First taste of goat's milk--supposed to be creamy?

[daisychick]

I agree, it's your milk and your body so drink it how you want. No one should feel pressured to have it one way or the other. At our house I keep a jar of raw and a jar of pasteurized, that way if anyone wants some they can choose for themselves which way they want it. I think it tastes the same from both jars, and it is creamy and good!

 

[Catahoula]

A goat breeder I know who is also a veterinarian pasteurize her goat milk. She has four milking does and milk twice a day each. That's a lot of milk!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Had a chicken get hit by lightening in my front yard Sad but was too funny at the same time.

Really?

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Yeah, really! It was crazy. She and a few others had hopped the fence and then when the storm hit, she tried to duck under one of the only bushes in our front field. The bush got nailed and she was super dead.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Yeah, really! It was crazy. She and a few others had hopped the fence and then when the storm hit, she tried to duck under one of the only bushes in our front field. The bush got nailed and she was super dead.

Wow, first time I've heard of a chicken getting hit. I know I should be sad, but... didn't her mom tell her not to stand under a tree during a lightning storm?

 

[kstaven]

Sky Warrior: Personally I think you are being smart about the whole thing considering you don't know the whole history of the animal and right now your practice and milking area are still being developed.

Take it from some one who deals in raw milk all the time. Its not as fool proof as some make it out to be and there are some very real risks involved. Yes, there are some benefits also. But in the end it all comes down to personal choice and comfort level. Reality is that your own milk supply from a healthy, well fed animal is far better for you, pasteurized or not.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Sky Warrior: Personally I think you are being smart about the whole thing considering you don't know the whole history of the animal and right now your practice and milking area are still being developed.

Take it from some one who deals in raw milk all the time. Its not as fool proof as some make it out to be and there are some very real risks involved. Yes, there are some benefits also. But in the end it all comes down to personal choice and comfort level. Reality is that your own milk supply from a healthy, well fed animal is far better for you, pasteurized or not.

Thank you. I personally feel that although Annie is a sweet and healthy goat, I'm really not as confident as many folks who drink raw milk are. I think it is their personal preference, and I think they have the right to drink milk however they see fit. So, got to play around with my pasteurizer and it makes life so much easier! And my husband prefers Annie's milk over anything else with the exception of the non-homogenized milk we have bought in the past. But Annie's milk is very fresh and while not free, it doesn't cost us extra. My DH was commenting how loving Annie is. Yep, it's hard not to be fond of a goat who gives such awesome milk and is friendly.

 

[eweinHiscare]

My does sometimes are antsy when being milked the first time of the season.
To prevent them from stepping in the milk pail I use strips of Velcro wrapped around their hind feet.

The Velcro is attached to a twine that is tied around the board they are standing on.
It is a very quick and easy way to secure their feet and very gentle since the Velcro is a wide tape.

They learn to stand without any chance of getting bad habits.

Also I've found that if I feed them their grain first in a different place, and after they've finished eating, then take them to the milking stand they will
just begin to chew their cud contentedly as I milk.

When I started out with goats I tried to milk them as they ate their grain but I was too slow and they would finish their
grain and then start acting up because they had me trained to keep giving more grain to try to calm them down !

I just strain the milk through a piece of paper towel into glass jars, and with the date written on the lid, put the jars into the fridge or freezer.
I have never bothered with pasteurizing.

The milk is always good tasting, it has never had the goaty flavor.

 

[SkyWarrior]

I just strain the milk through a piece of paper towel into glass jars, and with the date written on the lid, put the jars into the fridge or freezer.
I have never bothered with pasteurizing.

The milk is always good tasting, it has never had the goaty flavor.

You use a paper towel? What do the rest of you use to strain your milk?

Annie is getting better now that I am milking twice daily. I also put udder cream on my hands so I'm less irritating. I've milked her out twice now and oddly enough, one teat produces more milk than the other. Normal?

 

[BlondeSquirrel04]

Normal for one to produce a bit more. My best milker always needs a few more squeezes on her left side.

I put a strainer (metal kind with the mesh) in the bucket. It fits perfectly on top of the pail and catches any hairs, pieces of dirt, etc. It happened by accident, really. I was using cheesecloth but it never stayed in place nicely enough and was a pain to clean twice a day.