Goat Milk

The table below represent the lactation trend curve for goat  milk yield in total kg, over time, represents actual records in the database for selected  animals that had a record of 230-305 days in goat milk.

Lactation length and milk yield and composition for selected breeds of goats.

The six major dairy goat breeds are the Saanen, Nubian, Toggenburg, LaMancha, Oberhasli, and Alpine.

Volume and composition of milk produced is controlled by the goat’s genetics but greatly influenced by the diet consumed. To maintain milk production and good health, goats should be fed a diet balanced for energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins based on requirements. To reduce costs, forages such as hay, silage, and pasture should constitute a majority of the daily diet. Goats are efficient browsers and can select a high-quality diet from lower-quality forages, especially when consuming nontraditional pasture plants.

Supplementing the diet with grain mixes to provide additional energy and protein is important, especially during lactation. Grain mixes may also contain supplemental minerals and vitamins. Feeding grain should be limited because a high-grain diet with low fiber intake can lead to rumen health problems (e.g., indigestion, acidosis) and lower milk fat content. Availability of dietary energy is important for high milk yield, while protein and fiber affect milk quality. High-producing does require quality forages and supplemental grain at a rate of 1 pound per 2.5 to 3 pounds of milk. Forages generally do not contain sufficient minerals to meet dietary requirements, so supplements are usually required.

To ensure efficiency and productivity of a dairy goat enterprise, the three most important recommendations are as follows:

• Manage young does to have them ready for breeding at 7 months of age. This increases the total lifetime herd production of milk and meat and reduces the number of non-producing animals in the herd at any one time.
• Encourage freshening of the does over as wide a time span as possible. This provides the customers with a year-round source of milk.
• Cull animals to eliminate low producers. This can increase the herd productivity if animals are culled for genetic reasons.

NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN OF GOAT MILK IN COMPARISON WITH COW AND HUMAN MILK

The nutritional breakdown of goat milk given in the following table which shows that goat milk is quite similar in nutritional breakdown to cow and human milk but there are some obvious exceptions.

*This breakdown is in per cup  (8 oz.) of milk.

Reference: USDA National Nutrient Database For Standard Reference.

Importance of Minerals Nutrition in Goat Milk

Having familiar with Goat Milk Nutritional Breakdown, and it’s comparison to Cow Milk and Human Milk. Let us learn the importance of each mineral and its content in goat milk. Now, for the details!

Firstly, calcium. Everyone knows that calcium is important for the healthy growth and is widely recognized for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones and teeth.

However, calcium also has equal or lesser known roles in other health issues. When it comes to minerals nutrition, calcium is without doubt a real powerhouse.

Below is a list of some of the other proven benefits of calcium:

• helps protect against colon cancer
• improves blood clotting ability
• helps prevent anemia
• helps prevent muscle contraction
• helps maintain healthy blood pressure

Calcium stored in our bones will be utilized by our bodies if our calcium intake is insufficient. This is obviously not desirable, having the effect of weakening the skeletal structure.

Goat milk is a good source of calcium, containing approximately 13% more calcium per serving than cow’s milk, and making it one of the predominant natural minerals in milk.

Phosphorus works in conjunction with calcium and vitamin D to help build and maintain strong bones, but also plays a role in activities of the brain, kidney, heart and blood. Goat milk has a higher phosphorous content, provides 27.0% of the daily value for phosphorus per serving, whereas, cow milk provides 23.2% of the daily value.

Zinc functions as an antioxidant and is also important for a strong immune system and for healthy skin and production of hormones. Zinc levels in goat and cow’s milk are comparable.

Sodium in the body is important for maintaining fluid balances, but too much sodium has been implicated in high blood pressure for some people. One cup of both goat milk and cow milk provides about 1/5 of the recommended daily intake for adults, with reports varying of which product actually contains more.

Goat milk has a substantial advantage in potassium content over cow’s milk, containing about 134% more. Potassium is important in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and in muscle contraction.

All milk is notably low in levels of iron, a mineral used in the production of red blood cells, and copper, which is important for healthy skin and hair. However, in comparison, goat milk does contain more of these minerals than cow’s milk.

Magnesium is particularly beneficial to the heart, helping to maintain a regular heartbeat, preventing the formation of blood clots and raising good cholesterol levels. It also works with calcium and vitamin D to maintain healthy bones. Goat milk has a higher content of magnesium than cow’s milk.

Manganese is probably the least known of the minerals, but it too has important functions in the human body. Along with some of the other nutrients, it is an antioxidant, and it also complements digestion by helping the body convert protein and fat to energy. Manganese also helps the body absorb thiamin, one of the B vitamins. Goat milk is significantly higher in manganese than cow’s milk.

Lastly, selenium. Selenium is generally accepted as a powerful cancer prevention nutrient. In addition to its inclusion in antioxidant enzymes, it also is essential to helping the body produce its own antioxidant, Glutathione peroxidase.

