Goats milk for babies

NewEnglandFarmer · Aug 21, 2012

I have a question for anyone with first hand experience with goats milk and babies.

What are the pros and cons of giving a 1-2 month old goats milk? I realize goats milk lacks a few vitamins so this would only be a supplement to icky formula. WE REALIZE BREASTMILK IS BEST, AT THIS POINT IT MUST BE STOPPED. DO NOT RESPOND TELLING ME ABOUT BREASTMILK, nor am I interested in a donors milk.

Am I over simplifying the subject by saying it would be safe to get raw goats milk, boil it, cool it, and feed it to the baby as a supplement?

I understand goats milk is better for acid reflux/colic in babies than cows milk.

Any suggestions/stories would be great.

I'm realizing that we are now living almost full swing in the era where there are no more "old timers" you can go to for sound advice. I guess we should be thankful for internet threads. God never shuts a door without opening a window.

David G · Aug 21, 2012

I would not think an issue, but all knowing google should know. We raised babies on formula, then cows milk. I would want pasteurized milk for mine.

David G · Aug 21, 2012

Do not let people bully you on the breast milk issue. It is not their concern.

JWalker · Aug 21, 2012

Suggestion only, consult with your Pediatrician and state ag extention specialist. I wish you luck as it sounds like you will need it.

old · Aug 21, 2012

Goats milk is in fact very good for babies and have sold it to more then one person due to having problems with cows milk and also sold it for babies. It is by far easier to digest then cows milk is and in some ways better for a person. My grand father had goats, my parents had goats and I have goats so been in the family for years

NewEnglandFarmer · Aug 21, 2012

I don't have my mind set on raw milk, I just figured if we go the milk-supplementing route than it would probably be cheaper for me to buy a goat and milk her myself than to buy it.

My own personal reason for introducing milk so early.. I view formula as basically stale nutrients (I won't even get into the corn syrup levels). I understand the reason breastmilk is so healthy is because outside of the nutrients, there are antibodies passed down from mom to the baby, all from her body and what she's eaten. I'm thinking outside the box that if the baby were to receive goats/cows milk, than it would be receiving antibodies from those animals. Not as good as from mom, but more than just vitamins from a powdered mix.

NewEnglandFarmer · Aug 21, 2012

Unfortunately..the more we talk with different pedis, the more we realize they're one step above useless.

Bret4207 · Aug 21, 2012

You won't need to boil it. If you want it pasteurized, you bring it to 165 F in a double boiler and hold it there for a minute or so, then cool it. The alternative is to find a home pasteurizer which does the work for you using a double boiler type set up with some pressure to speed things up. The reason to pasteurize it is to kill of any harmful bacteria. We always drank it raw and I would today if it was from my own goats. With someone elses milk...do as you wish.

I would have no qualms about using goats milk for a baby. It's better milk IMO given the same sanitary care and cooling. Any off taste is either due to poor handling or poor feed and that happens with cows too. Anything else is in the mind of the drinker. The texture is slightly different than raw cow milk, but not in an unpleasant way.

We never raised babies on our goat milk, but our kids got lots of it and they were the picture of health. It definitely is easier on the stomach than cow milk and raw goat milks makes the best milks shakes ever!

Hope that helps.

David G · Aug 21, 2012

Brett is correct, milk at 165 for 20 seconds is pasteurized.

Pitch · Aug 21, 2012

As a baby I could not tolerate cow milk,so I drank goats milk from near birth. I think it was probably raw as my father would just go to an uncle every couple of days to get it. I am alive and well,maybe not normal but the milk didn"t affect that.

Hotflashjr · Aug 21, 2012

Not sure the issue, nor is it my business, but my wife had to completely do away with dairy for our little one who just turned one. She could only have soy, almond, or coconut milk based anything to be able to keep breast feeding. If dairy isn't your issue I am sure goats milk would be fine but I personally would pasteurize it for my own piece of mind.

On a side note we have also found our pedi to be about useless as well. My wife was the one who figured out our little one had an allergy to dairy through the breast milk.

RayP(MI) · Aug 21, 2012

Wife is RN, years of experience in OB. Says that goat milk is fine, especially if child has problems with cow"s milk. AS LONG AS IT"S PASTURIZED. Others have given appropriate directions. On a side note, we had a goat that couldn"nurse properly - I milked her, fed the littleone. Milking a goat was difficult compared with milking a cow, and I have lots of experience milking cows... (Grew up on dairy farm.)

Arkansas · Aug 21, 2012

All of my children (I have 6) were raised on raw goat milk. We all still drink it. I became a granddad in April. Daughter-in-law dried up, and so my grandson has been on goat milk for just over 2 months now. Never had a problem. We don't pasturize, but I might be inclined to if I had to purchase it from someone I didn't know well. Clean the teats, clean the bucket, clean the jug. Strain it for hair. Keep the milk stand clean. Chill it fast. I can't stress cleanliness enough. You'll do fine

TomH in PA · Aug 21, 2012

Not sure that you'll really be adding anything in addition to the formula, but if it makes you happy go for it. Also make sure the baby gets enough water, the little nippers get really cranky when they're just plain thirsty.

Traditional Farmer · Aug 21, 2012

The goats milk will be far better for your child than formula,Personally I'd have the goat tested
and drink it raw.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2012

Use your search engine,dozens of items on this subject.

gitrib · Aug 21, 2012

I have provided goats milk for many human babies over rhe year. he molicue (SP) of goas milk is smaller and softer and more easy to digest. This arugment has been going for for years The real question is the quality of the milk and the health of the animal/ Pasturize if you want to be exra safe. Ours was processed an pasturized in a Grade A operation..The younger girl in this picture was raised on our Goat milk from bring a tiny Baby gitrib

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2012

From Countrysidemag.com:
Goat milk is also a healthier alternative to cow milk. Why? Cow milk has to be homogenized to be more easily digested, which is a process where the fat globules are broken down. However, this is not necessary with goat milk because it is naturally homogenized. Therefore goat milk is much more easily digested than cow milk is.

Goat milk has more of the essential vitamins that we need. Goat milk has 13% more calcium, 25% percent more B6, 47% percent more vitamin A, and 27% more selenium. It also has more chloride, copper, manganese, potassium, and niacin than cow milk. It also produces more silicon and fluorine than any other dairy animal. Silicon and fluorine can help prevent diabetes.

Scientist are not sure why, but people who are lactose intolerant can often drink goat milk without having to worry about side effects. Goat milk does not cause phlegm like cow milk does, so you can drink goat milk even when you have a cold or bad allergy problems.

randy hall · Aug 21, 2012

my dad milked a goat to feed his younger brother you was allergic to cows milk, this was in the late forties, or course it was raw. i was raised on raw cows milk,in the mid fifties, it never bothered me. drank only raw milk until grampa sold the cows after grandma died in'66.

Bill in Colo · Aug 21, 2012

I was raised of raw goats milk, raised my kids on raw cows milk they all did fine

Greg K · Aug 21, 2012

I was allergic to cow milk as a baby and gained 3 pounds in 9 months. They put me on goat milk and gained 9 pounds in 3 months! We milked them until I was maybe 10 years old or so with no problems. We used to make ice cream out of it and anything else in place of cows milk. Go for it and good luck

Goats milk for babies

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