Goodness of Goat Milk?! ~ Give it a Try

If the words "goat milk" conjures up unpleasant thoughts then I must tell you I was once in your same boat. We purchased a goat for our farm because my husband grew up on goat's milk and my daughter was dying to milk something… Well, a quart of milk entered our fridge every day. It lurked in the back corner and I would have to avert my eyes daily. No thank you, I could almost smell the goat in the milk from the jar!

The sinister jar of goat's milk…

Then, that fateful day came… It all started out with a piece of chocolate cake (Don't your stories of temptation always start out with chocolate?) that sat on the counter. The last slice was beckoning to me at about three o'clock when energy was low. I prepared the banquet for myself, meaning the cake on the plate, some good reading and a glass of cold... "what"!  NO MILK??? Now, what would you do if you were me? Be honest! A plate of chocolate cake and no milk to wash it down?

So, I did what any desperate "goat milk fearing" woman would have done in the situation, I said a silent prayer and tried the "menacing" milk… And what do you know? It was creamy and tasty and everything you would want in a milk! No goaty flavor in FRESH GOAT'S MILK. It was a miracle. The "stuff" they sell in the store is purely counterfeit and can not be compared to the excellent taste of FRESH, RAW goat's milk (and I believe this is where the misconceptions begin). The key is to chill the milk immediately after milking and to keep it chilled in glass in the refrigerator.

Our Resident Goat, Betty

So, I encourage anyone with a little land and a lot of love for chocolate (just kidding on that last part) to purchase a goat for their back yard. They are such a low maintenance animal. Of course, maybe we are too ignorant to realize they take more care? Greens and water makes our goat happy (though they do get a treat of grains at milking time for all their hard work). They are not pickers eaters like sheep are and they keep our brush down in our back field. Just know that they are quite agile creatures and it does take some effort to keep them where they belong and out of your gardens and trees...

Our Milking Supplies

They don't require much in the way of equipment. My husband made a crude milking stand with "seconds" lumber. We purchased a stainless steel milk can, a special funnel in which to hold the filters to strain the milk and the filters themselves. Lastly, you just need a young man or maiden that are just "dying" to milk something.

Raw goats milk is excellent for those who have allergies to regular milk since it is so easily digestible. You also don't have the mucous problem from goat's milk as many get from the milk of the cow.

"According to the Journal of American Medicine, "Goat's milk is the most complete food known." It contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein, and fatty acids that are utilized by your body with ease. In fact, your body can digest goat's milk in just 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours to digest cow's milk." 

~ Excerpt from The Maker's Diet by Jordan S. Rubin

The interesting thing is that in the Scriptures, where it references the drinking of milk, it is associated with a goat. Yes, God knew health before we did.

"And thou shalt have goats' milk

enough for thy food,

for the food of thy household,

and for the maintenance for thy maidens."

~ Proverbs 27:27

Our Favorite Resource for Raising Dairy Goat:

Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats:

Breeds, Care, Dairying, Marketing

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