Fromage de chevre

DID YOU KNOW?

A goat can give up to 7 litres of milk per day, milking takes place twice a day, morning and evening. 

Goat's milk is traditionally a seasonal product, with births taking place at the beginning of the year. The goat has a lot of milk in spring then the quantity drops, until it dries up (period when the goat is no longer milked). It is also the end of her gestation before her next birth which begins a new lactation. Lactation lasts around 10 months, the kids are born at the end of February and the goats are on maternity leave from Christmas onwards. The availability of chevre may suffer during that period! 

Many producers are now opting for a longer lactation period, a practice that allows milk supply all year round and is actually less demanding than giving birth every year. 

These are the main goats used for cheese making:

Alpine: The Alpine goat originates from the Alps, she constitutes 55% of the French livestock. It is used in the Ste Maure de Touraine, Chevrotin.

Saanen: Originally from the Saane valley, in Switzerland. Used for Rocamadour, Cabecou.

Poitevine: The cradle of the breed is located in Poitou-Charentes, following an epizootic of foot and mouth disease in 1925, the breed almost disappeared. The breed is under protection and used to make Ste Maure de Touraine, Chabichou du Poitou.

Rove: the Rove goat comes from a natural selection in the hills of the Mediterranean countryside. It is used in the making of Brousse de Rove.