Anyone else drink raw milk?

[TrixR4kids]

We are fortunate enough to have a dairy farmer as a neighbor.
We just show up with our bottle and he fills it up!
We love the cream on the top for our hot chocolate and coffee.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I've been milking a couple of goats since April. I milk one nubian and one pygmy. The nubian milk is good - tastes just like milk, go figger!

But pygmy milk is absolutely, incredibly, totally and completely delicious! I swear the taste is reminiscent of a melted vanilla milkshake (and that's only a slight exaggeration)! It is rich and creamy and has a slightly sweet taste - probably from the higher fat content. Not sure, but nigerian milk might be very similar.

We can pick out the difference even through a blind taste test. If you get a chance - give it a try!

Oh yeah, forgot to add - we drink it raw and make raw kefir and cheese.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

We've got Pygmy goats.... but "one finger milking" ain't for me. lol
I have huge hands... the does have tiny teats... I don't think my arthritis would thank me.

We raise ours for meat. I'm not able to deal with the big goats anymore.

I have heard other people swear by the milk from the dwarf goats though, so you are probably right about the taste.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I feel your pain Mississippifarmboy! But, I will have to admit that my grip strentgh now is something to be in awe of, lol. When I first started milking I could only squeeze about 30 times before I'd have to stop and rest.... now I can milk both of them, one right after the other and do pretty well.

They do make some little pumpy type things that might help you out on that if you wanted to try it. I have one, but with practice I've gotten faster than the pumpy thing. (technical, huh?)

I'm raising pygmy/nubian crosses now too. I want to try buchering one of the wethers. Been breeding this week in hopes of getting a male to castrate.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

If this is the pumpy thing you are talking about... I have one and LOVE it.

http://udderlyez.com/goat_milkers.php

The only trouble is the handle broke after about 6 months and I haven't had the money to replace it. I've never been able to use the inserts either, but overall it really made milking faster. But since I milked by hand for my whole life until recently, I guess it's no big deal.

Have a guy coming to look at the calf this evening, sure hope he buys it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I've seen that one, but it's not the one I have. I got mine off ebay and I think it's called a Dansha Farm Milker. You don't have to hold it up to the udder and it's got two teat cups so you can milk both sides at one time. Maybe if I had three hands I could milk both sides at once, lol. It's hard to hold the cups on both teats at once, while trying to get the vacuum started, but it works real well if you do.

 

[Mickey328]

I wish I could find some! We can't have any "livestock" other than chickens here on our little urban plot, so getting a goat is out. Plus I've never tried goat's milk. DH says "it's got a different taste and takes some getting used to" but he likes it. AND he's lactose intolerant but had no difficulties with the goat's milk at all. I see a lot of folks with the same difficulty who say that they tolerate raw cow's milk with no trouble, so I'd really love to find some and give it a try. I've been checking around and so far haven't found anyone who would sell or trade me for any but I'm gonna keep looking!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I wish you luck in finding some. Not sure about where you live, but in a lot of areas it's illegal for a farmer to sell raw milk for human consumption. Of course, you could always tell them that you're buying it for your dog, lol! (sneaky, but effective!)

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

We have 2 mini nubian does. I milk them, filter the milk, and refrigerate the clean milk. My son usually drinks it (a quart at a time) within a couple of hours. I started out pasteurizing but he was always faster than me, and since he is growing, I'm not worried. I also make cheese and yogurt out it. My hubby is lactose intolerant but he can hardly ever get to any of the goat milk before it's gone!

It's illegal to sell raw milk here in Colorado for human consumption but ok if you have a share in the goat, or buy it for animal consumption.

Just sayin'.

 

[Mickey328]

Finally posted as "wanted" on Craig's List and got a reply from a woman quite near. She did explain that for human consumption you have to buy "shares"...sheesh, by the time all that is said and done, the milk would end up costing about $10 a gallon! LOL. Plus, it would give us just too darned much. However, if you bring you own container, for animal consumption, it's $3/gallon. Guess my "chickens and dogs" are gonna be getting some fresh Jersey milk