Katahdins have many traits that make them appealing over a traditional dairy sheep breed. However, one of the biggest drawbacks to milking them is that they haven’t been selected for dairy traits. They are highly variable in traits like milk production, udder confirmation, and lactation length. It is a lot more of a crap shoot to get a ‘good dairy’ Katahdin than it is to get a good East Friesian.

That being said, there are plenty of Katahdin ewes out there who are perfectly suitable for providing your family with milk.

The trick is just finding them. So today we are going to offer some suggestions of what you should be looking for when trying to find a Katahdin to use for dairy purposes.

Firstly, you can try to find a Katahdin East Friesian/Lacaune cross, or someone who is milking their flock. This would be your best bet. Unfortunately, while there are people out there breeding flocks for dairy, they are few and far between and you will likely have to settle for making an educated guess out of a meat flock.

Our first suggestion is to go seek out the milkiest flock and sheep within that flock you can find. So here, we’re talking about trying to find a flock where they are selecting for a higher lambing percentage and ewes that can raise those extra lambs. Look for a flock with a lot of triplets and quads that aren’t bottle fed.

Look for daughters off an ewe that has enough milk to feed those extra lambs.

A lot of ewes don’t have enough milk to feed extra lambs, so try to seek out one that does. Her daughters should hopefully produce more milk than average. And definitely don’t buy bottle lambs from a mother that didn’t have milk to feed them.

Another thing you can look for if you are in the market to buy NSIP sheep is an ewe with a high MWWT score, and high scores for number of lambs born and weaned. MWWT is the closest thing that the NSIP has to milk production. While it is a measure of mothering ability also, an ewe with a high MWWT should have more milk than average. If you haven’t read our post on NSIP sheep selection, follow this link to learn more.

Keep in mind that high MWWT and selecting from an ewe that can successfully raise triplets or quads doesn’t guarantee that their offspring will be good milk producers. However, it should help to tip the chances in your favor. Additionally, if you can find a flock that weans late, they might be inadvertently selecting for more milk over a longer lactation compared to a flock that weans at 30-60 days.

If it is at all possible to see the dams in milk, do so.

This can help you to gauge udder volume and confirmation potential for the lambs. It is virtually impossible to predict what a ewe lamb’s udder will be like from looking at her prior to lambing. So if you can view the dam’s udders, try to select lambs from the one with the best milk production and udder confirmation.

Udder confirmation is almost as important as milk volume and lactation length. Having a lot of milk doesn’t’ do you much good if you can’t get it out. Ideal udder confirmation depends upon how you plan to milk your sheep. For most people milking a few animals, hand milking is usually sufficient. In fact, it is typically less labor intensive than machine milking for a small flock.

Since most people milking sheep in their back yard will be hand milking, we are making the assumption that you will be hand milking for the purposes of this article. Thus we need to find an udder with teats large enough to be suitable for this. Teats pointed diagonally outward are best for lambs and are most likely to be seen.

If hand milking teat location is not as important. If your ewe will also be feeding lambs and hand milking, outward angled teats are perfectly fine. You can easily use technique to remove the milk from the bottom of the udder. If you are unsure how to hand milk a sheep we have a step by step how-to article here. If you do happen to be selecting for machine milking instead, teats close to the bottom of the udder and pointing downward is best.

We find that the interaction of teat length and udder shape are the two most important traits.

Teat location and diameter are less important. Of course larger teats are always going to be easier to milk. The least suitable udders for milking are those with very small teats on flat udders. Trying to milk an udder out with two fingers is not a lot of fun. If an ewe has smaller teats and a more pendulous shaped udder while still less than ideal, it can be done. We find that teat length is far more important than diameter when it comes to ease of milking.

Now we know that Katahdins have not been selected for dairy purposes. This means that they haven’t been selected for any sort of udder uniformity. Thus, there will be a wide range of variability, and you will have to decide what you can and can’t work with. This is of course going to be a personal decision, and what we find ideal you might not. However, udder confirmation may seem abstract and hard to visualize. To help you out, below are pictures and descriptions of some of the udders we have had in our flock.

Some of these ewes are part of our milking string, some of them are allowed to raise lambs and dry off because their udders are hard to milk. This is what we prefer and find suitable for working with or not and why. Hopefully these pictures will help you to visualize what you are looking for as you seek out dairy Katahdins.

