Does anyone know anything about milk sheep?

[miss_thenorth]

Or milking sheep, or any info at all regarding sheep's milk (other than it is used for cheese)

there's not alot of info on it.

I really want a dairy animal of sorts. My land is not big enough for even a dexter, we've tried goats and may try them again (our fence was not goat friendly), but my dh is not crazy about the whole goat thing, so I am considering sheep as I have heard they can be milked. And I have found info that yes, indeed they are being milked, with East Friesian being the most popular, for cheese. I can find no info on whether the fat can be separated, like a cows, whether it is naturally homogenized, like a goats, what the taste is like, how long a ewe is in milk for before she needs to be bred again etc etc. All I've read is you can get about a quart and a half from a ewe.

If anyone has any info to share, please share.

Thanks!!!

 

[chmcdonald]

miss_thenorth- I just did some quick searching, and found the following site:
http://www.sheep101.info/dairy.html, which seemed helpful in at least providing basic information.

There seem to be three predominant types of milking sheep, and the cheese made from sheep's milk is among some of my personal favorites! Roquefort, Manchego, Pecorino Ramano, ricotta...yum ! Generally sheep's milk is not used for drinking. I did not find anywhere that mentioned whether or not it separates...it's doubtful, however. Anyone else know?

-C

 

[miss_thenorth]

Yeah, thanks! I found that site also, and while it is very informative, I was looking for things that were not written there, like first hand experience. I guess it's just not common for a backyard hobby farmer who wants to supply her family with homegrown.

 

[freemotion]

Alright, this isn't much, but at least it will keep your thread on the recent posts list!

The guy I bought my doeling from had a couple of sheep that he milked. He said that they gave less milk than the goats, but the milk was very rich and make the most wonderful cheese. He milked them on the same stand and with the same milking machine that he used with the goats. The teats on his sheep were smaller, but with the machine, it didn't really matter.

Sorry, that is all I have for ya!

 

[big brown horse]

I bought my sheep to milk and I am not quite ready to breed her and get the process started, but this is what my book says:

Americans import sheep cheese, yet sheep dairy farming is in its infancy in North America. Farmers who sell cheese made from sheep milk are selling thier product for as much as $15.00 per pound (0.5 kg) in the United States, which "aint too shabby" in the current food economy.

Sheep milk being high in solids yeilds about twice the amount of cheese as cow milk. Per 100 pounds (45 kg) of milk, sheep milk gives about 20 pounds (9 kg) of cheese, goat milk yields 14 pounds (6.4 kg), and cow milk produces 10 pounds (4.5 kg).

A common practice among European producers is to permit the lambs to nurse exclusively for 30 days and then wean them and milk the ewes. However, weaning lambs at 2-3 days after birth and feeding tem artificially would result in greater total yield of milk. Twice-a-day milking results in the most milk, but another option is to milk once a day in the morning and allow the lambs to nurse later in the day. Good nutrition (high protein) is an ablolute necessity for a high volume of milk.

And out of my whole book, this was it as far as milking information goes. If you have a nice feed store in your area, there is a great "hobby farm sheep mag" for folks like us. I forget the name of it, but look for it in the publications section of your feed store's book section.

 

[Ariel301]

A friend of mine raises Friesian sheep for milk. The milk is very rich and creamy (it's like drinking pure cream, very sweet!). She has to use a cream separator if she wants to make butter or anything like that; it does not separate naturally like cow milk, it's like goat milk instead. She says she gets about a quart per sheep every day, and she only milks once a day. I think they are like goats in that you get a ten month milk season, and let them dry for the last two months before lambing. They have a 5 month gestation, just like goats. Most of my friend's Friesians have twins.

They're nice friendly sheep, much more personable the her Suffolks. They will actually come to the fence for attention when I walk by, while the Suffolks just snort at me and run.

If your fence wasn't goat proof, it may not be sheep proof either. They're pretty good at climbing too, just less active about it--until there is something interesting on the other side!

 

[Beekissed]

On BYC, Miss Prissy has milking sheep....East Friesians, I believe. You could ask her to come over here and give us a good lesson on the whole idea.

 

[username taken]

I can tell ya that an east friesian ewe will happily eat at least 1 small square bale of hay a day along with her grain ...

Yes I learned that the hard way. They are lovely animals but they will eat you out of house and home.

 

[Beekissed]

I am going to try to breed for this trait in my hair sheep, so as to have a more "milky" herd of ewes eventually. Even if I don't milk them, the more milk they produce the better and bigger the lambs.

 

[CountyGirl]

This was an interesting article I found comparing different milk:

http://www.shepherdgourmetdairy.com/images/nutrition.pdf

It took some doing but we did manage to find some sheep milk at a local organic store to try it (it's seasonably available) - it was thick and creamy. Didn't quite taste like cows milk to me but not offensive either, I could get used to it. I was told by a local dairy sheep farmer that the pasturized milk available at the store was not as good as the raw milk (it is illegal to sell it raw here in Ontario).

I'm hoping to have sheep one day and will certainly milk them .

Good luck with your research.