As long as the milk is strained properly and refrigerated immediately, it should be fine. If there are huge clumps of dirt, I would play it safe and throw it away. If it was properly strained and refrigerated within 10-20 minutes after she stepped in it, you should be fine.
Yes, every bit of milk is hard won, but if a hoof goes in it goes to the cats, dogs, other animals. I don't consider it a waste because its good nutrition for the animals and you and the goat are learning.
I would not drink it after any animal stepped in it. I know it is super frustrating to go through all that hard work and they seem to always wait until the bucket is almost full! But generally their little hooves have poop smeared on them and I just don't want to drink it much less take the risk. One thing that really helped me when I started out milking was to milk into a cup that I could hold close to their teat and then dump that into a larger bucket periodically that way if they knocked it out of my hand or something, I only lost a pint or so instead of several gallons.
Hi, I wouldn't drink it myself, tomatoes love the calcium in milk, OK for pets, OK for (goat) kids if strained. If your despirate for the milk, might be OK if you pasteurize it.
I do not drink it if it was stepped in, a piece of manure dropped in it, or a fly falls in it. All that goes to dogs, chickens, kids, or plants, but, if you stain it, you can use it in cooking or baking... definitely not raw though. Some tips to keep the foot from going in: 1. make sure the goat doesn't run out of grain 2. put hand firmly on udder before bringing bucket under with other hand 3. always milk from the same side 4. when they lift their hoof, keep 1st hand on udder firmly and raise arm up to shield the kick while pulling bucket back with other hand 5. if the goat is persistent about kicking for no good reason (ie. long fingernails causing discomfort, flies bugging her, etc.) give her a slap on the thigh each time she kicks. They usually learn! It gets better after the first year!
Most definitely I would not use. Those are the days I've said to the dog, well, it's your lucky day! When I milk, I milk with one hand mostly, blocking that leg with my forearm and ready to pull back my precious milk cup. I also started taking a qt jar and dumping my milk in as I go, that way if I get a foot in the bucket, it's not all wasted! My gratification is when she has to wait on the stand while I go get a clean container. Punishment, lol.
No. Definitely do not use "stepped-in" milk for human consumption, either strained, filtered, microfiltered, raw, and/or pasteurized, cheesed, etc. Goat's milk has acquired a negative, false and super weird reputation of having an off or goat flavor. This is one reason, unclean, unsafe milk handling practices. I have owned dairy goats for over 60 years and have seen many, many good and bad milking and milk handling practices. However, when a foot goes in it, consider it contaminated, put it with scrap milk, then wash and clean the container thoroughly before you use it again. Never risk the chance of it jeopardizing the health safety or flavor to anyone consuming it. It isn't worth the risk. Discard that milk for other use, i.e., kids, chickens, pigs, etc. As suggested by others, try taking more than one pail or container to milk, milking in one and dumping several times into a holding pai might help until your doe is trained. To use this stepped-in milk for human consumption is an unhealthy and unsafe milk handling practice. A foot in the milk pail is not uncommon and will occasionally happen with the most seasoned doe. However you will find it to your advantage to always discard this milk.
Our cat finds it to her advantage when we discard stepped-in milk as well. I totally agree with what you said. It isn't worth the risk, and there's no use crying over spilt milk.