This first udder is the closest thing to perfect that we have.

This ewe produces a lot of milk over a long lactation. She is also the ewe in the other two pictures above. As you can see she has a large, well suspended udder and long thick teats. Her udder is quick and easy to empty as she has large teats with a large teat canal. They are easy to wrap an entire hand around to express a large volume of milk.

The second udder is an ewe that we also milk regularly.

While her udder isn’t quite as ideal as the first ewe pictured here, she is still very easy to milk. Her udder is pretty empty in this picture, but you will notice her udder is more flatly attached than the first ewe. In the case of this particular ewe, her teats are still thick but are not as long. However, they are still plenty long enough to wrap your hand around. She also has wide teat canals so you can again express a lot of milk with each squeeze.

The third udder is again on an ewe that we milk.

Her teats are smaller. They are not nearly as thick as the teats in the first two pictures. In fact on first glance, her teats seem almost too small to be good for milking. However, her udder is more pendulous which gives you more space to work. Once you have gotten her to let down her milk, you’ll find that her teats are plenty large enough to milk. In this case her teats are narrow, but they are long enough to wrap your hand around which still gets the job done.

The ewe in the fourth picture has an udder that we do not care to milk.

In this case her udder is small, flat to her body, and her teats are short. A bad combination. Yes her teats are wide, but it doesn’t really help. Due to the flat shape and the short teats, it is very difficult to get milk out of her udder as you cannot grab a handful of udder to make up for the short teats. And thus, you are restricted to squeezing out tiny bits of milk with only a couple fingers.

The ewe in the fifth and last picture is also an ewe that we do not care to milk.

In this case she has very, very tiny teats. They are short and narrow and only about the size of your pinkie tip. Notice, these teats are attached to a much more pendulous udder. In this ewes case, the teats are so tiny they are only big enough to put your thumb and pointer finger on.

Due to the pendulous shape of her udder, she can be milked. But, it is a pain to do so and takes a long time. Her teats are very small so when her udder is full you can only squeeze out tiny bits of milk at a time until you depressurize the udder sufficiently to be able to wrap your hand around a portion of the udder.

We hope that this gives you a visual of what you’re looking for, and that it helps answer some of the questions you might have about sourcing and selecting a Katahndin for dairy purposes. If you would like to read more articles like this, please sign up for our newsletter!

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post What To Look For When Selecting A Dairy Katahdin first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

As you probably know, mastitis is an infection of the mammary gland. The inside of the udder is supposed to be sterile. Mastitis occurs when bacteria has made its way up the teat canal into the udder. Milk, being full of nutrients, is the perfect place for bacteria to thrive. Mastitis is painful for your ewe and can cause loss of production and even death.

Most commonly, mastitis will cause damage and scar tissue to the udder resulting in permanent loss of milk production. The lack of milk production often causes the ewe to need to be culled (or her lambs bottle fed) because she will be unable to produce enough milk to feed her lambs. Thus, it is important to treat mastitis as quickly as possible to minimize the damage occurring. Mastitis is one of the primary reasons animals of prime reproductive age get culled.

How do I know if my ewe has mastitis?

There are two types of mastitis. Clinical and sub-clinical. Common symptoms of clinical mastitis include a swollen, hot, painful to touch udder. Ewes often have a fever, may be off food/ inactive/ acting sick. Clinical mastitis is usually pretty obvious, and it’s also obvious that it needs immediate attention.

Sub-clinical mastitis can be much more difficult to detect. In this case your ewes are not showing outward symptoms of being sick. However, if you did a mastitis test like they do on dairy cows you’d see a high somatic cell count (white blood cells fighting an infection). You might also be able to see flakes or chunks in the milk. There might be able to feel heat in the udder. The milk might look watery and, in some cases, might contain blood. Lambs from these ewes will not be growing as fast as they should be. They are often seen milk stealing from other ewes. Undetected sub-clinical mastitis is where most economic mastitis related losses come from.

Many times in sheep and goats, sub-clinical mastitis goes undetected until the next lambing. By then the damage is done and treatment is too late. These ewes present with only half an udder and are unable to feed both of their lambs. The side of the udder that was infected with mastitis is now hard and filled with scar tissue and produces little to no milk.

