I need a comparison of milk producing animals (sheep, goats, and cattle). How long after birth do you wait before milking? How long can you milk before the animal has to be bred back? How long before delivery do you stop milking? Don't want animals to raise the meat. Just want something for milking.

-- Robin in East Texas (Southpawrobin1@aol.com), March 18, 2002

Answers

I don't have all those answers at my fingertips, but here is a more important questions. What do you want the milk for? If you wish to make gourmet cheese, get sheep. If you want large amounts of milk and equally large feed bills, get a cow. If you are just looking for milk for the family and easy to care for, then differently get a goat.

-- David in NH (grayfoxfarm@mcttelecom.com), March 18, 2002.

I only want milk and cream for myself.

-- Robin in East Texas (Southpawrobin1@aol.com), March 18, 2002.

Adding to David in N.H's comments, if flavor is a concern, get a cow.

-- Mac in AK (nospam@yahoo.com), March 18, 2002.

If you raise nubian goat for milk you won't notice the difference in flavor from cow milk but, it will not give you a lot of cream if my memory serves me right. A goat is a more efficient utilizer of feed and much easier to deal with than a cow.

-- Katie S. (cashcrop90@yahoo.com), March 18, 2002.

Just to round out the comments we milk sheep, and it is an industrial milk for cheese making. You "could" drink it but it is too high in fat to be a drinking milk. It's also naturally homginized so seperating the cream would be a fussy job. I'd get a Jersy cow, share the milk with the calf and put beef in the freezer every 18-20 months.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), March 19, 2002.

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that goats don't produce milk that separates into milk and cream. It comes pre-homogonized (is that the word?). Check this out before you get goats for their cream.

Russ

-- (imashortguy@hotmail.com), March 19, 2002.

If flavor is a concern, take care to milk in a sanitary manner and to strain and cool the milk as quickly as possible, regardless of what animal it comes from.

We milk our goats the same day they kid. The colostrum can be used for pancakes if there is surplus over what the kids need. We stop milking six to eight weeks before the doe is due to freshen. Goats can be milked for two years if they are from the right bloodlines, some have been milked for many years without freshening. I like the new kids every year so I breed them each fall. Gpoats have an advantage over cows in that they reach maturity sooner and can be bred earlier, also the gestation is only 5 months, not 9.

Goats and cows have similar amounts of butterfat, but cow's milk is unique in that the cream rises. Most animal's milk, including goat's, is naturally homogenized.

The reason I raise goats is they they are small, easy to handle, can't really injure me (ours don't have horns), the children can drink the milk with no allergy problems, and we get just enough milk. A cow would flood us with a lot more milk than we could ever use- yes, we could make cheese, but we'd have to make a lot of cheese, and on a daily basis.

Then there is the delightful personality of the goat, which can be an acquired preference. I'd say get the animal that suits both your needs, and also is the kind of animal you want to work with on a daily basis. The best milk in the world doesn't begin to compensate for having to hassle with an animal you don't get along with, day in and day out.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 19, 2002.

We have raised Nubian goats and now are crossing with Boer. It is true that it requires a cream separator for goat milk. If you let it sit in the refrig. long enough for the cream to rise (several days), the milk is really getting too old. If you buy whole milk in the store it is 3.8% fat(cream); Nubian milk is usually 4% - 5% fat. Boer milk is even higher fat, but I don't have any figures on exactly how much. A goat gives as much milk as a family usually needs. A gallon per day is a low rough estimate if the goat is in it's second year of milking. You must start milking any animal within a day of them giving birth. The milk is usually fit for drinking after a few days, but you will be feeding the babies in the meanwhile anyway. We breed the goats 7 months after they give birth; milk for three more months, then dry them up for the last two months of pregnancy. Hope this helps.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), March 19, 2002.

Hi Robin,

Whichever you decide to get, make sure you have the facilities and equipment first before the animal. Go to your local library and borrow books about animal health. Contact the 4H club for info. Find an experienced breeder in your area that would help you. Not just sell you one of their culls. Be prepared for all those unexpected problems. And don't get just 1, she'll be lonely.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhillfarm@yahoo.com), March 19, 2002.

I too am interested in milk goats - for the comment above, does a goat need goat company, or is a horse or calf company enough?

-- Chenoa (ganter@primus.ca), March 19, 2002.

Referring to the comment about flavor being a concern, as long as your goat or cow is healthy and not eating anything overly strong-flavored (wild onions, garlic & some weeds, etc.) and as long as your equipment is very clean, your milking area is clean and you take care of the milk immediately, there should be no difference in flavor between cow's and goat's milk! I had a jersey cow and a holstein/guernsey cow before I discovered goats and have never regretted changing. Some folks prefer goats and some prefer cows, but, basically, they are managed the same. Rebekah covered it quite thoroughly :-)!! I know nothing about dairy sheep!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 19, 2002.

As everyone said above, it all depends on what you are looking for. I chose a goat. No, the milk doesn't taste funny. My goat gives me on average 1 - 2 quarts a day which is plenty. Goats are alot easier to handle than cows. But on the other hand, goats are alot smarter than cows and need a very good fence. And if your lucky like me, I ended up with a goat that was still giving milk after 4 years from 1 breeding! Goats are cheaper than cows - buying or feeding them. Goats doen't take up as much room. Of course goats can be a pain, having to pet it every day after milk time or she won't let me out!

-- Michael W. Smith in North-West Pennsylvania (kirklbb@penn.com), March 24, 2002.