To pasturize or not to pasturize? I know this question is right up there with Which came first, the chicken or the egg? But I'll be getting in a milk goat in a couple of weeks (can't wait for the goats that I have to hurry up and freshen) and was just wondering which way all of you goat people out there handle it....

-- Judy in Md. (Trailhppr@msn.com), August 28, 2000

Answers

We never pasteurized our goat milk, and had no health problems from it, but you want to make sure your animals are healthy, and your equipment is scrupulously clean. My opinion is that it reduces the nutritional value of the milk, and is extra work for a very slight chance of preventing illness. Has anybody out there ever heard of anyone getting sick from drinking raw goats milk (aside from possibly allergies to something the goats had been eating)?

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 28, 2000.

I do both, that is pasturize and no pasturization. I pasturize milk that is going to bottle feed kids that need to be bottle fed and for cheese and fudge I sell to others. for our own personal use i do not. I prefer it raw and swear it makes the best cheese straight from the goat, warm. I strain the milk, put it in my cheese pot and when it cools to 80 degrees add the starter ingredients. I always have success doing it this way with raw milk. On the other hand I noticed that when using pasturized milk I tend to have more "sensitive" batches of cheese that need a lot of papmering. You must be absolutly sterile though if you choose to use it raw, thats my opinion. I do know some folks who don't, but to each their own I guess. Hope this helps.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), August 28, 2000.

Ditto, on the pasteurizing. I had to pasteurize for the kids (goat kids) anyway, so I just did it all. Hard to cool down fast enough not to pick up a flavor, but CAE prevention was the motive. If it was just to drink, I would use it straight from the goat.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), August 28, 2000.

We don't pasteurize our cow milk. Just keep things really clean, (plenty of boiling water :O)

-- Abigail F. (treeoflife@sws.nb.ca), August 28, 2000.

When we lived on the dairy farms our milk came straight from the cows. Didn't seem to harm any of us.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 28, 2000.

I never pasteurize. I believe the major goodness and nutritional value of the milk is killed in pasteurization. And no, I am not a raving lunatic. Just keep your animals healthy and your equipment clean.

For further information check out this website:

http://www.realmilk.com/realmilk.html

And read Sally Fallon's book: Nourishing Traditions.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), August 28, 2000.

Actually do agree with the other posts but lets play devils advocate for a second. Fed to the kid goats it is pasturized, fed to us it is raw, sold to anyone with children under 2 it is only sold pasturized, sold to anyone else raw, you can't take it unless you bring ice and an ice chest. Period! I also wouldn't be drinking milk from does I didn't raise or at least have a good relationship with the person I purchased from. CL abscesses that burst in the udder can infect you, Listerosis can be past in the milk to humans, staph mastitis undetected in raw milk can cause thrush in babies. And the list goes on. At this point there is speculation about the incedience of Johnes and humans with Crones. Once you have raised these does kids up yourself on heat treated colostrum and pasturized milk, then I would feel much more comfortable about you using the milk raw. Add to this that nearly all "goat" feed has animal by products in it for protein (fish and feather meal, and that's just the ones they fess up to) who knows what residue is in the milk or meat. Most folks overuse medication when first into goats, and have no idea about worming correctly, the importance of fecal samples, or blood tests for CAE. No one knows if there is any ramifications to drinking CAE + milk right now. Read up on zoonic disease from cows, goats and sheep to humans and you would take some extra percautions if you have infants, ill or elderly family. Vicki (Your little ray of sunshine :)

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 28, 2000.

I do pasteurize when I make yogurt since I usually make about a gallon at a time and it seems to stay fresher longer when pasteurized. For drinking or other uses however I don't.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), August 28, 2000.

i do not pasturize my milk (or should i say my goat's milk) but i do regularly test for mastisis with a test kit. i know their are other things that can be transmited but i worry more about the bacteria in my milk. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), September 01, 2000.

Pasturization was invented because of the tuberculosis and brucelosis as well as other pathogens in cows milk in the pre vaccination past. While pasturization does kill pathogenic bacteria it also kills benign as well helpful bacteria and enzymes. As far as CAE is concerned it is not passed on to humans and pasturization is not a guarantee your animals won't test positive. I have raised goats for nearyl thirty years. In the begining I tried pasturization but the milk had a cooked taste. I haven't pasturized for the last 25 years for myself or my kids.

-- Maryanna Spurr (wewalk@usmo.com), September 01, 2000.

i much preffer my milk fresh i dont live on a farm myself but my mother either gets the milk fresh from a dairy unpasturized or from a health food shop, she like he milk biodynamic fresh is better if everything is kept clean and healthy it should be ok

-- Jade Georgeson (Angel_star109@hotmail.com), August 07, 2001.

There is a book that is out of print now, but you can get it at the library, it is called"The milk of human kindness is not pasturized". The author is Dr William Campbell Douglass, it is one of the best books I have seen on this subject.

-- Roxanne (Roxanne143@webtv.net), August 07, 2001.