taste of milk

[FarmerCheri]

I'm still deciding on our first cow. now sure which breed yet, but does the flavor of milk vary from cow breed to breed? or is it mostly what they are fed?

thanks

[linn]

I think the creamier the milk, the sweeter the taste. Diet does affect the taste of milk. Cows fed on hay have a different flavored milk than cows on grass. We always notice a little different taste in the milk when the spring grass is lush; but either the cows adjust or our we get used to the taste. Wild garlic and wild onions certainly add a bad taste and smell to the milk.

[JHinCA]

I only have experience with our 2 cows who are in the same pasture and eat the same hay. The Jersey milk will tend to have a cowy taste at times, especially from the evening milking. The Jersey x Normande has consistently sweeter milk, though her cream is not as thick as the purebred Jerseys. I don't know if these are differences just in the individual cows or the tendencies of the breeds.

Our Milking Shorthorn just calved yesterday, so soon we will be able to see how her milk compares.

[matt_man]

I've never noticed a cowy taste with our Jerseys milk. It has always tasted sweet and fresh, except when she got into the wild onions this spring. YUCK!! We have a dexter also, and the cream doesn't separate out the same and in my husband's opinion, tastes better. It stays creamier.

Rachel

[furholler]

My kids far prefer the taste of Dexter milk to that of a Jersey. Dexter is much sweeter, regardless of what she eats. I had even given her a bunch of cabbage leaves-she loved them-the milk smelled like cabbage but tasted the same as it always had.