can you also freeze it for consumption purposes, like making cheese, ice cream, fudge, etc.? Thanks!
Hi Rachel,
Yes, I freeze my goat’s milk for soap, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it for cheese because cheese is kind of finicky. I think ice cream and fudge would be fine, but I don’t have personal experience with it:)
I have been told that when milk freezes that it changes the proteins in the milk which affects certain cheeses. I imagine Ricotta would be okay but I’ve been advised to not use frozen milk for cheddar. Because of the aging of cheddar and having to wait, I followed the advice because I didn’t want to wait months to find out it wouldn’t work. I have used previously frozen milk for ice cream without apparent issues – but I make custard ice cream which might be a factor. Personally, I don’t care for previously frozen milk for drinking but cooking is fine.
Will keeping our doe with the wethers effect the taste of the milk? Our new doe, we have had her a week, has very tangy milk. Not real “goaty” but VERY tangy.
No, wethers should be fine:)