Raw Goat Milk Herd Share Program
Goat's milk is one of the closest in comparison to human milk. It is naturally A2/A2, making it highly digestible for most humans in comparison to many traditional dairy options like store bought cow's milk. Many people who have an issue with certain caseins in cow's milk are able to drink goat's milk without issue (but it still contains lactose).
Our own family chooses raw milk because it is nutrient dense and filled with beneficial bacteria that help to keep our guts healthy and our daughter growing well.
Additionally, our herd of goats consists of all Nigerian Dwarfs, who are prized for their high butterfat content, which lends to a slightly sweet, creamy, delicious tasting milk that is almost always preferred in a blind taste test over cow's milk.
Why choose goat milk? //
How does a herd share program work? //
Raw milk sales are illegal in the state of Michigan.
In order to obtain raw milk from our farm, a percentage share in our herd must be purchased. By owning a share of our ADGA registered Nigerian Dwarf goat herd, you are entitled to a percentage of their milk.
A monthly fee is paid to contribute to the care and feed of the animals in our herd. More information related to our herd share program can be obtained by contacting Kaylyn at thisisfablehillfarm@gmail.com.
Our raw milk handling protocols //
Many people ask, "Is raw milk safe?" and the answer to that question is, "It depends on how it is handled from start to finish." The number one factor that makes raw milk unsafe for human consumption is unsanitary conditions in the milk parlor and during the milk handling process.
Here at Fable Hill Farm, we take the utmost pride and care in the handling of our milk, as this milk is primarily for our own family's consumption and we value the health of our daughter above all else.
We use an antibacterial soap and essential oil blend to wash udders prior to milking and an industry-leading antibacterial teat spray to prevent bacteria from entering the udder post-milking.
All our milk equipment is fully sterilized after each use and only glass and stainless steel buckets and jars are used to handle milk.
Our milk is triple-filtered and immediately chilled in a chest freezer to stop any unwanted bacterial growth.
Managing the herd holistically //
Kaylyn has a nearly decade of professional experience in the holistic medicine field, which gives her a unique perspective on raising livestock using a root cause, immune-driven approach.
Our goats are raised using holistic preventative care which includes quality feed, minerals, herbal remedies, as well as mindful gut and immune strengthening vitamins and nutritional support.
You can learn more about how we feed and manage our dairy goats here.
Other health and safety protocols //
In addition to to safely handling raw milk, it is important to consider the element of zoonotic diseases, or diseases that animals can transmit to humans.
There are such diseases found in dairy animals, like Johne's disease, Brucellosis, and Q-fever that can be transmissable to humans.
Here at Fable Hill Farm, we test annually for several of those diseases and bi-annually for others and all our of test results can be found here.
We also monitor our doe's somatic cell count (SCC) to check for potential mastitis or other internal infections approximately every 30 days or so. This is monitored through laboratory analysis of milk samples as part of our voluntary participation in the Dairy Herd Improvement Registry (DHIR).
Can we see your milk parlor? //
Herd share members can visit the farm to see our milk parlor and our herd of ADGA registered Nigerian Dwarf goats.
Visits must be scheduled in advance and due to biosecurity protocols in place, no persons may enter our animal pens. All farm visitors must wear protective shoe coverings to prevent the transmission of any disease to our herd.
Kaylyn also operates a YouTube channel and our milk parlor setup and many details of our farm operations can be viewed on that platform.