Maybe getting into milking?

comehomesoon · #1 09/20/06, 01:19 PM

I have a son who is allergic to cows mild and we have pygmys already so goats are not totally new to us but I was thinking of maybe getting a Nubian to milk. What is all involved, am I better of sticking to making soy milk? I just dont want to do something wrong in the cooking/cooling process and make him sick or I dont know. I guess I would like info on what all is involved with getting a milk goat. I lovemy goats and always wanted a nubian but not sure if I know what I am getting myself into with milking.

Dink · #2 09/20/06, 01:41 PM

comehomesoon my son used to be allergic to cows milk the Dr put him on a soy formula and had me feed him little bits of yougurt slowly building it up by the time he could eat a full cup of yougurt he was able to drink regular milk you may want to ask his Dr and see if its an option. Otherwise Id look into goatsmilk.

ozark_jewels · #3 09/20/06, 01:49 PM

Well, as far as cooking/cooling goes......All you need to do is strain the fresh milk and put it in the cold fridge in a clean covered jar. I do not cook or heat my cow or goat milk in any way, I drink it raw as does my family. We always have.
Keeping a milk goat will entail milking once or twice a day at the same general time. A clean milking area, straining the milk quickly and sticking it straight in the refridgerator. You will need to feed her quality feeds and/or hay.
In my opinion, it will be much better for your son than soy milk.....and it sure will taste better!! But if you can't be there at least once a day to milk the doe.....your better off sticking with what you can handle.

Rita · #4 09/20/06, 01:52 PM

I always thought soy milk and soy products were healthy but if you do a search you might decide on real milk. Only fermented soy products are considered healthy.

MommaSasquatch · #5 09/20/06, 01:56 PM

Our cows' milk allergic son is the reason we got into livestock at all, first sheep and now goats too. We don't do anything complicated with the milk. We drink it raw. Pasteurizing kills the beneficial enzymes and other good stuff. If you decide to do that it is important to be scrupulous about the cleaning of your equipment. I got lots of help here. I am new to this too, we got our goats this spring.

My son loves the milk and I'm thrilled for him to have it. I have reservations about too much soy intake (it's a big controversy) and other alternatives aren't as nutritious (rice) or are rather expensive (almond). So I'm very happy for him to have real milk to drink. The hardest thing for me is hauling my lazy behind out to go milk when I'd rather not. Timewise morning chores for me take about half an hour for everything - milking, feeding, fresh water, cleanup, disinfecting the pail and getting the milk in the fridge. That's for all the animals which for us is currently four sheep and two goats with only one in milk right now. We recently went down to milking once a day, which has made it easier on me because I don't have to worry about being home at a certain time in the evening and I can put the morning milking off until a later time.

Patty0315 · #6 09/20/06, 02:05 PM

My 7 year old does most of the milking and has for the past 2 years . Does that tell you how easy it is ?

Patty

comehomesoon · #7 09/20/06, 02:06 PM

Thanks guys, I thought I would have to do all the cooking and things like that. Its just we are thinking that the allergies are worse than we thought so it would mean he needs to be off all dair. We are getting contiual ear infections inspite of having tubes put in and he is stuffy all the time. So he seems better on soy but what I worry about is the calcuim intake and they are saying now that kids dont absorb calcuim or there is not enough of it in the vitamins and we make our own soy milk so its not fortified with anything so we give him vitamins but if that is not enough and I have to cut out cheese and everything to clear up the ears then I need to look for better source of calcium for him. Shoot as it is now I cant give him leafy green veggies to get the calcium for fear of ecoli.....I might becoming more of a homesteading woman than I thought I would!

Dink · #8 09/20/06, 02:08 PM

The soy milk they put him on smelled horrid I wish I would have had a goat milk option.

ozark_jewels · #9 09/20/06, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comehomesoon

Its just we are thinking that the allergies are worse than we thought so it would mean he needs to be off all dair.

Where are you located?? Is there anyone near that has dairy goats and you could try your son on the raw milk?? Better be sure he can drink goats milk before buying something you may not need. I'll bet he can though.....

comehomesoon · #10 09/20/06, 02:19 PM

I am located in southwest MI. I do have friends about and hour and a half away. How long does raw milk last?

MommaSasquatch · #11 09/20/06, 02:31 PM

How south and how west? I'm in northwest Indiana. We're about an hour or so frm New Buffalo for reference. If you're anywhere near I can spare a quart for him to try.

We tried my son out on store goats' milk first and on goat cheese. He likes the cheese but hated the store milk. He didn't react to it, just thought it was disgusting (I don't blame him). It tastes worlds different fresh. Just FYI.

ozark_jewels · #12 09/20/06, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comehomesoon

I am located in southwest MI. I do have friends about and hour and a half away. How long does raw milk last?

