Newbie from Aberdeenshire

[PurpleDragon]

I've never tried goats milk. I've been told it is awful compared to cows milk. It was one of the options we were given when No2child was diagnosed with a milk intolerance, and although she tried it, she didn't like it. Perhaps if we got fresh, instead of off T***o's, it would be different.

[Chickpea]

Who told you it was awful? It's not awful, just different. Like duck eggs compared to hen's eggs. If you're expecting it to taste just exactly eaxctly the same you might think it was awful - my mum used to be a devil for that. "This doesn't taste like normal milk therefore it's off therefore it's awful and I'm not drinking it".

Try it. Don't expect it to taste the same as cow's milk. You might like it.

I know someone who got a goat and drank only goat's milk for years. Then when someone gave him a glass of cow's milk he spat it out - he was unprepared for how "cow-ish" it tasted compared to the delicious goat milk he had become used to.

[Ness]

Hi there, another newbie (and funily enough another Margo!) here. I've only just started growing plants in pots around my flat and have been surprised at how much I enjoy it - mainly chillies and various kitchen herbs; but this morning I planted a baby papaya. Here's hoping! Hello to you all anyway.

[PurpleDragon]

Yeah, I can see that.
My DH wouldn't eat the eggs from the hens, because he was used to shop eggs.
Mad.

[ina]

Hi Purple Dragon

Keep fingers crossed this thing will let me send the reply this time... I've been trying since yesterday morning!

Anyway: Kincardineshire is the southernmost end of Aberdeenshire, bordering on Angus - it's a historic name, so for administrative purposes we are under Aberdeenshire council. (Does the Howe of the Mearns ring a bell - it's Grassic Gibbon country, in case you read A Scots Quair!)

As Shirley said, my goats are female. I'd love to breed them, but unfortunately don't have enough space. If they had kids, they would, of course, produce milk - but this breed isn't meant to be milked, so they'll only have enough for their offspring. (Well, I suppose I could squeeze out half a pint now and then... Depending on what shape they are in, and how well fed.)

And goats milk - took me a few days to get used to it, and then I hardly knew the difference anymore. If it's milked cleanly and refridgerated straight away, it has hardly any taint. Of course, if you have your own milk, it will always taste diffferent from what you get in the shops, as it's not "standardised, homogenised, pasteurised, de-flavourised..." You'd notice the difference in taste over the year, too, depending on what feed they are getting. A glut of certain feeds can cause a taint (clover, for example, or even dandelion, and less-than-perfect silage).

[PurpleDragon]

Isn't that so annoying? I hate it when you type a great big reply to something, and it vanishes into the ether.

No, unfortunately it doesn't ring a bell. We only moved up here last August, and I'm still finding my way about. I'm actually going to be down Kincorth way this w/e to collect some FreeCycle stuff. Man, that is an amazing site. I'm SO lucky!

I was reading that you can get Maiden Milkers, which are females whose udders kick into gear and they start producing milk sans kids. There is so much to learn about them. I didn't realise there was so much to know, and I'm pretty much resigned to waiting till Spring before I get any in because it will take that long to learn how to care for them properly and make sure they have decent quarters.

Do you have to boil the milk? I used to know a family who bought in an urn of (cows) milk each day from the dairy, and the Mother used to have to put it into pans to boil before drinking.

Do you have a website or blog or anything with pix of your girls on? I should like to see them.

I just read in the local paper that a local woman has just had 21 goats and 15 poultry stolen this week from her smallholding. She's gutted. She thinks they are going for the meat market because otherwise what was the point, you know? Can you imagine?

[PurpleDragon]

Hi there, another newbie (and funily enough another Margo!) here. I've only just started growing plants in pots around my flat and have been surprised at how much I enjoy it - mainly chillies and various kitchen herbs; but this morning I planted a baby papaya. Here's hoping! Hello to you all anyway.

Hi Ness :) I'm fairly new here as well, but this is a great forum. Really interesting - I've learned loads in such a short time.

