Milk flavor/goat taste.

[horseymama2]

My first goat is a mixed dairy doe with the most delicious milk. It tastes just like cow's milk. Even the cream tastes perfect after 2 weeks in the fridge. I now have a second doe in milk, a pure bred alpine who was terribly underweight when I got her. She is 7wks into a lactation cycle and her milk gas a goat after taste. I am rapid chilling hers just like I did my other doe's milk, but its not as good. Any thoughts from the experienced milked out there. Do some goats just have goatier tasting milk? Thanks in advance.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I’m new enough to milking goats that I’m not sure and want to follow along.

A few things that I do know...whatever is eaten can effect the taste of the milk. Some control their does’ diets carefully to avoid any off-tasting milk.

Quick chilling is supposed to help. I’ve heard of going one step further than you are (I haven’t done this) but setting your milking bowl or bucket inside a larger one so that the milk is chilled as it is extracted.

Avoid milking in a dusty area of the barn where anything in the air might contaminate the milk. Brushing the goats underside with a soft brush right before milking will also help minimize the hairs that end up in the milk to change the flavor.

I’ll digress to those with more experience than I. May be late evening before you get another response as it’s nice out today so they are probably working on outdoor projects.

 

[horseymama2]

I am extremely picky about my milk, and my first doe spoiled me. I used her milk in my hot coffee. Her milk is wonderful.

We are wanting to keep a Billy from this years crop, and we were thinking about keeping the buck from the Alpine doe with the goaty milk. But last night my doe with the fabulous milk had a beautiful boy...I think he is a better choice. She has an equally nice udder, is an easier keeper, hardier girl with high production of better milk. If I can't get the Alpine's milk to taste better...I don't want to keep her billy.

 

[Alaskan]

I know someone who got a goat for free that had terribly bad tasting milk.

Turned out the doe was mineral deficient. Maybe due to illness or something, it was harder for her to metabolize minerals? ????

Anyway.... this lady fiddled with mineral supplements. . kelp meal... etc. and finally got the milk to taste excellent.

Not sure if after a while on the extra supplements. .. if the goat's gut healed enough so that she no longer had to be treated special... because all of those extras are expensive.

However... interesting .

 

[horseymama2]

Very interesting, this doe came to me very thin and deficient, going bald, ect... I will give her time and more supplements.

 

[Alaskan]

Very interesting, this doe came to me very thin and deficient, going bald, ect... I will give her time and more supplements.

I think that is a good plan... especially since she was rough when you got her.

that kelp meal stuff is supposed to be very good.