You want to transport milk in a cooler with ice unless its winter and the milk is in the back of a pick-up. If strained and cooled properly and kept that way, raw milk should stay fresh for a week, easy.
Whatever you do, don't try your son out on store-bought goats milk as it is *nasty*.

Patty0315 · #13 09/20/06, 02:52 PM

You can make simple goat cheese with just milk and vinegar.

Patty

Raftercat5 · #14 09/20/06, 03:48 PM

Comehomesoon: Patty is right about making the simple goat cheese. I'm new to dairy goats, as this is my first year milking one. We get more milk than the two of us can handle. I've learned how to make mozzarella cheese, ricotta and colby cheese. I've attempted cheddar and monterey jack cheese too. It's all in how much time you have. Anyone *can* do it if they want to...it's not difficult. It's just time-consuming.
The reason I got into dairy goats is that I'm lactose intolerant. I can drink milk again, and eat cheeses!! My hubby LOVES my lasagna (made with OUR cheese!!) I agree with Mamasasquatch and Ozark Jewels...DON'T BUY STOREBOUGHT GOAT MILK....yuch! Find someone who has dairy goats, and ask if you can get some of theirs to try. (make sure they don't have any bucks near the milkers, tho!)
- Kathy

comehomesoon · #15 09/21/06, 10:15 AM

Thanks guys, I have not discussed this idea with my husband as he would flip, he loves his pygmys but trying new food type things never sits well. We finally got the Dr to get a blood allergy test set up for him so we will see what that brings, You all make it sound so simple so maybe we will have to give it a try. I am located near Grand Rapids MI. If it gets to that point and I cant find fresh milk I will get back on here and see if someone is close enough too me. You guys are great thanks a lot for all the offers and advise.

Jillis · #16 09/21/06, 11:17 AM

comeshomesoon, pasteurization is what makes milk allergenic. The process turns a living food into a dead food. It denatures the proteins, kills the beneficial enzymes and destroys the lactobacillic bateria that predigest the protiens that cause allergies and prevent other, pathogenic, bacteria from proliferating.

Raw milk is rarely allergenic.

Soy milk is toxic and very bad for you.

Read "The Untold Story of Milk" by Ron Schmid. You can get it at Amazon.com. I think everyone who can read should read this book. It is balanced, extensively footnoted, goes deeply into documented historical facts and really opened my eyes to things that have benefited my health and the health of my family tremendously.

Pasteurized goat's milk fromt the store tastes terrible. My dd had to be tricked into drinking our raw goat's milk because she remembered the taste of the store goat's milk. She loves it! It is sweet and creamy! It has helped my children's eczemza and asthma to improve greatly. And we are just beginning!

Freeholder · #17 09/21/06, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jillis

comeshomesoon, pasteurization is what makes milk allergenic. The process turns a living food into a dead food. It denatures the proteins, kills the beneficial enzymes and destroys the lactobacillic bateria that predigest the protiens that cause allergies and prevent other, pathogenic, bacteria from proliferating.

Raw milk is rarely allergenic.

Soy milk is toxic and very bad for you.

I've tried two friends who were allergic to milk (not just lactose intollerant, but actually allergic) on fresh, raw, goat milk, and they couldn't drink it. They still had allergic reactions, up to and including closing of the airway. So I don't know if that's true about the pasteurization causing the allergic reactions to milk. I would be very careful giving even goat milk to someone with a genuine allergy -- some can drink it, but until you know for sure, be very cautious.

Kathleen

Carrie C · #18 09/21/06, 04:35 PM

Lactose is in all animal milk, pasturized and raw, unless you get that awful Lactaid with the lactose taken out. Yuk! Lactose is what many people are allergic to. Fat globules are hard to digest, and since goat's milk has very small fat globules (being "naturally homoginized" and all) some who can't have cow's milk can have goat's. It all depends on the actual allergy, see what the blood test says.
There is also a breed of cattle, I've heard, that's milk is very similar to goat's in make up: The Dutch Belted. Can't tell you for sure, but that's what I've read.
Personally, I pasturize my milk. It's not that difficult and I don't take the chance of getting sick. And there is that chance.
So, let us know what Doctor says...and hubby.

MommaSasquatch · #19 09/21/06, 04:56 PM

True cows milk allergy is an allergy to the milk proteins. This is different from difficulty digesting the fat or from lactose intolerance which is a deficiency of the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar. Since goats don't produce cow protein many allergic people can drink it, but it is also not unusual for people with allergic tendencies to develop multiple food allergies and that may include goat milk as well as cow milk.

coso · #20 09/22/06, 01:04 PM

I've had two different customers who tried unpasteurized goats milk and were still allergic to it. They drank it for about 2 weeks and then started having troubles again. They were drinking a lot though. I told them If they had kept it to a minimum it might be OK. Instead of drinking a quart at a sitting.