Do we have any raw milk drinkers here?

[PaulaJoAnne]

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My inlaws live near Prescott, and get raw milk near them. I think its $8 per gallon.
Keeping a grassfed cow, requires a minimum of 3 acres of good grass blend, that the cow can graze rotationally. Plus 5+ pounds of root veges per day during the winter. Plus doing AI, which does not always take.
Goats are a far better choice for most people, unless you get about 4 families to do the cow together.

Thanks PaulaJoAnne! I can't remember how much the share cost, but I forgot to mention that there was like a monthly fee, too. I think the milk was about $8.00/gallon. Does goat's milk really taste like cows? I've never had it, but thought about goats, since it would be more feasible to drink up the milk from one goat rather than one cow.

It all depends on the goat breed, and if the buck is kept in proximity of the does.
We keep hearing very good reviews on Nigerian Dwarfs.
THey would be a good choice. Also, the more they are allowed to eat naturally, the better.

 

[PotterWatch]

I thought my goat milk tasted no different than cow milk. My husband said he didn't like it, but when I ran out of cow milk and poured some of my raw goat milk in the store container for him, he didn't seem to notice

.

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Well, I like the sound of that -- the more they are allowed to eat naturally, the better! If the buck is kept in close proximity, it can make the milk taste off, right?

 

[GlitterBug]

I drink raw milk sometimes from the Farmer's Market near by.....

I also drank it when I was a teen & lived on a dairy farm for a few years. I was extremely thin at that time & when I "discovered" how wonderful this milk tasted, I definitely gained some much-needed weight! lol
It is by far the most delicious milk I have ever had.

 

[babylady4]

Goat milk can taste NASTY if you do not cool it off as quickly as possible (it will taste goaty). I remember goat milk tasting the same as cow, but when I was buying goat milk this spring it had a very goaty smell and taste to it (I was trying it out on the family in case we get goats some day). After doing some research I discovered the milk is more fragile that cow and so it needs to be iced down as quickly as possible after milking.

I froze the stuff I bought and use it for making soap.

I want to get some dexter cows for milk when we do move out of town. They are nice SMALL cows and would produce enough milk to keep the family well supplied with drinking milk and enough left over for making yogurt and cheeses if I wish to do so.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

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It is best of the buck is kept a mile or so away. It does not make the milk taste off. It makes the milk taste horrible!!
Plus, you yourself will have an odor that hangs on.
We never enjoyed it when the bucks came for their yearly visit

You mentioned the cow milk having monthly fees. How that works, is you buy a share of the cow, and then once per month, you pay the boarding fee. Lets say you need 1 gallon of milk per week, and it costs $8 per gallon.
You get your milk on Saturdays, so since this month has 4 saturdays in it, that means you would pay $32, and be alloted 4 gallons for pickup this month.

Goats are foragers, so you need plenty of variation on several acres for them. They only eat grass if its the last thing available to them. They prefer weeds, and brush.
Nigerian dwarfs must be carefully fed so they do not get potbellied. That is a sign of obesity in a goat, and should only be seen if pregnant.

 

[PotterWatch]

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You don't want to keep the buck in the same pen as the doe(s) for milk flavor issues and because you don't want him trying to breed at every turn either. Unless they have quite a few does, many people don't even bother keeping a buck. When I wanted my does to be bred, I would load them up in my truck and drive to the breeder I wanted to use. How you cool the milk does a ton for the flavor as well. If it isn't cooled very quickly, it can really taste off.

 

[danischi24]

Does it count that when I don't have milk in the office fridge for my morning coffee, I go downstairs to the milking parlor & hand milk a friendly looking cow into my cup?

 

[darkstarr nite]

me also loves raw goats milk never had cows milk raw tho... I actually just sold my milk goat a few weeks ago and wish I had not done that now

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

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Awsome!!!

Yes, that counts!