Milking katahdins

[Mini Horses]

Yeah, one thing about the true "dairy" goats, they're in it for the long haul. But, it's also all about your personal farm goals. If you want consistent milk to use and how much. I love my Saanens!! 🥰

 

[SageHill]

I have heard the sheep milk is great for yogurt and cheese. Some people even drink it like you would cows milk. It's supposed to extremely nutritious and easier to digest than cows milk. Not sure about the extras 😬. I haven't milked a sheep so it will be new to me but I have watched people do it on YouTube. Most put a little cheese cloth type thing over a container and milk into that. Now I'm scared though 😂.

Well when I milked for the lol ones it was straight into a red solo cup (party time?? 🤣). My extras could mostly be taken care of with a prewash 😉🤣

 

[Ridgetop]

Soooo if I were to milk her what do I do once I've got the milk???? When I've milked for the lambs there's extraneous "extras" in with it. Nothing I'd want to drink or make into cheese

Inside the house, you strain the milk -- you buy paper strainers but a coffee filter works -- a paper inside a regular strainer. Then quickly chill the milk. (Personally, I use paper in stainless steel strainers, glass jars or stainless bucket, food grade hoses.)

Exactly what I was going to say. LOL Make sure that you wash the teats before and after miking to avoid mastitis. I used iodine udder wash but some people use bleach water.

You probably won't get much milk since most sheep breeds have not been bred for years to be dairy animals. Also, if you are milking after the ewe has weaned or s close to weaning the lambs, her mio yield will have dropped considerably normally.

Instead of planning to do anything with the milk like making yogurt, etc. I would just strain it and freeze it in half pint amounts for emergencies like a bottle lamb. If you have a bottle lamb, you can mix the sheep milk with formula to make it go farther and gradually get the lamb onto full formula.

It doesn't hurt to have some emergency ewe or goat milk in the freezer in case of a problem.