Where do you take Goat Milk for testing?

[MrsCountryChick]

I'd like to have my Dairy Goat's Milk tested so we can feel safe drinking her milk fresh....but I'm new to all this, so where can you take the milk to have it tested? Or where locally to I research from?

 

[miron28]

i am new to this i just bought me couple of goats to milk why do you have to get the milk tested?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

You need to find a milk testing lab. If you have any dairies (cheese, butter, milk, etc.) around check with them and see if there is a testing lab near you. Or try under labratories in the yellow pages.

 

[bheila]

Check on the WADDL(Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab) website. I'm not for sure if they test milk though. It might be faster if you called to ask them instead of looking at all of the tests they do.

 

[Chirpy]

Here in Colorado we have a Raw Milk Association that will test for us. You might try googling "raw milk in PA" and see what comes up. Otherwise, can you find someone who has dairy goats around you that might know?

Good luck.

 

[citrusdreams]

I just have the vet come and test for TB and brucellosis. I believe those are the only human transmittable diseases that goats can have in their milk.

 

[mamatomany]

FSu will test for staph which what you want to be worried about.

 

[MrsCountryChick]

I grew up on Fresh Cow's Milk, & want to drink my newly gotten Dairy Goat's Milk Raw too..... but I know someone who actually got TB from fresh goat's milk. Safely handled (cleanliness was good I mean)... but it was from their family's goat that they got TB. So even tho I milk very cleanly...... I milk into a large glass jar that I have a filter fitted onto. So nothing even foreign has a chance to come in contact with my milk. But I'm new to goats & it's one of those things that you never worry about it till you know someone it "Has" happened to. So once I get her tested okay then I'll have no worries about drinking fresh milk.

Once she's tested..... if she's neg on the tests do I have to retest her if I get another Doe & I pen them in together in the same fence area? or would I just have to test the new Doe? Just wasn't sure how TB, etc. is transmitted?

I know no-one who has goats.

Well none that has more than pygmy pet goats. Thanks for your help, any help helps.

But for now Pasteurizing is a pain, but it helps us feel better drinking the raw milk till we have her tested.

 

[ranvier]

There is a lab in AZ that we use, you can ship them your samples in a styrofoam box with an ice pack or two and they will run a full bacteria/mastitis & mycoplasma test on the milk. Usually raw/unpasteurized milk is safe, but there is always a potential for mastitis with improper milking and other bacteria that may enter the udder that you'd want to occasionally look out for in your milk. like staph, strep, and mycoplasma. it only runs under $5 for both tests for each sample.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I don't know where in PA you are, but you could try calling either Cornell in NY or Rutgers cooperative extension in NJ. Both of these places would be a good place to start. If they don't test the milk itself, then they may be able to direct you to somewhere that does. Also, you could have the vet tests your goats as well.