Goats vs. Cows… Instagram has gone insane.
For some reason Instagram has went absolutely insane and as of late people have really been hating on milk goats. I’m going to use this reel to respond back to these ridiculous claims and posts and also talk about it more in this caption.
You really don’t have to get a milk cow for your homestead; you can absolutely get goats and be happy as a clam with them. Or you could milk sheep, or camels, a yak, your barn cat… you get the point. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU and don’t let anybody, including these ignorant huge accounts sharing this completely invalid information change your mind. Why is it the ultimate flex to own a milk cow?! I’ve watched large accounts deal with detrimental bacterial mastitis that completely rendered the cow dry and unable to breed back and I’m also currently watching another big account drag a cow through milk fever that’s been down for over a week…. At what point is this not a flex anymore?
Goats are very social animals. You will absolutely know if they’re not feeling good. All livestock are going to try to hide illness a little because that’s what they do. But if you spend any amount of your time with your livestock, you will absolutely know when someone is off. Be a good steward to your flock! (Read Proverbs 27).
Goats are extremely easy to diagnose a parasite overload using the FAMACHA assessment score. Mucous membranes, meaning their eyelids when pulled down and even gums, get pale when the animal is not able to manage their parasite load anymore. Cows get parasites too and don’t show this anemia sign like caprines do. Yes, you can use FAMACHA score on cattle but it’s not as reliable. You’d need to pay your vet to do a fecal analysis to treat appropriately if you’re suspecting a parasite load your cow cannot manage.
Goats only need their feet trimmed a minimum of a few times a year. I trim more frequently because it makes the work easier than letting them get really long. Hoof trimming takes less than 5 minutes and only requires a few very cheap tools… your hands and some sharp hoof trimmers. Cows can also need their hooves trimmed up as their toes can become overgrown and to do this requires special tools and normally a squeeze chute and/or flip table which is a hirable service and costs a considerable amount of money. Where there are cows, there is mud and cows can get foot abscess, hoof rot, and even warts between their toes. Good luck treating that by yourself.
You can get cream from goat milk by utilizing a cream separator. Goat milk is naturally homogenized, and while you can get a small cream line, it will never completely separate to skim all the cream off. You can allow the milk to sit in a drink dispenser to form the cream line, then drain til the cream is just left and freeze that until you have enough for a batch of what you want to do if you’re not wanting to buy a cream separator. There’s a reason God put cream in the milk and skim milk isn’t as digestible or nutritious as whole milk with the cream mixed in. If you’re skimming every single gallon of cow milk you consume, you might as well buy storebought.
It is extremely easy to find a responsible goat breeder looking to improve herd health and production. By asking questions of the seller, you can quickly differentiate between someone passionate about the breed they raise and improving their does from someone who throws their goats on some weeds and expects big money because their goat has blue eyes and some moonspots. You’re going to see a lot of these homesteading accounts dealing with milk fever in their milk cow, and this is partly due to homesteaders breeding their cow, having a heifer born, that cow getting milk fever, and then selling that heifer as a future milk cow. There has to be some genetic aspect to this and any weak genetics, whether it be susceptibility to parasites or prone to milk fever, should never EVER be continued on. EVER. That’s irresponsible.
Goat milk tastes better than cow milk when properly handled and is also naturally A2. Just like cows, nutritional balance and cooling milk down quickly goes a long way for milk quality. There’s an obsession with finding A2/A2 milk genetics in cows when you wouldn’t even have to pay for the genetic testing in goats because that’s just what they be.
Not all goats have teeny tiny teats. If you get a full sized breed, their teats are very easy to hand milk. Those tiny Nigerians can get such small teats that some of them are identical to milking a cat it seems like. Also, don’t let these delusional big accounts tell you that all cows have perfect teats for handmilking. I have seen some with teats smaller than my goats, some that stick out at angles, and some that are ginormous. Cows have the same issues as goats and that should be something you’re looking at when you’re purchasing the animal. And if it’s a kid/calf, you should be looking at and milking the dam.
Goats are much easier to handle. Since they’re not 2000 pounds, you can easily make them do what you need them to do. Kicking while you milk? Easy to thwart and keep them from kicking the milk bucket over with your hand. If a cow doesn’t want to be milked, you’re going to have a bad day. They’re strong and big and can really hurt you if you’re not used to working around large animals. Another plus I love about milking goats is they jump up on a milk stand and I can comfortably sit right beside them and quietly enjoy milking time. A cow you need to crouch, sit on something, or squat to be able to milk… which is absolutely fine, but not my favorite when I have my comfy goats to rest my head on.
My favorite about goats is they’re extremely clean. Their poops are nice little round raisins and they form a pack on their stalls that stays dry on top and works well as a deep litter method through winter to keep them warm. Cows on the other hand have splattery poops that are wet and they normally like to flop down right in them, udder first, for a nice warm waterbed experience. Dirty teats to scrub off twice a day is my least favorite. I can say in all my years, my goats have NEVER had dirty teats. I’ve never dealt with mastitis in them because they’re so clean. Cows are just going to be more prone to it because they make bad choices in napping spots.
This isn’t to be taken negatively. This is to give you an unpopular perspective on why I adore my milk goats. And my herdshare families would wholeheartedly agree that goat milk is the best! I have both dairy goats and cows, so my opinion is a valid one. I’ve done my time working on a local dairy for years and raising goats, so I have the experience. Both are wonderful. Both have their pros and cons. If I had to choose between the two I would take goats all day any day and that would mean parting with my princess dairy heifer Sage, which I’m really not willing to do! Please stop letting these large account’s ignorance bully you into making a decision you’re not prepared to make. You can use goat milk just like you do cow milk, promise. Work with what you got, not against it!
