The Amount of Milk Required to Make Cheese

The Amount of Milk Required to Make Cheese - Cheese Origin (UPDATED)

The amount of milk required to make cheese varies depending on these factors:

Below is the amount of milk needed – from different animals – to produce 2.25 pounds or 1 kilogram (kg) of cheese:

AnimalGallon (Milk)Liter/Litre (Milk)
Cow2.5 gallons9.46 liters
Goat1.75 gallons6.62 liters
Sheep1.5 gallons5.67 liters
Buffalo1 gallon3.78 liters

Did you know?
When milk is purchased to make cheese, it is the weight of the solid matter, rather than the volume, that becomes the reference; ultimately, it is the solid matter that creates the curds.

Also read: Goat Cheese vs. Cow Cheese (THE DIFFERENCES)

The Amount of Milk An Animal Produces in a Day

AnimalDaily Yield (Gallon)Daily Yield (Liter)
Cow5.25 gallons19.87 liters
Goat0.5 to 0.75 gallon1.89 to 2.83 liters
Sheep0.25 to 0.75 gallon0.94 to 2.83 liters
Buffalo1.5 gallons5.67 liters

Cow’s Milk:

An average milk cow can produce 5.25 gallons (or 19.87 liters) of milk per day.

‘High-yield’ cow can produce up to up to 3x of that of an average cow: 16 gallons (or 60 liters)!

Nevertheless, their life expectancy is shorter (5 to 8 years maximum) and they risk suffering complications such as mastitis.

Regular cows, on the other hand, can live ten to fifteen years and suffer little-to-no complications.

The Amount of Cow’s Milk Needed to Make 1 kg of Cheese:

2.5 gallons or 9.46 liters of cow’s milk are needed to make 2.25 pounds or 1 kg of cheese.

Did you know?
Apparently there’s an old wives’ tales that suggests cows can predict the weather: it is said that when cows lie down, rain is due.


Goat’s Milk:

A goat in lactation is milked twice per day and can produce 0.5 to 0.75 gallon of milk per day or an average of 185 gallons a year.

Goats produce double the amount of milk in Spring as compared to Autumn.

The Amount of Goat’s Milk Needed to Make 1 kg of Cheese:

1 gallon or 6.62 liters of goat’s milk are needed to make 2.25 pounds or 1 kg of cheese.


Sheep’s (Ewe) Milk:

Just like goat, a sheep is milked twice per day and depending on the breed, a sheep can produce between 0.25 to 0.75 gallon of milk per day.

On average, a sheep produces between 50 to 80 gallons of milk per year.

The Amount of Sheep’s Milk Needed to Make 1 kg of Cheese:

1.5 gallons or 5.67 liters of sheep’s milk are needed to make 2.25 pounds or 1 kg of cheese.


Water Buffalo’s Milk:

A buffalo produces 1.5 gallons of milk per day with twice the fat content of cow’s milk, it’s easier to digest and contains 43% less cholesterol.

In its biological composition, buffalo’s milk is similar to sheep’s milk and is strongly recommended for people with high-cholesterol.

Buffalo’s cheese also has the highest minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus contents compared to every other cheeses.

The Amount of Buffalo’s Milk Needed to Make 1 kg of Cheese:

1.5 gallons or 3.78 liters of sheep’s milk are needed to make 2.25 pounds or 1 kg of cheese.

Fun fact:
India and Pakistan are responsible for 90% of buffalo milk-production in the world.

Did you know?
While buffaloes belong to the bovid family, the buffalo is not a cow and the two species cannot be crossbred. The buffalo is a highly affectionate animal but very stubborn. It loves water and regularly takes mud baths.

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