Treatment for mastitis

Mastitis treatment is typically with intramammary infusions and or systemic antibiotics. This should be done under the guidance of a veterinarian as there are no mastitis treatments labeled for use in sheep or goats. Mastitis will not cure itself, so don’t take a “wait and see” approach to this painful condition.

How do we prevent mastitis in our sheep?

First and foremost, sanitation. You need to keep everything clean. Your bedding should be clean and dry. If you’re milking your sheep, your hands, and their udders should be cleaned and disinfected before and after milking. Encourage them to stay standing after milking rather than going back to lay down.

Don’t overcrowd your sheep. Closely confined flocks have higher rates of mastitis. Additionally, the bacteria responsible for lamb pneumonia and sore mouth can also cause mastitis. So, keeping your animals outdoors on clean pasture in the fresh air can help reduce mastitis rates.

When you do find an ewe that has developed mastitis, it is important to separate them and their lambs from the rest of the flock. You do not want their lambs spreading mastitis by stealing milk from other ewes. For this reason, milk stealing should be discouraged in your flock, and the dams of lambs set on stealing milk should be checked for mastitis.

You should also go through your flock after weaning and pre-breeding and check udders

Ewes with hard masses in their udders should be culled. These ewes will have poor milk production and may be unable to feed their lambs. Additionally, it is thought that there is a genetic component to mastitis susceptibility, so these ewes that have proven themselves susceptible aren’t something you want in your flock.

It is also important to select for ewes with good udders. Compact, well suspended udders with small teats angled diagonally off the sides are ideal for minimizing mastitis in meat sheep. Unfortunately, these traits are in opposition to what we consider ideal for milking, so it’s a balancing act. If you’d like to read more in depth on udder shape and mastitis, this is an excellent article with diagrams.

Lastly, your ewes should be dried off carefully. Most mastitis cases are seen either in the first few days of lactation or post weaning. Earlier weaning can make ewes more susceptible to mastitis at time of weaning. Ewes that are dried off while producing very little milk are less prone to mastitis. Thus, late weaning and or restricting feed and water intake at time of weaning can help to reduce post weaning mastitis cases.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always enough

As we have learned from extensive research in dairy cows, many of your subclinical ewes and your treated and seemingly ‘cured’ ewes actually have chronic, incurable mastitis caused by Staph aureus. They don’t have symptoms, but even with antibiotic treatment this mastitis cannot be cured. These animals are latent carriers capable of infecting your other ewes either via the bedding or milk stealing.

The unfortunate reality, is that if you have high rates of mastitis in your flock (or have had milk cultures come back with Staph aureus), ewes that have had mastitis should be culled even if they seem ‘cured’. In dairy cows they even recommend culling daughters of infected cows. The heifer calves can become infected from drinking infected milk and or colostrum, and often have Staph aureus infections prior to their first lactation. Consider culling mastitis cases and their daughters, because as we mentioned before there is a genetic component to mastitis susceptibility.

Lastly, if you have a high incidence of mastitis, and you cannot seem to get it under control, you may wish to consider a recently released mastitis vaccine.

The VIMCO vaccine is only registered for use in goats in this country, so should only be used under a veterinarian’s supervision. However, it is licensed for use in sheep in other countries and has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of mastitis.

Of course, some case of mastitis are inevitable in a breeding flock. However, through good management, careful culling and genetic selection it is possible to maintain mastitis cases at less than 1% in your flock. And if you do have a mastitis problem in your flock, we hope this inspires you to make some management changes to improve animal welfare and to reduce your economic losses.

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Keeping Mastitis Out Of Your Flock Of Sheep first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

Despite being ‘weird’ in this country, milking sheep is quite common in Europe, and some kinds of cheese were traditionally made from sheep milk. Did you know that it is thought that sheep were the first animal to be milked? If you have been reading our blog for a while, then you know we milk our Katahdin sheep. After milking our flock for a couple years, we are completely sold on sheep milk. So, if you are considering adding a dairy animal to your back yard today we are going to give you 10 reasons to consider sheep.

1. Sheep milk tastes pretty similar to cows’ milk

Many people think that having a dairy animal in their backyard is unattainable because they don’t care for that distinct, ‘goaty’ flavor of goat milk. They also can’t justify keeping a cow that gives gallons of milk a day and requires a lot of expensive feed and space. Most people don’t realize there is a very viable 3rd option, sheep.

