Cow or Goat Milk??

[NewYorkRebel]

Which taste better?? Any idea which one is healthier?? How long does Raw Cow/Goat milk last compared to store bought milk??

[Maura]

Which tastes better is a matter of personal opinion and what you are used to. Goat's milk can legally be bought raw, so that would make it healthier. Otherwise, I think goat's milk may have it over cow's. Refrigerated, my raw milk lasts two weeks. Possibly longer, I've never kept it longer than that.

[7thswan]

I don't drink milk-but give me that cow's milk for the Butter!

[Joshie]

Originally Posted by Maura

Which tastes better is a matter of personal opinion and what you are used to. Goat's milk can legally be bought raw, so that would make it healthier. Otherwise, I think goat's milk may have it over cow's. Refrigerated, my raw milk lasts two weeks. Possibly longer, I've never kept it longer than that.

Raw milk sales laws vary by state. DD says that goats' milk tastes good the first day but tastes "goaty" after that. I have to agree.

[mtnmenagerie]

I grew up on a (cow) dairy farm. So i kinda prefer raw cows milk.
But I vote goats! So easy to handle and manage. Also, they produce LOTS of milk for such a small animal. and I LOVE fresh goats milk! It tastes great. Make sure to manage what they eat - and bring milk straight in and filter it and chill it. ALSO Goats milk digests easier - in fact, many people are lactose intolerant can drink goats milk.

Whew, I got to rambling... sorry bout that

[chewie]

Originally Posted by mtnmenagerie

I grew up on a (cow) dairy farm. So i kinda prefer raw cows milk.
But I vote goats! So easy to handle and manage. Also, they produce LOTS of milk for such a small animal. and I LOVE fresh goats milk! It tastes great. Make sure to manage what they eat - and bring milk straight in and filter it (and either ice it down in the sink, or put it in the freezer to chill it down quickly). ALSO Goats milk digests easier - in fact, many people are lactose intolerant can drink goats milk.

Whew, I got to rambling... sorry bout that

this post said it all! i used to work on a cow dairy too, and still now prefer my goats', for all the above reasons.

[nehimama]

Goat milk! Properly handled, quickly chilled, nothing beats it. Mine stays good about 10 days - if it lasts that long. Never a "goaty" taste.

[MO_cows]

If you are new to livestock, try to acquire a taste for goats milk. Goats are cheaper to buy and feed, and overall easier to manage than cows.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Either raw cow OR goat milk is better for you than store bought.

We have goats, so we drink raw fresh goat milk. Just tastes like good milk. Not identifiable as to origin.

[Lizza]

I have both dairy goats and cows. Both taste good. Goats are cheaper to buy, cheaper to feed, easier to house, and all around easier then cows. They also give less milk, which can be a blessing. Cows milk is more versatile (butter probably standing out the most). Personally I always recommend goats for other people, especially if you are only looking for house milk and new to dairy animals. For me personally, if I had to choose between the two I'd pick my cows, but that is just total personal preference and not necessarily to do with taste between the two.

[julieq]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Either raw cow OR goat milk is better for you than store bought.

We have goats, so we drink raw fresh goat milk. Just tastes like good milk. Not identifiable as to origin.

Agree with Alice. We've had our own dairy cow and also various breeds of goats in the past. As long as the milk is raw and fresh either type milk keeps very well and tastes about the same (depending on the butterfat level of each animal). Our goat milk never tastes funny, although we finish it off so quickly it never sits in the refrigerator for more than a day or two!

[Callieslamb]

Find someone that milks goats and ask for a drink. See what you think because it's going to be personal preference in the end. You might visit the dairy forum here to read about raw milk. It's about the most politely heated discussion around. Or check out Keeping a Family Cow's website. Lots of discussion there too. Raw milk is a personal preference that will never be decided by discussion.

Goats are cheaper to buy and keep. But you have to have more of them. They don't usually stay in milk as long as a cow. You'll have to have a buck or access to one...and that's a smelly proposition all of it's own! Cows eat a LOT and poop a lot. Goat manure doesn't have to be composted before it can be used as fertilizer. I keep my cows in the pasture with one strand of electric fence. Goats need substantial fencing.

Good luck with your choice!

[pookshollow]

They don't usually stay in milk as long as a cow.