Selenium also strengthens the immune system and plays a role in keeping the heart and blood vessels healthy. In a comparative study of human, cow and goat milk, researchers found that, although the amounts of selenium in each were comparable, selenium from goat milk resulted in more than twice the peroxidase activity of that from human and cow milk.

Conclusion, Goat milk is a good source for minerals nutrition, especially in calcium, potassium and selenium.

On a global scale, goat milk is preferred to cow milk, with cultures around the world enjoying its sweet, slightly salty taste. In America, goats are more popular. Goats eat less and occupy less grazing space than cows, and in some families, including my family, the backyard goat supplies milk for family needs.

Goat Milk vs Cow Milk

In comparison. Goat milk is easier to digest and absorb as it has softer and finer protein curd than cow milk, less likely to contain hormones and additives and less allergenic than cow milk. Allergy to cow milk has been found in many people with conditions such as recurrent ear infections, asthma, eczema, and even rheumatoid arthritis. Replacing cow milk with goat milk helps to reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions. A cup of goat milk provides 32.6% of the daily value for calcium along with 27.0% of the daily value for phosphorus, whereas, a cup of cow milk provides 29.7% of the daily value for calcium and 23.2% of the daily value for phosphorus. Moreover, goat milk naturally contains bio-active factors such as Nucleotides, Polyamines and Taurine which benefit gut and immune functions.

Cow milk contains around ten grams of fat per eight ounces compared to 8 to 9 grams in goat milk, and it is much easier to find low fat and non-fat varieties of cow milk than it is to purchase low-fat goat milk. Unlike cow milk, goat milk does not contain agglutinin. As a result, the fat globules in goat milk do not cluster together, making them easier to digest. Like cow milk, goat milk is low in essential fatty acids, because goats also have EFA-destroying bacteria in their ruminant stomachs. Yet, goat milk is reported to contain more of the essential fatty acids, known as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and arachnodonic acids, in addition to a higher proportion of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids which have been suggested as protective components in colon cancer besides easier for intestinal enzymes to digest.

Goat milk protein forms a softer curd which makes the protein more easily and rapidly digestible. Theoretically, this more rapid transit through the stomach could be an advantage to infants and children who regurgitate cow milk easily. Goat milk also have advantages when it comes to allergies. Goat milk contains only trace amounts of an allergenic casein protein, alpha-S1, found in cow milk. Goat milk casein is more similar to human milk but, cow milk and goat milk contain similar levels of the other allergenic protein, beta lactoglobulin. Generally,  mothers are more sensitive to children reactions. Some mothers are certain that their child tolerates goat milk better than cow milk. However, if your baby is under one year of age and allergic to cow milk-based formulas, consult your doctor or a pediatric nutritionist for best alternative.

Now that you know goat milk is more health benefits for you and your family, let’s move forward to other goat milk related information.

How to Select and Store Goat Milk

Identification

Features

When purchasing goat milk, always use the ‘Best before’ date as a guide to the shelf life of the goat milk. Choose a milk container that has the latest expiration date you can find. Smell the top of the container to make sure that the milk does not smell of spoilage, normally occurs when stored for a period of time outside of the refrigerator or in a storage room. Select goat milk from the coldest compartment in the refrigerator, which is usually the lower section.

How to Store Goat Milk

Glass is the best option for storing raw milk because it is easily cleaned and sterilized. Place the milk into the refrigerator as soon as you get home. Use 1 quart wide mouth mason jars and gallon glass jars (1 gallon pickle jars). I would suggest the wide mouth jars because you can fit your hand into them and really scrub them and get them clean. Use quart mason jars to store if you do not have so much milk to store. Otherwise, go for bigger jars if you have so much milk to store. Do not use plastic container for storage. Plastic cannot be properly cleaned and sterilized. Never reuse milk jugs from the store; they cannot be cleaned well enough at all and will contaminate your fresh milk.

Goat milk should always be refrigerated and keep it between 35-38 degrees since higher temperatures can cause it to turn sour more rapidly. Always seal or close the milk container when storing it to prevent it from absorbing the aromas of other foods in the refrigerator. Avoid storing goat milk near or in the refrigerator door since this exposes it to too much heat each time the refrigerator is opened and closed.

How to store fresh milk for use during the winter

All you have to do is just pour the fresh milk (still warm from the goat) into new quart Ziploc freezer bags and stack them in the freezer. Use REAL Ziploc bags because “off brands” tend to leak. Do not freeze in glass! Glass is extremely dangerous, it can break very easily in the freezer – as the milk expands when it freezes. Never freeze in milk jugs from the store; they cannot be cleaned well enough at all and will contaminate your milk. When you thaw your milk (in the Ziploc bags) be ready for the bags to leak, they normally do. Put the bags in a dish as you thaw the milk. I thaw in the fridge and sometimes in the microwave. Thawed milk can have clumps in it but, it is nothing to worry about. I find that frozen milk will keep fine for 6 – 8 months in the deep freeze.