The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hevxxx99 on April 28, 2016, 12:42:39 am

Title: milk sheep
Post by: Hevxxx99 on April 28, 2016, 12:42:39 am
Does anyone keep milk sheep?

I'm wondering if sheep will continue to produce milk if you continue to milk them, or are they like cows and dry up after a while?

I have one ewe with a very big udder so fancied having a go when the lambs are older.  Only problem is, she's pretty flighty!!
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Fleecewife on April 28, 2016, 01:29:23 am

There's a sheep's cheese farm just across the valley from us.  I think their ewes go on milking for about 7 months.  Maybe depends on breed.
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: silkwoodzwartbles on April 28, 2016, 06:15:40 am
I keep Zwartbles which are predominantly milk sheep but haven't milked them - mainly cause only one ewe lambed this year and was a bit poorly to start with so she didn't need the hassle. I'm hoping with all 6 lambing next year, I'll be able to have a taste :D
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Tim W on April 28, 2016, 06:45:34 am

Some will milk for 10 months in the right conditions --- Awassi breed are one of the best I think
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: roddycm on April 28, 2016, 01:35:56 pm
Here people have freisians! Lovely looking sheep and very milky! Also very fertile, quads are common and the mums have more than enough milk. I want some this year!
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: daveh on April 30, 2016, 03:50:28 pm
Anyone know which breed of sheep are used to produce Roquefort cheese.

Regards, Dave H
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on April 30, 2016, 04:55:24 pm
Anyone know which breed of sheep are used to produce Roquefort cheese.

Regards, Dave H
Yes the lacaune. There is a breeder in scotland which breeds them and milks them to make sheeps cheese, when I was looking into buying sheep for milking I contacted him and he was very helpful :) If you like I can give you his details?
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Fleecewife on April 30, 2016, 05:13:22 pm
Anyone know which breed of sheep are used to produce Roquefort cheese.

Regards, Dave H
Yes the lacaune. There is a breeder in scotland which breeds them and milks them to make sheeps cheese, when I was looking into buying sheep for milking I contacted him and he was very helpful :) If you like I can give you his details?

That's my neighbour across the valley  :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Tim W on April 30, 2016, 07:16:35 pm
Anyone know which breed of sheep are used to produce Roquefort cheese.

Regards, Dave H
Yes the lacaune. There is a breeder in scotland which breeds them and milks them to make sheeps cheese, when I was looking into buying sheep for milking I contacted him and he was very helpful :) If you like I can give you his details?

You can also find them in Lancashire
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on April 30, 2016, 07:18:45 pm
Anyone know which breed of sheep are used to produce Roquefort cheese.

Regards, Dave H
Yes the lacaune. There is a breeder in scotland which breeds them and milks them to make sheeps cheese, when I was looking into buying sheep for milking I contacted him and he was very helpful :) If you like I can give you his details?

You can also find them in Lancashire
Really?! If I had known I would have bought some ::) I ended up having to buy some friesland crosses for milking
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Hevxxx99 on April 30, 2016, 09:26:41 pm
So.. how much milk will each ewe give on average?

Or is that one of those "length of string" questions?

I'd love to make sheep's milk cheese but suspect one ewe won't quite produce all the milk required for the job!
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Tim W on May 01, 2016, 07:12:10 am



[/quote]
Really?! If I had known I would have bought some ::) I ended up having to buy some friesland crosses for milking
[/quote]

http://www.thesheepmilkcompany.co.uk/about-us/ (http://www.thesheepmilkcompany.co.uk/about-us/)

Here
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Tim W on May 01, 2016, 07:14:11 am
So.. how much milk will each ewe give on average?

Or is that one of those "length of string" questions?

I'd love to make sheep's milk cheese but suspect one ewe won't quite produce all the milk required for the job!

Depends on system/feed etc
In UK average yield is about 320l but 650l is recorded on the most intensive units and in Israel 850l up is common
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Hevxxx99 on May 01, 2016, 07:29:28 am
Wow! That's quite a difference;
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Tim W on May 01, 2016, 11:48:15 am
Wow! That's quite a difference;

The difference I have observed after visiting quite a few sheep dairies recently is down to

1) Genetics --some people just milk any old sheep whilst some spend considerable time and effort on recording and improving
2) Systems---this is perhaps where the largest difference is at the moment
  I have seen 200l operations that milk sheep predominantly off grass and on the other hand there are operations that are mostly housed (little bit of grazing) , fed TMR, plenty of grain and will give 650l/head

Which route you go down would depend on market and opportunity I guess?



Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: daveh on May 02, 2016, 03:58:04 pm
Thanks for the info, Waterbuffy, I don't want the sheep myself because I don't have any limestone caves to go with them otherwise I would go into pseudo Roquefort production! I just lurve Roquefort.

Regards, Dave
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on May 02, 2016, 05:55:54 pm
Thanks for the info, Waterbuffy, I don't want the sheep myself because I don't have any limestone caves to go with them otherwise I would go into pseudo Roquefort production! I just lurve Roquefort.

Regards, Dave
[member=590]daveh[/member]  You wouldn't be able to call it roquefort cheese though, as roquefort cheese is a DOP which means it can only be called roquefort if it is made in certain area's in France, according to EU law this is what it stipulates..... Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, EU law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may bear the name Roquefort, as it is a recognised geographical indication, or has a protected designation of origin. You could however make it and call it a different name instead, that is if it was for commercial cheesemaking. There is someone in England which makes a cheese which is essentially Feta, but because Feta is a DOP protected cheese, which means it can only be called feta if it is made in Greece, they punned on the name and called it Veta.
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Hevxxx99 on May 02, 2016, 06:19:56 pm

  You wouldn't be able to call it roquefort cheese though, as roquefort cheese is a DOP which means it can only be called roquefort if it is made in certain area's in France, according to EU law this is what it stipulates..... Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, EU law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may bear the name Roquefort, as it is a recognised geographical indication, or has a protected designation of origin. You could however make it and call it a different name instead, that is if it was for commercial cheesemaking. There is someone in England which makes a cheese which is essentially Feta, but because Feta is a DOP protected cheese, which means it can only be called feta if it is made in Greece, they punned on the name and called it Veta.

I guess it could be called "Rock4"  :innocent:

Think I'll patent that....
Title: Re: milk sheep
Post by: Timothy5 on May 03, 2016, 02:10:48 am
I tried Frieslands some years back, and found them to be very prone to foot rot. Perhaps I was unlucky, but never again.