People often assume that sheep can’t be milked or that the milk tastes like goat milk because the two animals are often grouped together as ‘small ruminants’. However, this could not be any further from the truth. A fresh glass of sheep milk tastes like like a richer, creamier version of cows milk. Why? Sheep milk lacks the capric acid found in goat milk. Capric acid is what gives the ‘goaty’ flavor profile. Sheep produce mild flavored milk regardless of what they are grazing, and how the milk is handled. So, if you don’t like goat milk products and can’t justify the expense of owning a cow, sheep might be exactly what you are looking for.

2. Sheep Milk is A2/A2

In the past few years it has come to everyone’s attention that in many cases, milk casein allergies are actually to the A1 casein protein found in most cows milk. A lot more people are allergic to A1 casein than they are to A2. Many people who cannot eat A1/A2 milk can safely consume A2/A2 milk.

A2 milk encompasses milk from most species, and some breeds of cows. As it would turn out, the A1 casein protein is actually the mutated protein. Unfortunately, the breeds of cows carrying the A1 mutation are some of the most commonly used dairy breeds. A2 is the ‘normal’ casein protein. Sheep milk, is all A2 milk. If you have an A1 casein allergy you likely can safely drink sheep milk.

3. Sheep milk is the most healthy, biologically compatible milk

Sheep milk is highly nutritious! It has a much higher solids content than either goat or cow milk. More solids = more nutrients and less water. Sheep milk contains up to 2x the protein content of goat or cow milk and 36% more calcium than cow’s milk and is a better source of all 10 essential amino acids.

Additionally sheep milk is richer in healthy short and medium chain fatty acids, and contains more mono and poly unsaturated acids. Many biopeptides found in sheep milk have been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti inflammatory properties. It is a powerhouse of nutrition in an easy to digest form.

4. Easier to digest, and won’t spike blood sugar

Not only is sheep milk superior in nutrient density, but it is easier to digest than other milks. Research done in Australia has shown that sheep milk proteins are more easily digested than cows’ milk proteins. Sheep milk is often better tolerated by people with milk sensitivities. It may be better tolerated by those with lactose intolerance. The same Australian researchers also found that because sheep milk contains more good fats which are readily converted to energy, sheep milk does not spike blood triglyceride levels.

5. Anything made from cows milk can be made with sheep milk

Sheep milk is extremely versatile in the kitchen. Sheep milk makes rich creamy yogurt and velvety sauces without requiring the use of heavy cream. This allows you to achieve the same culinary experience with less fat and calories. Sheep milk also makes the most amazing low fat ice cream. Because sheep milk contains so many solids and has small globule size, it freezes into wonderfully creamy ice cream. It doesn’t get icy textured even without the addition of extra cream or evaporated milk.

6. Sheep milk is fantastic for cheese making

Not only does sheep milk make good ice cream, yogurt, and sauces, it is also a phenomenal choice for making cheeses. Unlike goat milk that has fragile curds which can be very difficult or impossible to work with, sheep milk is perfect. Any kind of soft or hard cheese made from cows’ milk can be made from sheep milk without altering the recipe. The main difference is that your yield will be 2x that of cows’ milk because sheep milk is so concentrated. If you’re a cheese maker or wish to delve into the cheese making experience we would encourage you to experiment with sheep milk. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

7. Sheep milk can be frozen without loss of quality

If you’ve ever tried to freeze cows’ milk you’ve probably been pretty disappointed with the chunky slop you recovered from your freezer. Not so with sheep’s milk. Sheep milk will come out of the freezer virtually the same as it went in. Frozen sheep milk is still suitable for using as you would fresh milk. Being able to freeze your milk is a boon for cheesemakers. You can stockpile milk to make huge batches or freeze your excess during the busy milking season to make cheese later when you are less busy.

8. You only have to milk half the year

Sheep only lactate for 6 to maybe 8 months of the year. Many people cite this as a reason to NOT milk sheep, and as one of the main reasons sheep are inferior to goats. However, in light of the fact that sheep milk freezes so well, we view this as a big plus to milking sheep. One of the cons of having a dairy animal is that you are committed. You must milk that animal at the same time twice a day. Every. Single. Day. No matter what. It’s a major commitment that you have to revolve your life around.