[Shirley]

How awful to have them stolen like that

Goat's milk... we haven't been boiling it... just drinking it raw or making it into cheese... do need to check whether it's ok for the little one to drink it raw though. Perhaps we'll have to invest in a pasteuriser.

[PurpleDragon]

I don't know why she boiled her milk. I think boiling it will be enough. Best to check though, I would guess.

[ina]

I can't really see the point in having your own milk if you then go and boil the goodness out of it! Boiled milk really does taste awful. I think folk are just too paranoid about all those diseases you might possibly get from raw milk... I had nothing but raw milk for the best part of 20 years, from various farms, cows' as well as goats' milk, and never had even an upset stomach. Ok, I wouldn't advise anybody who'd never had raw milk in their lives to go mad and drink half a gallon right off - now that would be asking for trouble! Your stomach has to get used to the natural bacteria that are in milk. And, as I said before - it's important that the milk is produced cleanly. That doesn't mean sterile; a scrubbing brush is more important than chemicals (in my opinion and experience). I still miss raw milk and definitely want to get dairy goats (or possibly even a cow) at some later stage in my life - can't do it here - as it's illegal in Scotladn to sell raw milk. (I think it's about the only country in Europe where it is illegal!)

Stolen livestock - that really makes me mad, and sad. But I suppose it will never be entirely avoided, unless you lock them all up every night, keep them under surveillance during the day, and have burglar alarms fitted. And with all those regulations on ear tagging etc - who is it who buys these animals?

Btw, Kincorth - that's halfway here! Well, only another 30 miles or so. Looks like Shirley plus family and myself will be at he Environment Day in Inverurie on Saturday - that's a bit further inland - maybe you'd like to come?

I had photosof my goats somewhere on this forum, a long time ago - have to check they are still there.

[PurpleDragon]

I think she was trying to get rid of any potential nasties. Perhaps if she had her own milk producers she might not have been quite to fastitious - you never know what might have happened to it between udder and fridge! I used to help out the local milk producer and often had milk straight from the cow. Warm. Yummy. Too close to the poopy tail for comfort though ...

I didn't know it was illegal in Scotland to sell raw milk! I'm astonished. You can surely use it for personal use though?

I felt terrible about that woman's livestock. The police aren't really able to do anything. She's put up a 5-figure reward. I think theywill go to meat producers though. There was recently a River Cottage episode that has curried goat as the recipe and that may have prompted someone to try and sell to that market. Not that I'm blaming River Cottage, of course! Just the folk who would be inspired to turn to crime to benefit from the idea.

I am going to the Inverurie thing on Saturday. It is only 40 minutes from me. I was there today actually.

[ina]

Ha, great - have just spoekn to Shirley and her lot, they'll try to be there relatively early, and I'll probably make it for around 11:30 (have to pop in at the Newton Dee shop first). Shirley will be wearing her SSish t-shirt. Anything we can recognise you from?

As to milk - yes, you do have to be able to trust the folk you get your raw milk from. And you are allowed to drink what you have produced yourself - at least I assume that - and I've done it, too, here in Scotland (although they weren't my animals, I only milked them!).

What I'm wondering, though - with all the controls about registration of livestock etc, there must be some bent buyer out there, who would take on stolen animals without proper paperwork. And unless things have changed dramatically, they won't get a lot of money for them, curried goat or no curried goat! That number is a bit high though for somebody's private freezer... Sorry, I'm just thinking aloud.

[Millymollymandy]

My father was a dairy farmer and he always boiled the milk. You get a great cream off the top. Don't know why it had to be boiled but maybe the fact that it was a tropical country had something to do with it?

I only ever tried raw unboiled milk once when I stayed with my brother when he was working on a dairy farm in England. I couldn't stand it in my tea or coffee - I'm used to semi skimmed and this was far too creamy!

[Shirley]

I prefer skimmed milk in my tea..... anything else is just too creamy.

Looking forward to meeting with Carol and Ina today - and yes.. I'll take my camera

[Chickpea]

Me too Shirlz. Skimmed milk in tea, full fat in coffee. Fussy? Moi?