I beg to disagree. Many, many goats will "milk through", ie milk for more than a year without being bred. I myself have had two Saanens milk for two years, and I know other people who have had them go four or five years. I milk cows for a dairy farmer and he tells me that his cows, good registered Holsteins, will not milk for more than a year.

I've been drinking raw goats' milk for more than five years. I don't think I'd want to drink raw cows' milk, considering the way the cow manure splashes around. Just my personal opinion, of course!

Besides, goats are charming, delightful creatures - intelligent and affectionate.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

we drink both. When the goats are in milk, we drink goat. When they dry off for the year, we buy raw jersey milk.
The jersey milk, of course comes with the benefit of LOTS of cream and the goats milk has nearly none.

I like the flavor of goats milk better. Its more creamy and smooth. Raw cow milk keeps a little longer, and raw goat milk tends to absorb other flavors in the fridge. We don't keep leftovers of anything strong when we have goats milk in the fridge.
I have also noticed, during the goat breeding season, goats milk sometimes has a little smell to it, but it doesn't seem to affect the flavor.

For maintenance and ease, goat, no question. I HATE to milk cows. their teats are short and fat instead of long and hand sized, and cows with their runny poop are dirty, and need cleaned, whereas goats don't. Also, when a goat gets stompy, you can grab a leg and make them stop. When a cow gets stompy they break your leg instead.

[Dead Rabbit]

i was raised on goats milk. raw. ive never been a fan of milk. only used it for cereal and such. never liked drinking it, even as a kid unless it was chocalate milk. but thats the way i feel about cow milk too. as growing up i preferred the taste of goat over cow.

recently my wife bought a quart of goat milk at the grocery...i was severly disappointed. it had that goaty flavor that others have spoke of. i dont remeber that flavor at all when we milked our own and drank it.

[Cyngbaeld]

I practically live on raw goat milk. Its one of the few foods that doesn't hurt my stomach and I can digest easily. Just one of my goats gives 1 1/4 gallons a day at peak, but I have several so I can stretch the peak out further thru the yr. First kids of the yr in 10 days!

[lmrose]

My husband grew up on a dairy farm and always had raw cows milk for 32 years! Then the last 33 yeras he has had raw goats milk! He prefers the goats milk as it is naturally homoginized and easier to digest. We like goats because they are smaller, easier to handle, especially the bucks are compared to a bull. It is easier to trim their feet and they eat a whole lot less.
Cows milk is easier to separate for making butter but that is the only advantage.Here it is illegal to sell any raw milk and a cow would give way more than we could use.
How good , healthy and tasty cows or goats milk is depends on what the animal is fed and how clean and careful a person is when milking. We have kept raw milk from both cows and goats three days and longer before it started to turn sour a bit. Both are good.

I wrote an article on my blog titled' "Cow or Goats? You Choose".It may be helpful if you are trying to decide between keeping a cow or goats. Just look down the side bar and click on either "Cattle" or "Goats" and you will find the article. My blog is- http://lindarose-afrugalabundantlife.blogspot.com- Have a nice day!

[PrettyPaisley]

Originally Posted by NewYorkRebel

Which taste better?? Any idea which one is healthier?? How long does Raw Cow/Goat milk last compared to store bought milk??

The thing about raw milk is that it doesn't turn putrid like pasturized milk. It sours and can be used for other things once it does. A quick search will turn up lots of ideas for sour raw milk.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

trying goats milk from the store will ruin everything. Its been pasturized, its old, and has had the opportunity to absorb the 'flavors' around it, such as the inside of the semi, the other food it was shipped with, the store air, etc...

[texican]

Originally Posted by NewYorkRebel

Which taste better?? Any idea which one is healthier?? How long does Raw Cow/Goat milk last compared to store bought milk??

First part of the question is subjective, to each persons personal tastes.

The second, if your squeezing your own, is irrelevant. It's usually twice a day, once a day minimum. If your consumption isn't matching your production, you've got a problem. You either need more chilluns or critters around the house to consume it all.

Four or five days, raw goats milk is getting fed to the dogs. There's always fresh available, so why worry about swigging on something close to the edge.

We just had our first doe of the season (the herd doe) have kids this afternoon. So, their goat kids in the bathroom tonite. Three days, and we're off the storebought cows milk for ~9 months or so.