# Question about raw milk consumption



## mirage_mp (Jun 29, 2013)

I'm completely new to milking (my doelings will kid their first time this year) and I wondered about raw milk. I have every intention of our drinking it raw, but wondered what the possible problems are concerning raw milk? I know contamination (milking with dirty teats, hands or bucket) can cause problems. But is there anything else to watch out for (diseases, etc.) That make the milk unsafe?


----------



## mirage_mp (Jun 29, 2013)

Also what do people do to ensure clean teats?


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I drink mine raw. I dip the teats in with sanitize hand gel with aloe, or I use wipes when it's cold..., I warm then up in the microwave before heading down to the barn. I milk, first with machine, then by hand. I spray fight bac on the teats afterwards or I I use the sanitize hand gel again and put on some udder balm. 

Since I started drinking goats milk raw I have not gotten sick. I do test for disease, so that makes a difference as well. I strain with a coffee filter, put it in the fridge, and there ya go.


----------



## mirage_mp (Jun 29, 2013)

What diseases can cause problems?


----------



## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I've made a teat dip using some recipes I found. It uses a tiny bit bleach, some dish soap, and water all diluted down in a big jar. I put it on before and after milking. After milking I strain the milk and leave it in the freezer for an hour or so and then it's ready to drink. 

Since I take all the right precautions with keeping the milk clean and safe I feel more than comfortable drinking it. I also haven't gotten sick yet too!


----------



## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

we check for mastitis every milking. as long as you are clean you should have no problems. we use wipes before milking and teat dip after.


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I prefer a vinegar water udder wash, over bleach only because its not a chemical, I also find th vinegar conditions the udders and teats as well. I add a bit of dish soap too...I use two towels per goat..one to wash and one to dry...I buy those white car towels...
We have been drinking raw milk from day one...before we had goat we bought raw cows milk...a clean sanatized enviorment and clean practices is all you need..washing and santizing your buckets, jars ect....Annually testing for disease is a good practice...
enjoy!!


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

I drink mine raw, and use warm to hot vinegar water to sanitize teats.

here's how Fiasco Farms does it:
http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/milking-sanitation-equipment.html


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Disease concerns to be considered would be Brucellous, Johnnes, CL, Staph.
You can blood test for the first 3 and a mastitis test kit such as a CMT (California mastitis test) would give peace of mind that the milk is infection free.

I was raised on raw goats milk and I also milked my own fresh does that no testing was ever done on, clean teats, healthy goat, normal healthy udder and clean milking utensils.... I'm still here 
I use dollar store baby wipes to clean dirty udders, I don't use a teat dip as I know that the teat will seal itself, milk is sterile as it comes out of the udder and as long as the doe is not laying down as soon as she's done being milked the teat is not in contact with dirty bedding, ground etc. My girls finish their feed then are at the hay feeders so their teats have chance to seal 
My method is not for everyone but it has worked for me and my girls for quite a few years


----------



## thomcarol (Feb 3, 2012)

We have used teat wash made from Dawn in the past but I have started just wiping them down with my hands to get off anything that may fall into their milk. If it has been really wet and they are really dirty on their underside I will use something to sterilize but most of the time I use nothing. I figure since farmers milked for thousands of years without something to sterilize with then we should be fine too. We've been doing that for about a year with no problems. Of course I sterilize my containers and refigerate quickly.


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

We don't use a teat dip or wash or test for anything either. Clean the udder with a wipe or just brush the dirt off it they aren't too dirty. This is how WE do it....we don't sell our milk to anyone or I would definitely do things a lot different. We drink the raw milk and make cheese with it. I skim what little cream rises to the top to use for other things. None of us has gotten sick from it. We've had some bloody milk before that can be an indicator of mastitis (it wasn't in our case, our girl had a seriously chapped udder that we treated with coconut oil and it healed up just fine). Fed the bloody milk to the cats/chickens/pigs. Just use common sense...clean utensils (we don't sterilize, just wash with HOT soapy water) and strain as soon as you can and refrigerate.


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I use the hypo-allergetic no perfume, no dye baby wet wipes and clean the teats well before milking. Squirt a few squirts from each teat into 
a container to check for mastitis, then milk into a clean, sanitized stainless steel bucket. I strain the milk and put it in mason jars to chill 
quickly in ice water, then when really cold, put in the fridge. I do have a 2 gal. Pasteurizer. If I am giving the milk to my grandkids, I will 
pasteurize it, just to be 100% sure no bacteria is in it. (I pasteurize it within a few minutes after milking, then cool rapidly in the ice bath).

It is really up to you how you want to milk. Everyone has a different way, find a way that is comfortable to you and research about pasteurization. Some
people say it ruins the milk, others swear by it. All I do is raise the temp to something like 158º for 15 seconds. Maybe I am just wasting time, but, so far,
no one has ever gotten sick, my grandson's asthma is better and all is well!


----------

