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Excerpts: As part of the effort to collect information on goat management, NAHMS requested producers who milked any dairy does in the previous 12 months and had five or more dry or in-milk dairy does on September 1, 2019, complete a supplementary dairy questionnaire. This information brief covers the milk marketing practices on these dairy goat operations. -- Goat milk production in the United States has experienced continuous expansion over the last decade. Specifically, the dairy goat inventory increased by 60.7 percent from 334,754 head in 2007 to 537,799 head in 2017. Furthermore, the number of farms raising dairy goats has grown from 27,481 in 2007 to 35,682 farms in 2017. Goat milk has many uses, such as feeding goat kids, lambs, veal calves, piglets, and human consumption. The demand for goat milk and goat milk products, such as cheese, yogurt, candy, soaps, and lotions, has increased in the United States. Due to goat milk’s unique nutritional and biochemical properties, consumption of goat milk is climbing, especially by people with cow milk allergies or gastrointestinal disorders. Enhanced management and biosecurity practices on dairy goat operations help ensure milk quality and goat health. Additionally, operation size and location may directly impact the production and marketing of goat milk and milk products. Large operations may market their milk through various avenues, including cooperatives and direct-to-consumer, whereas small operations may use the milk for personal consumption.

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