Goat vs Cow Milk
You may be thinking, tomayto tomahto, but that really isn’t the case.
We have chosen goat milk for our caramel sauce for a variety of reasons. We will attempt to explain a little more about the differences between these two milks and how we goat to where we are today (whoops, got).
alergens & protiens
You may have heard pediatricians suggest goat milk formula for infants who can’t handle regular (cow milk based) formula. Much of this is due to the properties of the milk itself. According to the Journal of American Medicine, "Goat's milk is the most complete food known." It contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein, and fatty acids that are utilized by your body with ease.
Here we attempt to outline why goat’s milk is easier to digest.
Smaller Fat molecules: Goat milk fat molecules are smaller than the that of cows milk, making it easier to digest.
Naturally Homogenized: Fresh cow milk will naturally separate where the fat will float to the top (typically carried off to become cheese and butter) and to avoid this lumpy texture it is processed to homogenize it. Goat milk is naturally homogenized – smooth and consistent without any man-made process.
Less Lactose: Goat milk contains less lactose (milk sugar) than cow milk. This is easier on our stomach simply because we don’t need as much of a particular enzyme to break down the lactose.
Protein: One of the most common allergies in children under the of age of 3 in the United States is a dairy-allergy and it has a lot to do with a particular protein in the milk called Alpha s1 Casein. The levels of Alpha s1 Casein are about 89% less in goat milk. – which is one of the main reasons why people who have dairy sensitivities can have goat milk as an alternative.
Digestion: All of these attributes (naturally homogenized, smaller fat molecules, less lactose) allows your body to digest goat’s milk in 20 MINUTES vs 4 HOURS with cow’s milk.
You can read more about each of these facts from a great dairy in Washington.
As it relates to nutrition, Goats milk is a good source of protein, contains less sugar (lactose), 13% more calcium, 25% more vitamin B6, 47% more vitamin A, and 134% more potassium than regular cow milk.
the animals size and attributes
Cow and goats are both ruminants with four chambers. They have one stomach and four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasums. This is how they get so much energy from grass. However, their manure, impact on the land and natural resources required make goats a superior animal to raise on small acreage.
Goat manure: Like sheep, goats evolved in drier climate and require less water, forming dry pellets as opposed to cow or horse manure. Goat manure has less odor and is easier to work with and spread, it composts more quickly, and is higher in nitrogen.
Land Impact: Goats are the only ruminant with the ability to climb trees! While some can be quite mischievous, our breed of dairy goats are very manageable. They are a terrific animal to rationally graze on small acreage and will get nutrients from plant material other than grass such as weeds and leaves (which cows will not eat). Their size is much more manageable in routine maintenance such as hoof trimming, veterinary care and milking. With a small herd and milking by hand, two teats per animal is much easier then four.
Feed per Gallon: A cow requires 6 times as much feed/day and produces 6-8 times as much milk. While the feed to milk production rate can be lower in goats, the quantity and type of feed for goats is much easier to grow, source and maintain, making the storage, time and labor costs much lower.
In summary, we prefer goats. I (Amanda) consulted cow dairy farmers in developing countries on feed and milking protocols and I know first hand how much goes into each cow. As a small scale farm and typically running the farm myself, goats are (hands down) our preference.
Our choice for goats are primarily two reasons: environmental impact and superior quality.
When you choose our caramel you can rest, knowing our main ingredient was
thoughtfully selected and responsibly raised with you in mind.
Thank You