Cow or goat

[DLS]

I got lucky & my wife suggested that i get a COW or GOAT for drinking milk. wich is easier to tend to? What one has safer milk? Just fishing here so I don't make a big mistake.Let me here what I need to know

 

[ksacres]

If you only want milk for your family use, a dairy cow is going to give you WAY too much to handle. A good dairy goat alone should give you between 1 and 2 gallons a day. They also require less space, less feed, and are much easire to handle. A goat with a burr up her hiney can still be controlled by one person, a cow, not so much...

But if you do get goats, be sure to get at least two.

For pics of Nubians and La Manchas, please visit my website www.freewebs.com/ksacresgoats

 

[hazelton farms]

I was talking about just this the other day with a friend of mine. She said if I really wanted cows' milk (we've already got the goat, just waiting on her to deliver so we can milk) and didn't want more than a gallon or two a day, get a smallish breed and get one that's got a calf on it. Then I could raise my meat and have my milk at the same time. We'd get less milk while sharing it with a calf. Made sense to me!

So, are you interested in raising a bit of meat to go with that milk by any chance? That could be a GOOD solution for you too.

Edited to add... Goats are really great creatures. They can be friendly and are very smart! I love ours!

Stacy

 

[Katy]

I grew up drinking both cow and goat milk and I always preferred the goat milk. A couple of goats will take less feed and space than a cow will. You need to milk them both twice a day tho so either one will tie you down to having to be at home which is something to consider. I've met people you didn't think that far ahead and thought they could pick and chose when they milked them.

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
That's a really good point. You really do HAVE to be there, every day, twice a day. It's time consuming and you have to space it evenly. I usually milk 5 am and 5 pm. The closer to 12 hours apart the milkings, the better.

Although, there are some people that pull their goats down to once a day after peak lactation (about two to three months from freshening)-just don't expect a lot of milk. Goats pulled down to once a day generally produce less than half of what they did on full lactation. And you will still need to keep a regular milking schedule.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
That's a really good point. You really do HAVE to be there, every day, twice a day. It's time consuming and you have to space it evenly. I usually milk 5 am and 5 pm. The closer to 12 hours apart the milkings, the better.

Although, there are some people that pull their goats down to once a day after peak lactation (about two to three months from freshening)-just don't expect a lot of milk. Goats pulled down to once a day generally produce less than half of what they did on full lactation. And you will still need to keep a regular milking schedule.

The same goes for cows. Once past peak some do go to once a day milking but, you get less than half the milk and can have more mamory (sp) health issues.

As far as handling them alone. Cows are larger but, there are ways to handle them if they act up during milking. I've never dealt with milking a goat so I can not compare.

 

[DLS]

I run a boarding kennel so I am herre every day any waySOOooo which tastes better? never drank goat milk.. I have drank fresh cow milk ( I grew up on fresh milk) & enjoy the fresh cream also. same taste or different?

 

[ksacres]

When is peak lactation for a cow?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

About two to three months after freshening. Some cows will hold it longer than others too. Some will peak and hold there for awhile but, others will peak and come down (and some of those crash down).

 

[ksacres]

Depends on the individual cow or the individual goat.

Butterfat content has a lot to do with what your milk tastes like, as well as feed, cleanliness of where you milk and what you milk into, you need good quality stainless steel milk buckets and I would recommend you store your milk in glass jars. Plastic absorbs flavors too easliy and lets flavors from your fridge pass into the milk.

We feed Klassie goat, made by ranchway feeds, it has a lot of molassas in it and imparts a sweet flavor. High butter fat breeds (like ours) will also have a sweeter flavor, than say a Saanan or an Alpine. Another general rule of thumb-the more milk produced the less butterfat %. So, your Nubians will generally not milk as much as Alpines or Saanans, but the milk will be higher in butterfat. Some people will tell you that the milk from high producers tastes bitter, which it may, if you are used to drinking milk that's higher in butterfat.


As for milk cows, Jerseys generally have higher butterfat, than say, a Holstein. More butterfat also equals easier cheese, butter, etc making.

Also, if you get a cow, you will probably want to invest in a milking machine. Milking out gallons of milk twice a day is very hard on your wrists and arms if you aren't used to it. Most people can milk out a goat or two with minimal handcramping, though it does depend on the size of the teats.