Does anyone milk their goats by hand?

[rocktheflock]

I have several goats and I milk them all by hand. Usually three or four are producing at the same time.
I pastuerize the milk to feed to the kids (goat kids) and to drink. Unpastuerized milk spreads CAE through the herd. The only difference in taste is that it tastes better if when you pastuerize it you heat and cool it quickly rather than letting sit on the stove.
I have heard goats milk described as too strong tasting, but in my opinion, cows milk is weak! So it depends on your taste. I have observed that after the does have been producing for a while and are dropping off in production and coming in heat, the milk tastes "goaty", which depending on the severity, can be good, bad, or neutral.

 

[Granolamom]

Quote:
I buy unpasteurized, yummy, fresh-from-the-cow milk for my kids. Oooops, I mean for my pets, of course...

 

[MissPrissy]

Me, too. Jersey flavor.

 

[Chirpy]

I milk my Nubians and Alpines by hand and am looking forward to adding my Nigerian's next year (when they are old enough to freshen). It takes me about 7 minutes to milk each doe when in full milk. I don't know but I think milking with any machine (unless you have lots of milking does) would take longer just due to the setting up and cleaning up afterwards???

Store bought goat's milk is awful!!! (At least to me.) I LOVE fresh, cold raw goats milk. The taste of goats milk is directly associated with how clean/sterile the milking equipment is, straining the milk, how quickly the milk is gotten real cold, what the goats have eaten (if they are on pasture the weeds can change the taste every day) and if there is a buck near them.

In Colorado we can sell raw milk Shares to people with a contract.

 

[bargain]

Hello Granola mom, this is Nancy from Bowdon.....It will depend on how many goats in milk you have. We presently have 4 goats in milk and it takes about 35 minutes to milk 4 - not bad, that includes wipe down, milk and drain.

We do drink our milk raw and make goat cheese, yogurt, ice cream (yummy), kefir (to drink) , buttermilk, goat fudge, custard,,,,,okay I gotta stop - smile. Our chickens love the buttermilk and eat it as well as the cottage cheese I make. The buttermilk keeps them very sound in the digestive tract and they just adore my kefir as well.
I want to make the soaps but haven't started that as well. Too much to do.

We are thinking of selling beauty - who is our youngest milk goat, She will be ready to breed in the fall. She's the blond goat that is mainly Lamancha and a very fun goat.

 

[FunnyFarmer]

Quote:
I buy unpasteurized, yummy, fresh-from-the-cow milk for my kids. Oooops, I mean for my pets, of course...

hee hee...we used to do that too, when I was a kid--it was also Jersey flavor. We had to quit getting it because the milk was so rich it was upsetting my stomach and my mom's!

I wish I could have a milk animal, but I just can't get anything that will tie us down so much! Hubby is already very tolerant of the horse & donkeys & chickens--I don't want to push my luck.

 

[MissJames]

Slightly O/T but my son had most of his small intestines removed after birth.He was on IV nutrition and g-tube feedings til he turned 3.To teach him to eat we started with a high calorie "super pudding" recipe .I made it with goats milk instead of cows,much to his dr's distress.But I knew it was easier to digest.Now he's 7 ,no more tubes and eats like a goat[he'll eat anything!]

 

[MissPrissy]

Hahahaha! You have your own lil "kid". LOL

 

[sunnychooks]

If you want goats for milk you may want to investigate some of the standard breeds or Nigerian Dwarfs. The fainting goats are neat but I don't know if the milk production would be worth the time and work or they would produce enough milk if you have a large family. I have Alpines and it takes me about 8 minutes to milk out one goat. Then, of course, it takes a bit more time to strain and chill. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[PotterWatch]

I just recently started milking one doe a week ago. The milking itself isn't difficult, but my doe is a kicker so I have been trying different things to get her to stop. Tomorrow morning, she will be tied by at least one back leg to the milk stand. I could probably be done milking in 10 or 12 mins even with my inexperience if she didn't kick so much. It has been taking me almost 30mins because I keep having to deal with the kicking. I sure hope our doe who is supposed to kid in March isn't a kicker.