A homestead is not complete without some dairy goats. If your dream is to live as independently as possible a dairy goat has much to offer.

Goat Milk and Milk Products

A single dairy goat can consistently produce 2 quarts of milk per day.  Some people have concern about goat milk having that ‘goaty taste’.  The taste in the milk is mostly based on what the dairy goat is fed.  When we first moved onto our farm the ground was covered in eucalyptus leaves and the goat milk did have a faint eucalyptus smell and taste.

To sweeten the milk you should feed your does a higher protein diet with alfalfa and a grain mixture optimized for sweet milk production.  We have found that feeding black oil sunflower seeds and shredded beets work very well for this.

We have pleased several of our neighbors with goat cheese and recently started making goat milk soap.

Weed Abatement

The goats will continue to keep their roaming area weed free and the trivial amount of weeds that they would eat will have no effect on the flavor of their milk.