Sheep produce a lot of milk early in lactation but their milk volume tapers off fairly quickly. For this reason, we milk a lot of sheep for a short time and stockpile the milk. This leaves us free of the burden of our milking commitment the other 6-8 months of the year. Only having to commit to milking for a few months of the year can make the dream of having a dairy animal seem a lot more attainable for a busy family or someone who travels.

9. Sheep are easier to keep than goats or a cow

Cows are large and require a lot of acreage and expensive feed to keep them. That is something that most people can’t practically provide. And as you probably know, goats have quite a reputation for being menaces. As the saying goes ‘A fence that won’t hold water won’t hold a goat’. Goats can be shockingly difficult to keep where you want them, and when they get out they won’t hesitate to tap dance on your car or the neighbor’s roof. This can be a deal breaker if your neighbors aren’t thrilled about having your animals eating their shrubs.

Sheep on the other hand are small, thrifty, and typically content. As a general rule they are very easy to contain and handle. In addition to being much less motivated, they are also not nearly as athletic as goats. Thus, sheep are much less likely to wreak havoc on the neighborhood.

10. In our climate hair sheep have less problems

This is a bit of a blanket statement as there can be both good and bad sheep and goats. However, in our hot, humid, southeast climate, our hair sheep perform better than many goats. Generally speaking, our hair sheep perform better in terms of things like parasite resistance and being wet. In a hot humid climate traits like parasite resistance can make the difference between an animal that is productive and thriving…. or constantly trying to die on you. Lower maintenance, and less stress create a more positive experience for us, and that’s important, particularly for new shepherds who can easily be discouraged.

And no, you don’t have to deal with wool and shearing to milk sheep.

Many people are put off of the idea of milking sheep because they do not want to deal with wool. Nor do they want to deal with sheep that have a reputation for being very fragile. However, if you’re milking sheep to feed your family rather than running a for profit dairy you don’t have to deal with wool. Yes there are dedicated dairy breeds of sheep, and all of them produce wool. And yes, these breeds produce more milk over a longer lactation than non-dairy breeds. But all sheep including hair sheep produce milk and can be milked.

There are plenty of milky Katahdins out there who are more than capable of making enough milk for your family. While Katahdins haven’t been selected for dairy traits, they have been selected to be capable of feeding huge, fast growing twins and triplets. To do so they have to produce a large quantity of milk. The trick is simply seeking out ones that produce a lot of milk in an udder with good conformation. They are out there, and they’re not as hard to find as you might think!

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post 10 Terrific Reasons To Milk Your Katahdin Sheep first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

The actual process of milking a sheep just takes a little practice for both you and your ewes. Before you know it, you will good at it and your ewes will settle into the new routine. However, before we get to the actual techniques for milking, let’s discuss some ways to set yourself up for success.

Firstly, it is important to understand that milking an animal is a serious commitment

You have to commit to milking them every single day no matter what. Unless your sheep is nursing lambs, she needs to be milked every 12 hours until you get to late lactation. If you stop milking your ewe when you go away for the weekend, she will have ended her lactation by the time you return. Sheep dry off quite easily and missing even a couple milkings can drastically reduce their milk production. They do this for self-preservation’s sake. If they did not stop making milk when you failed to milk them, their udder would literally explode.

It is best to be consistent and milk them at the same time every day. If you milk your ewes at 7 AM and 7 PM, their body will learn the schedule and they will be waiting at the gate to get milked. It is also wise to set up your milking area in a space where it is quiet so the ewes will be relaxed and comfortable. Remember sheep do not like being alone, so they will likely be more comfortable being milked where they can see at least one other sheep.

Be prepared to start milking when your ewes lamb

Many people who are just getting started with a dairy animal are confused about when they can start milking. The easy answer is that you should begin milking high production animals as soon as their lambs are born. This way you will maximize their milk production.

Newborn lambs don’t eat very much, and a high production dairy animal will produce way more milk than the lambs can consume. If you don’t express all the milk early in her lactation, she will down regulate milk production so that her udder is not damaged by excess pressure.

For the first couple weeks, you can leave your lambs with the ewe full time. Allow them to nurse as often as they would like. Milk her out 2x a day to remove the extra milk that the lambs are not eating. Then, as the lambs start to consume more milk, you can switch to a 1x a day milking.

