mystang89
True BYH Addict
Any of you have that problem? My wife says she doesn't like sheep milk because it smells like a sheep. I can't really find anything online about that so I figured I'd ask here. Anyone else have that problem?
Sheep milk smells like sheep
- Thread starter mystang89
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Baymule
Herd Master
I don't milk sheep, so I can't compare notes with you. Does it smell sheepy all the time or just sometimes? Is the ram too close or do the ewes have a smell about them? My ram Ringo is with the ewes now and has developed a slight "love smell" about him. LOL I have hair sheep, there is practically no smell to them. Or maybe I am just nose blind to them. 
purplequeenvt
Herd Master
If it’s smelling sheepy, either she’s got a sensitive sniffer or perhaps the udder isn’t getting cleaned enough before milking.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
I have goats but, have heard/read that sheep must be cleaned very well because of the lanolin. Hair sheep don't have this -- they are also a good milking type sheep. (Hear that, Bay?)
If you are hand milking you may want to try extra washing on the udder -- lanolin is oil, so maybe a little Dawn detergent, then a 2nd wash without -- plus your hands! Rubber gloves? Just saying, try & see if that makes a difference to limit the lanolin issues being put into the milk from udder AND your hands. Especially if you have touched to ewe's wool while in stanchion.
Do your kids drink it? Do you? Any complaints from other than DW?
ETA: Good to hear from you -- been a while!
If you are hand milking you may want to try extra washing on the udder -- lanolin is oil, so maybe a little Dawn detergent, then a 2nd wash without -- plus your hands! Rubber gloves? Just saying, try & see if that makes a difference to limit the lanolin issues being put into the milk from udder AND your hands. Especially if you have touched to ewe's wool while in stanchion.
Do your kids drink it? Do you? Any complaints from other than DW?
ETA: Good to hear from you -- been a while!
Nommie Bringeruvda Noms
Loving the herd life
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I never used to like goat milk, because any I'd had was store bought. Yet, my dad used to love it. I always thought he was nuts - until he explained the difference must be something done in processing for commercial sale, because I gave him some I'd bought again, trying hard to like it - but I didn't - and neither did he.
After I moved back to IL, we drove past a (rather famous) goat farm in IN - Goat Milk Stuff - on the way back to visit my dad. My hubs has always loved goat cheese, and would push me to try any new version he could, in hopes that I'd finally love it, too. They sell cheeses, yogurts, gelatos, soaps, lotions, and more. So, I tried the gelato - it was incredible. So, I tried the chocolate milk - and bought some. They helped John found a couple of their mildest cheeses... I was blown away. So, I asked how theirs could be so amazingly wonderful, while the store bought stuff tasted like... well... 'eau de buck rut'. They explained that it was all in the handling. Temperatures and cleanliness are everything. They get their milk from the goat to a rapid chill, as fast as they can, and keep it there. They said it must stay below 40°F, at all times.
So, I'm thinking with the precautions above, about the lanolin, and a rapid chilling, you might get a better flavor. If she's never had anything but sore bought, the problem could be similar to my previous experiences. If my dad weren't already in heaven, a visit here would have had him thinking he was. I like to think he's chuckling at me, from up there, for going from ''No goats. No way. Not now. Not ever.'' to "John, I can't milk all these goats alone, by hand - I need a milking machine!"
After I moved back to IL, we drove past a (rather famous) goat farm in IN - Goat Milk Stuff - on the way back to visit my dad. My hubs has always loved goat cheese, and would push me to try any new version he could, in hopes that I'd finally love it, too. They sell cheeses, yogurts, gelatos, soaps, lotions, and more. So, I tried the gelato - it was incredible. So, I tried the chocolate milk - and bought some. They helped John found a couple of their mildest cheeses... I was blown away. So, I asked how theirs could be so amazingly wonderful, while the store bought stuff tasted like... well... 'eau de buck rut'. They explained that it was all in the handling. Temperatures and cleanliness are everything. They get their milk from the goat to a rapid chill, as fast as they can, and keep it there. They said it must stay below 40°F, at all times.
So, I'm thinking with the precautions above, about the lanolin, and a rapid chilling, you might get a better flavor. If she's never had anything but sore bought, the problem could be similar to my previous experiences. If my dad weren't already in heaven, a visit here would have had him thinking he was. I like to think he's chuckling at me, from up there, for going from ''No goats. No way. Not now. Not ever.'' to "John, I can't milk all these goats alone, by hand - I need a milking machine!"
So I don't have sheep.
But this seems interesting to me that you can milk sheep for milk.
Do people do this in the US much?
I found some videos on youtube where there are large scale sheep milking farms in Europe. It seemed very fascinating to me. And people say the milk is very creamy and rich tasting. (I don't know if they are right or not.) It makes me wonder why people don't do this more here.
Are you chilling it before you give it to her? That might cut some of the smell.
And you could try to trick the wife by giving her some store bought milk and see if she still thinks it smells sheepy.
And another option is to put chocolate in the milk. It shouldn't smell then. And this might be fun to try anyway!
But this seems interesting to me that you can milk sheep for milk.
Do people do this in the US much?
I found some videos on youtube where there are large scale sheep milking farms in Europe. It seemed very fascinating to me. And people say the milk is very creamy and rich tasting. (I don't know if they are right or not.) It makes me wonder why people don't do this more here.
Are you chilling it before you give it to her? That might cut some of the smell.
And you could try to trick the wife by giving her some store bought milk and see if she still thinks it smells sheepy.
And another option is to put chocolate in the milk. It shouldn't smell then. And this might be fun to try anyway!
Kusanar
Loving the herd life
I also don't have sheep, but apparently the reason for not a lot of sheep being milked in the US is that we predominantly drink cow milk and sheep don't typically produce as much milk as goats do, so if someone wants something other than cow milk they go to goat milk.
Wool sheep are apparently a problem to milk as the lanolin can make the milk smell or taste sheepy (as this thread shows) and it is harder to keep the udder clean in a wool sheep. Most people if they are going to get hair sheep for milk would rather just get goats since you won't get wool either way and you get more milk from the goat.
thethinkingweasel
Overrun with beasties
Every goat milk/meat/cheese I have ever tried tastes and smells like fur to me. Maybe this is why! However, I tried some Manchego cheese made with sheep's milk this week and it tastes fine. Store bought, but maybe the farmer/manufacturer is very careful.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Handling is paramount. My goat milk goes into a freezer within minutes of going into the jars -- I always use glass. After an HR or so it goes to a dedicated frig. Of course this includes excellent cleaning of animal and equipment. Everyone has loved my goats milk.
USA is only country in which cow milk is predominate. Goat milk is probably most widely
used everywhere else. Sheep milk has more solids and give slightly more output per gal in such as cheese.
Obviously there are goat dairies in USA. Just not as well known. Most link dairy to cow.
USA is only country in which cow milk is predominate. Goat milk is probably most widely
used everywhere else. Sheep milk has more solids and give slightly more output per gal in such as cheese.
Obviously there are goat dairies in USA. Just not as well known. Most link dairy to cow.
Niele da Kine
Loving the herd life
Breed matters, too. If you want goat's milk that looks and tastes like store bought cow's milk, get a Nubian goat and then do all the clean milking procedures. If you want a goaty cheese, then get a different breed of goat. It is probably similar to sheep, as well, I'd expect.
