Dairy question

[StarofHearts]

I was just thinking, a gallon of milk from the store here is between 2.75-3.50 depending on brand and where you go and is Mars and Jupiter are aligned...

It got me thinking, how much (roughly) would I be paying per gallon if I had goats in milk at this very moment? I would appreciate if a few of you would post some of your statistics; how many goats you have, how many gallons you get in an average day, monthly feed costs and methods, and regular veterinary care. I know there will be variation on feed costs and vet care based on where you are but I thought it would be interesting to see a rough estimate of how much a gallon of goats milk costs to produce. I think I'll post this in cattle too to see what they say.

[Alice In TX/MO]

You don't save any money unless you have abundant browse for them to eat as a major part of their diets. It's not a money saver if you count all the input (including labor). It's have clean, organic, hormone free food.

You also have to consider whether you have adequate fencing and housing in place. Those are major expenses.

Found this article:
http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/...e-dairy-goats/

"The total cost per doe per year is $1,024."

[MDKatie]

All milk has hormones, so your goat milk isn't hormone free...but it definitely is better than regular store bought milk.

[SnowGoats]

Milk is nearly $4.50 a gal here now....which chaps my tail feathers something fierce.

There is a way to make the goat milk cost effective...With careful management but you have to realize your startup costs are high so you will not be money ahead the first year or 2.

The biggest benefit to having dairy goats is that you know exactly what is going into your goats which means you know exactly what you are feeding your family and in this day and age where unnecessary chemicals seem to be added to everything, it's nice to have some control.

If you live in a state where you can sell raw milk or goat shares, you can recoup your feed costs which will make the price of your milk more reasonable. Do not, however, forget about the many hours of labor you will put into your critters what with milking twice a day, feeding, watering, trimming hooves, parasite control, barn/stall cleaning, hay/grain hauling, baby watching, midwifery, fence fixing, treat giving, ear scritching, and a myriad of other goat related jobs.

One benefit not milk related is falling in love with those furry capricious creatures. They are big balls of personality that will make you laugh one minute and groan or roll your eyes the next.

[Alice In TX/MO]

You know what I mean about hormones.
Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is a synthetic (man-made) hormone that is marketed to dairy farmers to increase milk production in cows. It has been used in the United States since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993, but its use is not permitted in the European Union, Canada, and some other countries.

Concerns about possible health effects on humans from milk produced using rBGH have focused on 2 main issues.

First, does drinking milk from rBGH-treated cows increase blood levels of growth hormone or IGF-1 in consumers? If it does, would this be expected to have any health effects in people, including increasing the risk of cancer? Several scientific reviews have looked at these issues and are the main focus of this document.

Second, cows treated with rBGH tend to develop more udder infections (mastitis). These cows are given more antibiotics than cows not given rBGH. Does this increased use of antibiotics lead to more antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and is this a health concern for people? This remains a concern, but it has not been fully examined in humans.

From: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerc...growth-hormone

[MDKatie]

I knew what you meant, but sometimes people take things literally so I didn't want people to think it was totally hormone free.

Luckily, in my area anyways, most milk sold in stores is from rBST free dairies. Since a large number of consumers didn't like the idea of cows treated with rBST, many dairies have stopped using it. Most milk I find in stores is labeled with the "rBST free dairy" with the disclaimer that milk from rBST treated cows has not been found to cause issues, blah blah.

[Wendy]

Milk is nearly $4.50 a gal here now....which chaps my tail feathers something fierce.

Just curious why this bothers you? Do you realize what it takes to get the milk from the cow to the store? My son works on a dairy farm. I have also seen people not bat an eye about charging $12 a gallon for goat milk just because they can.

I do not worry about antibiotics in the milk because any cow on an antibiotic has their milk dumped for the withdrawal time stated. They mark the cows with leg bands to insure the milk is dumped. If the sc count is kept below a certain number they get a bonus. My son has been getting a bonus every month. The milk is tested from every load & if there is a problem the milk is not used & the farmer is charged for that whole load of milk. You can bet they are going to make sure they do't do anything wrong as they can't afford to pay for that load of milk. It's not just their milk, but several other farms.

I probably do save when I am milking because we go through about 10 gallons per week. That's $30 at the store. I know I don't spend $30 per week on feed. I just like having plenty of milk on hand & not having to worry about needing to run to the store to get it. Most times, you probably go in the hole, but having my own supply is worth it to me.

[StarofHearts]

I know all about hidden costs of time and all that, i was just thinking about the bare bones, not including the other products you can make with milk (soap/cheese/etc) or the costs of having/raising/selling kids.

This was a purely curiosity based question. My kids love milk, and chicken, and cheese, and what big operations are feeding their animals now scares the daylights out of me. I want to be able to feed my family cleaner, healthier food. Food the way God intended it to be before us idiot humans started "FIXING" it.

I have my own reasons for wanting to get into dairy goats, i am just curious about how the milk costs balance out.

