# How long until colostrum turns to milk



## firecattx (Nov 18, 2010)

Just curious, how long does a doe give colostrum until it turns to milk? We don't know if our doe is CAE negative so we bottle feeding the kid. How long until we can drink the milk? 
Maybe one day I'll have more answers than questions :blush2


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## supermom (Feb 24, 2009)

Some people drink it at the end of the first week, but for us.....we wait 2 weeks because we can all taste an off-taste even during the second week. By 2 weeks, it taste perfect. Why don't you taste it now and see if it tastes okay to you. If not, just wait a bit longer.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

And there's no reason you can't drink colostrum. I mean it's not going to hurt anything, it's actually very good for you. For me, within two days it's milk.


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## Goat Town (Nov 20, 2010)

Over the years I have noticed that when milking a doe who is still giving colostrum, the milk will not foam in the milk pail. Once It starts to foam it goes into the household milk supply or is pasteurized for babies. After about a week of milking the doe her milk will be added to the milk foir sale supply.

I hand milk until I have three does fresh then I switch to machine. If I'm already machine milking when a new doe freshens I'll hand milk her until I see foam in the milk pail and then she'll be switched to machine milking with the rest of the milk girls.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

Commercial dairies put does into the milk string at 7 days fresh. My DH started in goats working at a dairy, so that's the protocol we use here for drinking/selling milk. I start pasteurizing for babies as soon as I see foam.


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