5 Reasons Why You Need Dairy Goats

We often get asked why in the world we have dairy goats.  I'm going to give you the 5 main reasons why we have dairy goats and why you should have them too!

1)    Lactose intolerance is a problem in our family.  Goat’s milk is about 10% lower in lactose (milk sugar) then cow’s milk.  Well that doesn’t sound like a significant amount it’s a big enough difference that lactose intolerant people typically thrive on goat’s milk, which is the case for our family.  Although no one is really sure why, it’s possible that goat’s milk is digested and absorbed more efficiently, so there’s not any lactose left undigested which causes all those nasty reactions.  Keep in mind that lactose intolerance is different than a cow’s milk allergy (CMA).   CMA is a protein allergy, while lactose intolerance is sensitivity to a carbohydrate.  Anyhow, when my hubby used to have too much ice cream or cow’s milk he would know it, immediately.  All of the typical symptoms would appear and quickly.  Now that we have our own dairy goats and I make our own goat milk ice cream and cheese he no longer has to worry about it.

2)    Goat milk has more nutrients and fatty acids.  My girls are petite for their age and don’t eat a lot, so I want to give them as nutrient rich foods as possible.  Goat’s milk has more essential fatty acids than cow’s milk, such as linoleic and arachidonic acid.  Goat’s milk also has more vitamin B-6, vitamin A, Niacin and Potassium.  Need I say more!

3)    Goat’s Milk is easier to digest than Cow’s Milk.   How could that be?  Goat’s milk has smaller fat globules and higher levels of medium chain fatty acids. This basically means that it’s much easier to digest and easier on your tum tum!  It also means that Goat’s milk is naturally homogenized.  Because the fat globules are smaller it doesn’t separate like cow’s milk, which equates to less processing and a more natural product.  Goat’s milk is also lacking an alpha casein protein that cow’s milk has, which can also trigger digestion trouble for some people.  

4)    Buying Goat Milk Supports smaller family producers.  We have our own Nubian Dairy Goats, but there are times when we’ve had to buy Goat’s Milk.  It’s a great feeling to know when we buy our milk we’re supporting our neighbors and community.

5)    The Goats are fun!  Goats are the most adorable creatures and fun to have around!  Of course there are times when they push our buttons or it’s in the middle of a spring blizzard and no one wants to go to the barn.  But all in all having goats is a great experience!  

Until Next time Live Simply and Live Country!