Forum

Milking sheep

Posted by Katharine Norton on April 10, 2015 at 7:53am in Goat Friends

Hiya,

not goats this time, but sheep!  Just wondering has anyone experience milking sheep, and if so, how was it, what is similar or different to milking goats.  The sheep here are bigger than the goats, so wondering if I can get more milk that way.

Thanks for any stories!

Katharine

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Replies

  • Diane Kennedy April 13, 2015 at 12:15pm

    A few farms near me (eastern Upstate NY) milk sheep and make cheese. Dancing Ewe Farm in Granville and Three Corners Field Farm in Shushan come to mind. I believe they generally have East Freisian and East Freisian cross sheep. I haven't tried the milk, but the yogurt and cheese are amazing!

  • Julieanne Cook April 11, 2015 at 6:35pm

    Great information about dairy sheep. All I know is that I adore sheep's milk cheeses, especially Pecorino. :)

  • Katharine Norton April 11, 2015 at 2:25pm

    Sheep milk sounds great, really nutritious and used since Biblical times!  I'm inspired to try it, now got to find myself a sheep!

    http://www.sheep101.info/dairy.html

  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle April 10, 2015 at 3:33pm

    We have milked a few of our Shetlands, including one for two months, and we probably the only people in North America crazy enough to do so! Sheep generally have lactations of 4-6 months, with the 6 months only being breeds that have specifically improved for dairy purposes. Size of the animal doesn't have much to do with their ability to produce milk for humans. Horses would be exhibit A in that category. They are almost never milked. Scarcity of sheep milk is why sheep yogurt or sheep cheese is so expensive. They have to feed them for 12 months, even though they are only producing for 4-6 months. And unless you are going to bottlefeed milk replacer, remember that the ewe will be feeding lambs for at least two of those 4-6 months.

  • Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres April 10, 2015 at 3:06pm

    I haven't personally milked, but I have read that their milk is good in flavor, and has better butterfat than even nigerians, so I've always wanted to taste it! 

  • Patty Meyer April 10, 2015 at 10:39am

    I don't know a whole lot about it, but I know that certain breeds of sheep can milk for longer than just the few months they would to feed their young.  Icelandic sheep can have a lactation of around 6 months.  It really depends on each sheep's own genetics and the care it receives, even in the "milking" breeds, just as it does for goats.

    I bet someone probably will give you a better answer than this. :)  

  • Julieanne Cook April 10, 2015 at 9:52am

    Interesting question, I've always wondered about that myself. 

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