Do you want to know how much milk does a goat produce a day?
Thats a question with no easy answer! When I got my first goats I thought all large breed goats produced 3/4 of a gallon of more a day if you milked twice a day. That assumption was based on oh so many hobby farm type articles and websites that were just after ‘clicks’.
So imagine my surprise when my big ol’ Nubians gave me a pint per milking! Ouch! And they were registered with good genetics, but all breeders produce duds and that’s what she sold me! I still prefer registered goats, but not just for the assurance of milk. That’s another subject you can explore if you want Why did I buy Registered Goats
How much milk does a goat produce a day
The thing is, you shouldn’t be asking how much milk does a goat produce per day? You should be asking how much milk do I need per day!
How much milk a goat gives depends on many factors.
- Genetics (is this a goat that’s been bred for milking)
- How you feed the goat (certain feeds produce more milk but that’s not always a good thing)
- How many times a day you milk the goat (the more you milk the more you get)
- Breed (yes breed matters!)
All these things matter and factor into how much milk a goat produces a day. I’ve had gallon a day Alpine goats but if I didn’t load them up with grain and soy protein they didn’t give me a gallon a day.
What are your goals for the milk?
Your goals for the milk should determine how much and what kind of milk you need. When I say what kind of goat’s milk I’m referring to, do you want a higher butterfat milk or is the lower butterfat goat milk ok for you?
High butterfat goat’s milk and lower fat goat’s milk are like night and day imo. Goats that give the highest butterfat in their milk typically milk less.
High fat butterfat goat’s milk makes sweeter milk, better cheese, tastes great in coffee, and makes thick creamy yogurt.
Lower fat butterfat goat’s milk produces lower cheese yields, especially the harder cheeses. It often needs thickeners for yogurts and doesn’t taste great to many people. Yes it can be goaty! If you need tips on how to make your goat milk less goaty you probably have one of those goats. Those goats give more milk so they can be very good for a soap making business or making large amounts of soft cheeses for a commercial business. The larger producers of goat milk are great if your feeding large LDG breds or pigs. When we were raising Meishan pigs and Anatolians all the gallons of milk got used! We no longer have LGDs or pigs though.
Overall I like to have 1 quart of milk a day. That’s it! That’s all we need. The cheese yields are so large with my Nigerian dwarf milk goats, any more than that and I get overwhelmed. 1 quart of high butterfat goat milk a day keeps my fridge full of chevre, feta, Greek yogurt, queso, fudge and whatever else I need to make. I also freeze some extra to make my amazing shampoo bars and facial soaps in the winter.
The production of the greek goat yogurt and goat cheeses also provides my chickens and tomato plants with plenty of whey!
Video Short: Things I make with my Goats milk!
So, how much milk do YOU need for your home dairy goals?
Think about it. What if you bought a quart of milk a day? or 1/2 gallon? Would that be enough? Maybe buy a 1/2 gallon of milk a day to make your home dairy products and for home use and see if you get overwhelmed or if its not enough.
Also, I like to work with smaller amounts of milk. It’s just easier to use a 1/2 gallon of goat milk for feta than to try to work with 2 gallons in my kitchen! I made all my cheese recipes special for smaller amounts of milk. And I’ve compared the goat milks. A lower butterfat milk of the same amount just produces more whey, not cheese!
I can certainly feed my girls a certain way and get more milk. The result is not a good quality of milk though. As the quantity of any goats milk goes up, the butterfat usually goes down. I’m not ok with that!
Also, feeding grain isn’t healthy for the goat and just creates problems. I have ND milkers that milk 1/2 gallon a day on no grain. Most non-grain fed ND’s I have are more in the 3 pound range though. Which is a quart and a pint. Still plenty for us and my home dairy goals 😊
I can help you achieve your holistic goat dream herd and your home dairy goals!
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Life is good with goats milk and I want everyone to be blessed that desires a healthy home milk source with these amazing giving creatures!