Goat breeds for milking

[2manyhats]

Do any of you goat folks have an opinion about which breed is best for milking? Does the milk taste different between breeds? I like the idea of goats milk, but some tastes goaty. Why?

 

[WrenAli]

Saanens produce the most. Toggenburgs and LaManchas are also good producers.

Not sure why the milk would taste goatish.. Unless they had a buck around the girls or milked dirty animals.

 

[peapatch]

it also depends what you feed them. good hay and sweet grains give you the best tasting milk

 

[2manyhats]

A friend was milking just an Alpine and made some cheese for us to taste. She added some LaManchas to her herd and then made mozzarella cheese and I could taste goat. There wasn't a billy around. Was it the type of cheese or the type of goat that made the difference? Any thoughts?

 

[Chatychick]

Well I milk La Manchas and they dont taste goaty and neither do Alpines either. I love their milk and you cant tell the difference. Mine dont browse in the woods or out they are penned and fed goat chow and alfafa pellets and hay. I have heard that when they eat some weeds you can taste it and some milk just has a off taste. My alpine that I had tasted wonderful and so does my LM. I have heard Toggenburgs have a shaper taste than most. I also have Nigerians and their milk is good also ...no goaty taste. When I breed mine I dont milk and they are usually dry at the time. Maybe its what they are being fed. Also if the minerals are off it can get a different taste and if the milk has set too long it gets a odd taste. Thats how I can tell when to give it to the dogs...after 5 days mine goes out but it usually dont last that long...lol...

 

[greyfields]

Breed makes hardly the slightest difference. People get really pre-occupied by breed selections. In the long run, it is inconsequential.

 

[sweetshoplady]

I think the taste has to do with how quickly you get the milk cold. My girls browse. I love them to browse. I was told it would taste funny because of the weeds, but it doesn't it tastes sweet and creamy. I have Saanen and Saanen/Nubian crosses

 

[olddairyfarm]

Quote:
Greyfields,
I only skip around this website forum, but I've seen more practical advice posted from you than I have gotten in all my 28 years. I can tell you're a real farmer and you seem to know much from experience.
This thread reminds me of incidences when cheap wines sneak in and winds up winning those prestigious wine tastings.

 

[2manyhats]

Thanks so much for the advice. I'm betting that the goaty taste had to do with the milking procedure and not the goats.

 

[hazelton farms]

The only breed I've understood to "taste" different is the toggenbergs. Not sure why as I was on a dairy goat group when I was considering them and asked about them. The general response was that their milk tastes STRONGER. I never got the opportunity to try any of it however.

For me, we have no male around. I milk two lamanches and an alpine. I've noticed that if my milk gets older than 3-5 days, it does develope at that point, a goaty flavor.

Stacy