[Alice In TX/MO]

The REWARDS are far higher than the costs.

[Wendy]

and what big operations are feeding their animals now scares the daylights out of me.

Not sure what you think most are being fed. Around here, the cows are grazing by rotating pastures. Winter they get silage & hay. This is all natural food. The dairy my son works at doesn't feed grain. I do give my goats grain when on the stand. Cows normally do not get grain when they are being milked. They come in to be milked & just stand there nicely while it's being done. My goats come in to be milked because they know they'll get grain while it's done. I really think the media has scared people into thinking most farmers feed their animals garbage & pump them full of drugs. I know several local dairy farmers & that is just not done for the most part.

[StarofHearts]

Originally Posted by Wendy

Not sure what you think most are being fed. Around here, the cows are grazing by rotating pastures. Winter they get silage & hay. This is all natural food. The dairy my son works at doesn't feed grain. I do give my goats grain when on the stand. Cows normally do not get grain when they are being milked. They come in to be milked & just stand there nicely while it's being done. My goats come in to be milked because they know they'll get grain while it's done. I really think the media has scared people into thinking most farmers feed their animals garbage & pump them full of drugs. I know several local dairy farmers & that is just not done for the most part.

I'm not thinking of the local farms, I'm thinking of the huge dairies that the owners are more like ceo's not farmers, they don't care about the animals well being. Local farms are awesome but the big ones, those scare me, it's not just dairy either, its meat and eggs.

[SnowGoats]

Originally Posted by Wendy

Just curious why this bothers you? Do you realize what it takes to get the milk from the cow to the store? My son works on a dairy farm. I have also seen people not bat an eye about charging $12 a gallon for goat milk just because they can.

It bothers me because if I drive 2 hours, I can get a gallon of milk for $1.50 a gallon cheaper. I am abundantly aware of the cost it takes to raise a food producing animal, so I am not expecting to get something for nothing, but I also would like to see some consistancy in pricing. Price gouging is not what I think should be considered as an expected practice.

I live in beef country in a very population lean area, but I grew up in dairy country so I know how large dairy businesses are run. It isnt just antibiotics but what goes into feed and everything else. Not every dairy is the same and I applaud those who work hard to create a product that is natural and healthy and still make a profit, which in this day and age, is not an easy task.

[Alice In TX/MO]

There are stories and videos of cattle being fed reject candy in the wrappers, old Fritos, etc.

[Frosted Mini's]

There is a lot of waste and by products being fed to cattle, but not generally in huge quantities per cow...and at least it isn't going to waste. Many of these items are not too bad of food items. Most large dairies have a total mixed ration (TMR), which you are right, not fed in the parlor-that keeps the pooping to a minimum. They mix the hay, silage, grain all together in big hopper trucks and dump it down the line...usually with head catches, so that they can catch the cows up once or twice a day to do heat checks, vet work, etc.

The bigger concern to me with rBST is the push on cows' production beyond what they would normally do without it. rBST is actually a hormone that is naturally made by the cow and will be in the milk no matter what. But giving it to the cows causes them to produce more milk, whether it is detrimental to the cow's health or not.

[StarofHearts]

OMG I knew i should have just kept it here to goats, instead i put it in cattle and i swear everyone there has just had their toes stepped on by their cow. OY.

[marusempai]

Originally Posted by StarofHearts

OMG I knew i should have just kept it here to goats, instead i put it in cattle and i swear everyone there has just had their toes stepped on by their cow. OY.

Yeah that was kind of shocking. I knew I didn't want cows. You guys are more friendly AND you post more cute baby pictures.

[LomahAcres]

Goat milk here in the store is about $3.75 - $4 a QUART. We sell it from the farm for $8 a gallon.

On average a doe cost us about $500-$750 to keep for a year. Or about $1.50 to $2.00 a day. This cost includes, hay/grain/minerals/wormers/supplies/and extra meds. It does not include any expenses due to illnesses, fence or barn repair. I do all my own vetting, so there are no pricey vet bills here.

We have Nubians and Nubian crosses. On average our does will give about 1600 lbs of milk per lactation (200 gallons). Or an average of 5 lbs a day - 2 1/2 quarts of milk.


So in the end it cost us about $3-$4 per gallon of milk.

But that doesn't say anything about time, labor, etc. etc.

Originally Posted by StarofHearts

I was just thinking, a gallon of milk from the store here is between 2.75-3.50 depending on brand and where you go and is Mars and Jupiter are aligned...

It got me thinking, how much (roughly) would I be paying per gallon if I had goats in milk at this very moment? I would appreciate if a few of you would post some of your statistics; how many goats you have, how many gallons you get in an average day, monthly feed costs and methods, and regular veterinary care. I know there will be variation on feed costs and vet care based on where you are but I thought it would be interesting to see a rough estimate of how much a gallon of goats milk costs to produce. I think I'll post this in cattle too to see what they say.

[StarofHearts]

Thanks so much LomahAcres! That really puts things in perspective!