[nic99]

I had been reading up with interest on the ins and outs of goat keeping and milking, as I love the idea of being able to provide my own milk and all the other products that can be made from it. I figured before I took the plunge I should see if I actually liked goats milk so bought some to try from the supermarket. Turns out it is absolutely vile! Took a couple of sips and the rest will be going in the dog's breakfast. It tastes like cheese, not something I want to be putting on my cereal. Guess I shan't be getting a goat! I am now going to read up on the ins and outs of cow husbandry instead.

[Fowlman]

You sure the milk wasnt off ? It shouldnt taste like cheese, it is different from cows milk but not greatly.

[goosepimple]

Yup, I would struggle to tell the difference unless someone pointed it out.  Don't think you shoiuld go into animal husbandry if you are easily put off by things though.  It is a huge committment.

[chickenfeed]

there is a world of difference from supermarket brought goats milk and raw milk but neither should taste like cheese sounds like it was on the turn.

[plumseverywhere]

Supermarket goats milk is horrible!!! Only reason I don't really drink our own goats milk is because I need skimmed milk (with my hips!) but no-one here can tell the difference with goats milk from shop bought cows.
I think perhaps spend some time with a goat keeper, taste some REAL goats milk and then think about it... [size=78%] [/size]

[nic99]

Yup, I would struggle to tell the difference unless someone pointed it out.  Don't think you shoiuld go into animal husbandry if you are easily put off by things though.  It is a huge committment.

Not sure how whether or not I like goats milk would affect my animal husbandry skills  All my current animals are looked after to a very high standard of welfare, goats (or cows) would be treated no differently.
 
It definitely wasn't off, it is within date and has been kept in the fridge. It tasted quite sweet to start with but had a slight goats cheesy aftertaste. Good idea to try some from a local goat keeper rather than supermarket stuff though. The foray into goat keeping wouldn't start for a few years yet anyway, was just doing some initial research and thought the taste was kind of a crucial deciding factor. No offence meant to any current goat keepers.

[smithycraft]

I was never keen on the idea of goat's milk so we invested in cows.  We thought a nice Dexter would be perfect.  We quickly found out that even a small cow can be difficult to handle and we had to invest in a cattle crush for when the vet was called for TB testing etc.  Maybe we were unlucky with the beast we bought as we never did manage to milk her, she was far too stroppy but she did provide us with some beautiful calves, for eating.

Instead we took on a couple of goats a friend was rehoming and have never looked back.  I can honestly say that I can't taste anything goaty or cheesey in the milk.  I've never tried goat's milk from the supermarket so I've no idea what it tates like.  Compared with our cows, the goats are pleasure to own.  The other thing you need to consider is that cows produce a huge quantity of milk compared with goats so you really need to think about what you would do with it all.

[lachlanandmarcus]

I dont like goats cheese or anything remotely goaty tasting but I have to say when I tasted a whole cup of fresh goats milk my friend had milked that same day, I had no problem with it at all. It was just whiter colour than cows milk and naturally homogenised.
If the milk tasted 'cheesy' then something was definitely not right with it, dont write off goats altogether, see if you can find someone who keeps goats locally who can let you taste some (NB unless pasteurised,in Scotland they wont be able to sell it to you unlike in England and Wales)

[Anke]

(NB unless pasteurised,in Scotland they wont be able to sell it to you unlike in England and Wales)

They can if you "need" it for your pet... and what the person does with it is their own business. You can also sell it for lambs of course.
 
But to add to the previous argument - fresh unpasteurised goatsmilk tastes absolutely fine, and you shouldn't be able to tell any difference from cows milk. Problem with commercially produced goatsmilk (apart from pasteurisation/homogenisation) is that the majority of goats will be kept in-doors all year round and fed on hay/haylage and lots of concentrate feed. Then the milk tanker probably only comes once every few days, so milk is stored in tank for much longer than it would be in my fridge! You also need only a few goats in a large herd who have a mild case of mastitis or similar, which could then produce an off-taste for the milk.
 
It really annoys me, if you read some of the "brilliant" (not) new smallholding books (from the library  - I don't buy any of them anymore), and they talk about the taste of goatsmilk as being different from cows milk, how do these ever get past the editors?

[jaykay]

I can't taste the difference between my goats' milk and cows’ milk. My sister, however, makes a right hullabaloo about me putting goats' milk in her tea. I should try doing it when she's not looking    but maybe some people can taste the difference? My body knows the difference in that I react badly to cows' milk and not goats' but I can't taste the difference.

[clydesdaleclopper]

We are dependent on supermarket goat milk and one brand in particular is very strong tasting. I can't wait until we get a lady we can milk 

[Lesley Silvester]

Even if the supermarket milk was in date, it could still be off.  If, for example, there was a slight hole in the seam of the carton, air could get in in and that would affect it.  I am intolerant to cow's milk.  I love my goat's milk but whenever I have had to buy shop milk (when on holiday) I am not so keen.  You need the real stuff.

[benkt]

We've just started with goats and no-one at the farm can taste the difference between cows milk and fresh goats milk. After a couple of days though the taste gets stronger and it's pretty clear which is which.

[ballingall]

So I can taste the difference between cow and goat milk. However, I can only tell the difference in "just milk" ie not in coffee, tea, cheese sauce, chocolate etc. I think the reason I can tell the difference though is because I am allergic to cow's milk, and it is cow's milk that I don't like.


Goats milk should not taste cheesy, but to be honest I would not recommend trying the milk from the supermarket to see if you would like fresh milk from your own animals. Find a local goatkeeper, visit them and try some milk. Even if you are in Scotland, I am sure no goatkeepers would make you pay for a cup of goats milk- and if it just a cup of milk being provided by a friend, then it doesn't matter if it is pasteurised or not.


Beth

[LouiseG]

We have a three day rule in our house, if any goat milk hangs around longer than 3 days the dogs/pigs/cats have it as it starts to taste a bit goaty. Drink it fresh and it's no problem.
 
Although I have a teenage son who has never liked cows milk to drink so i'll never convert him but he is fine with it in any sauce or cooking, and all friends and relatives have it when they come to us and no one has complained yet 
Don't be put off, find a friendly goat keeper and try some really fresh milk.
 
Good luck