# Dairy Sheep



## kooltex (Dec 26, 2010)

Anyone have any dairy sheep near North East Texas? I'm looking to get a few for milking.  There doesn't seem to be many dairy sheep folk in the south.  I have a few Southdowns, but they are for meat.  Tried milking one, lol, it was interesting to say the least.


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## ksalvagno (Dec 26, 2010)

Sorry, no sheep here but just wanted to welcome you.


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## patandchickens (Dec 26, 2010)

I can't really help you either (I have a couple dairybred sheep but live in Canada ) but welcome to BYH! 

Pat


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## Aped (Feb 23, 2011)

If you can't find a dairy breed, another option is finding a breed that regularly has multiple lambs and that can feed them without help. They have to produce a lot of milk to feed all those lambs. But doing that, it's pretty much the luck of the draw because milk production will vary within breeds.


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## TheSheepGirl (Feb 24, 2011)

Aped said:
			
		

> If you can't find a dairy breed, another option is finding a breed that regularly has multiple lambs and that can feed them without help. They have to produce a lot of milk to feed all those lambs. But doing that, it's pretty much the luck of the draw because milk production will vary within breeds.


Finnsheep and Polypay sheep. They produce a lot of milk and can feed all their babies without help. Sometimes as much as 5. The babies drink most of it, but once they are weaned you can continue to milk and have all you want.


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## kooltex (Feb 24, 2011)

I have Southdowns (not babydolls, full size). They milk okay.  Would like some Freisian or cross.


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## Aped (Feb 27, 2011)

How much do your southdowns milk a day? How long is their lactation? I'm just curious of how non-dairy sheep compare to the dairy breeds.


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## Lacaune (Mar 8, 2011)

Aped said:
			
		

> How much do your southdowns milk a day? How long is their lactation? I'm just curious of how non-dairy sheep compare to the dairy breeds.


Non dairy breeds will produce about 200 pounds or less in about a 100 day lactation.

Some of our dairy ewes will produce 1000+ pounds in a 220 day lactation.


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## aggieterpkatie (Mar 8, 2011)

Lacaune said:
			
		

> Some of our dairy ewes will produce 1000+ pounds in a 220 day lactation.


That's awesome!


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## kooltex (Mar 9, 2011)

Sounds about right.  So in other words not very much! lol.


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## Lacaune (Mar 10, 2011)

The Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative consists of 18 producers with a total of about 3100 dairy ewes and will produce a total of about 1.3 million pounds of sheep milk in 2011 that will be shipped to several dairy plants and made into a variety of cheeses and yogurt.


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## kooltex (Mar 10, 2011)

Yum. I love sheep's milk cheese! Manchego ;P...ahhh my fav.


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