Johanna/goats vs. cow
Posted by: dhaley <dhaley@...>
My average Saanen milking doe produces between 1 gallon and 1 1/2 gallons of
milk per day when at full lactation. First timers usually give 2-3 quarts a
day. My friends Jersey gave as much as 5 gallons a day. They found it
difficult for their family to use that much milk. As far as ease of
milking, goes, this is my opinion only, but I think goats are easier. I'd
much rather be stepped on by a goat than a cow (speaking from experience).
The rate of feed conversion for a goat is much better than a cow (thus more
economical). I don't usually have a problem with folks liking my milk but
some people do. I would encourage to find some place to buy milk first and
see if your family will like it. You may also want to find a place to sell
you some whole cows milk too....many people find they can't stomach the cow
milk either. Our society seems to be pretty used to 2% and the heavier
cream content seems to bother some. I use the goats milk the same as cow's
milk but there are some differences. Goats milk is naturally homogenized,
therefore, it dosen't separate in a heavy cream layer on top of the milk.
Use must use a cream separator to get cream. The only thing I've found
necessary for cream is butter. I make most of our cheeses from the whole
goat milk and it's just fine.
Let me know if I can be of further help. Marci has both a cow and goats so
would also be a good source of comparison. Deanna