🐐 Goat
Also known as: dairy goat, domestic goat, Capra hircus
The second most important source. Its milk has smaller fat globules and is made into goat cheese.
The goat is one of the first domesticated animals and an important source of milk in dry and mountainous areas. According to the FAO, goats provide about 2% of the world’s milk, but in some countries their role is much greater: in sub-Saharan Africa they account for about 9% of milk output. The largest producers are India, Sudan and Pakistan.
Yields vary widely: national averages range from a few dozen to almost two hundred kilograms of milk a year, and specialised European breeds give much more. Goats have a flatter lactation curve than cows, so their yield stays more even. A goat is easy to keep on a small homestead, which is why it is often called “the poor man’s cow”.
The fat globules in goat’s milk are on average smaller than in cow’s milk, and the taste depends on feed and care. Goat’s milk is used to make soft and aged cheeses (such as French chèvre), brynza and fermented milk drinks.
How it connects to milk
Links
- What milk it gives
- 🥛 Goat's milk
- What it gives
- 🥛 Milk, 🧀 Cheese
- Feeds with milk
- 🍼 Goat kid
- Belongs to
- 🔬 Mammal
- Takes part in
- 🔄 Milking
- Who cares for it
- 🧑🌾 Herder
- Associated with
- 🥛 Milk
- Where it is milked
- 🌍 Latin America, 🌍 East Africa
- Which peoples keep it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Indians, 🧑🤝🧑 Palestinians, 🧑🤝🧑 Iranians, 🧑🤝🧑 Mongols, 🧑🤝🧑 Greeks, 🧑🤝🧑 Lebanese, 🧑🤝🧑 Moroccans
- Part of
- 🐐 Small ruminants
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Wineskin, 🍷 Dionysus
Frequently asked questions
How much milk does a goat give per day?
Usually 1 to 4 litres; dairy breeds on good feed give more, local grazing goats less.
Why does goat milk smell?
Taste and smell depend on feed, milking hygiene and storage; with proper care, fresh goat’s milk has almost no strong odour.
What is the difference between goat milk and cow milk?
It has smaller fat globules on average and a slightly different protein profile; for people allergic to cow’s milk protein it is generally not a safe substitute without a doctor’s advice.
History
What to read next
- 🥛 Goat's milk — Close to cow's milk in its main values; smaller fat globules and a characteristic “goaty” taste.
- 🍼 Goat kid — The young of a goat.
- 🔄 Milking — 2–3 times a day, by hand or by machine.
- 🌍 Latin America — A region from Mexico to the south of South America: about 9% of the world's milk, dulce de leche and fresh cheeses, Argentine and Chilean wines, olives.
- 🔬 Mammal — The class of animals that feed their young with milk.
Similar
🐑 Sheep · 🐄 Cow · 🐂 Zebu · 🐪 She-camel · 🐃 Water buffalo · 🐎 Mare
Sources
- FAO — Dairy animals: Small ruminants
- Pietrzak-Fiećko, Kamelska-Sadowska. The Comparison of Nutritional Value of Human Milk with Other Mammals' Milk. Nutrients, 2020