I believe this is a personal choice, and I do not believe there is a right or wrong choice. I will only briefly touch on the subject of pasteurization. Please do yourself a favor and never judge fresh goat’s milk by the vile concoction in the can at the store. It is creamy, sweet goodness, and is good for you! Goat’s milk is easily digested, and some folks who cannot tolerate cow’s milk will have an easier time with goat’s milk. It is not “goaty”, bitter, or distasteful. Goat’s milk, if handled properly, is delicious. We have a rather large buck on our property with enormous horns, and my children are strictly forbidden to go into his pen.

Bucks can grow quite large, and some become aggressive or try to show dominance. The only exception to this would be the buck (an intact male goat). They are less intimidating than a cow, and again easily handled by children. In comparison to a family cow, goats are much smaller, and obviously require less feed. I have one particular doe who will refuse to hop on her milk stand when I have swept the floor underneath it, because she knows something is different. Their senses are sharp, and they are curious to a fault. Most of my does (females) weigh around 130 pounds, and are easily handled by both myself and my small children. Some have endeared themselves to me more than others and I am only a tad ashamed to say that I have my favorites. Goats are an excellent choice for family dairy needs! They are intelligent, inquisitive creatures and they each have their own unique personality. But, after some blood, sweat, and tears I believe I have learned a lot and would like to share what wisdom I have gained with those who might be considering the dairy goat as a fresh milk source for their family. After all my thorough research I jumped in feet first….and fell. My husband was grudgingly tolerant, and my children were excited and blindly trusting their mother to know exactly what she was doing. Little did they realize, this made me ever more determined to have the last laugh. My foray into the world of self-sufficiency began with two animals and a dream: two Nubian dairy goats, to be exact, and a whole load of criticism and laughter from those who thought I was crazy! “What do you know about raising goats?”, and “Why bother, isn’t it easier to just go buy milk at the store” Smirk, smirk.

Jeffers livestock caprine supply