The amount of milk required to make cheese varies depending on these factors:
- The type of cheese you are making.
- The type of animal’s milk you are using. Read: 4 Common Types of Animal’s Milk Used to Make Cheese
- The animal’s breed and grazing condition.
- And the seasons.
Below is the amount of milk needed – from different animals – to produce 2.25 pounds or 1 kilogram (kg) of cheese:
| Animal | Gallon (Milk) | Liter/Litre (Milk) |
|---|---|---|
| Cow | 2.5 gallons | 9.46 liters |
| Goat | 1.75 gallons | 6.62 liters |
| Sheep | 1.5 gallons | 5.67 liters |
| Buffalo | 1 gallon | 3.78 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
| Animal | Daily Yield (Gallon) | Daily Yield (Liter) |
|---|---|---|
| Cow | 5.25 gallons | 19.87 liters |
| Goat | 0.5 to 0.75 gallon | 1.89 to 2.83 liters |
| Sheep | 0.25 to 0.75 gallon | 0.94 to 2.83 liters |
| Buffalo | 1.5 gallons | 5.67 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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