Goat milk is the most commonly consumed type of dairy in the world. In fact, 65% to 72% of all dairy consumed globally is goat milk. HERE This is partially due to the ease of keeping goats as opposed to cows in developing countries, where goat milk is an important source of calories, protein, and fats. In many countries, people express a preference for goat milk over cow milk.
Goat milk is the milk of domestic goats.
Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply.[1] Some goats are bred specifically for milk.
Goat milk naturally has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream will stay in suspension for a longer period of time than cows milk; therefore, it does not need to be homogenized. Eventually, the cream will rise to the top over a period of a few days. Indeed, if the milk is to be used to make cheese, homogenization is not recommended, as this changes the structure of the milk, affecting the culture's ability to coagulate the milk and the final quality and yield of cheese.[2]
Dairy goats in their prime (generally around the third or fourth lactation cycle) average—2.7 to 3.6 kg (6 to 8 lb)—of milk production daily—roughly 2.8 to 3.8 l (3 to 4 U.S. qt)—during a ten-month lactation, producing more just after freshening and gradually dropping in production toward the end of their lactation. The milk generally averages 3.5% butterfat.[3]