If both you and the ewe are new to milking, this is the perfect time to get everyone comfortable and experienced with milking. Take her and the lambs to the milk parlor and practice going through your entire milking routine. If you don’t get every last drop of milk out of her udder at this point, there is no concern. The lambs will help you empty the udder to maintain her milk production. By the time the lambs are old enough to wean, you both will have become proficient at milking.

Once the lambs get to be a couple weeks old, you have a few different options.

Many people like to lamb share. You can start lamb sharing when the lamb is 2 weeks old. This method allows you to only milk 1x a day while your lamb is still nursing.

When lamb sharing you will need to pen up the lambs so that they cannot nurse for 12 hours every day. At the end of the 12 hours, milk the ewe. Once you have milked the ewe, you return the lambs to her for the next 12 hours. There is no negative impact on the growth rate or well-being of the lambs to only nurse for 12 hours a day. Once you have weaned the lambs, you will need to switch to 2x a day milking schedule.

Alternatively, some people prefer to bypass the lamb sharing business and wean the lambs early. Lambs that are eating well, and starting to chew their cuds can safely be weaned at about 4 weeks old. If weaned onto a high-quality diet of hay and creep feed, they will continue to grow just as well as their un-weaned counterparts.

In this scenario, you would just leave the lambs with the ewe and milk out the excess milk for the first 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, wean the lambs and switch to 2x a day milking. It is also possible to do a combination of the two and lamb share until you early wean.

There is no right answer here. What works best for you will depend on your situation and facilities. On our farm, we have found that lamb sharing is stressful for all parties involved. So, we have chosen to avoid it and we wean our lambs at 4 weeks old.

A little trick we have learned….

If you wean your lambs at 4 weeks old, and start milking out their dam’s, you can tame your ewe lambs at this time. These lambs will be super friendly like bottle babies. This is ideal for ewes that you will be milking in the future.

Simply take a small amount of your fresh milk, put it in a bottle, and offer it to your newly weaned lambs after they have been away from mom all day. We have found that it’s like a drug and they will be fighting for it when they are newly weaned. You can do this 1x a day for a week or so, and by that time your ewe lambs will be extremely tame.

We think this is a much better alternative to raising actual bottle babies when they have a mother perfectly capable of raising them. You essentially get the best of both worlds. It doesn’t take much milk, or a huge time commitment like bottle raising lambs. You don’t have to purchase formula or deal with the issues like diarrhea associated with formula feeding. Plus, the lambs still get the opportunity to learn how to eat from mom.

Supplies you will need to acquire before lambing

You will need to do some preparatory work before lambing. You need to have your supplies and your milking parlor ready as soon as the first lamb arrives in order to reap the most successful milking benefits.

Your milking parlor set up can be as elaborate or simple as you want. Some things are optional, some are absolutely essential. If you are going to be milking inside, try to set up in an area that can be cleaned and sanitized easily.

Since sheep are short, it is handy to have a milk stand to elevate them off the ground to an easier to work height. This is not necessary though. You can also milk a sheep standing on the ground by sitting or squatting next to them. We actually do this a lot with experienced ewes. Rather than bringing them all the way up from a far pasture, we will often tie them to a post and milk them out in the field to save time.

You will at minimum need a leash and post along a fence or wall to tie the ewe to. If your ewe is new to being milked, you would likely benefit from a set of hobbles to keep her from kicking your hands. Hobbles are inexpensive and very handy to have around.

You will also need a containers to hold milk

It is best to have a smaller container to hold under the ewe during milking and a larger storage container with a filter over it to pour the milk into periodically. This way if your milk gets contaminated or spilled while milking you are only losing a small amount not all of it.

There are specialized containers you can buy for this purpose, or you can use more generic items. Our personal favorite is to use a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup. That way we have a reasonable sized container with a handle to hold. We then periodically dump this into a tea pitcher. The pitcher has a built in fine mesh filter designed to hold loose tea leaves.

Lastly, you need to invest in mastitis prevention.

In a dairy, mastitis prevention is probably the most important thing that you do. If there is one message that you take home today, it should be that mastitis is very real. You should do everything you can to prevent it.

You need to keep everything clean. This includes the environment your animals live in, the milking parlor, their udders, and your hands. Most importantly, you need a dip cup and a good quality, disinfecting pre and post dip.

Mastitis is caused by environmental bacteria getting inside the udder. Milk, and the inside of a healthy udder is sterile. However, milk is a perfect growth media for bacteria. If bacteria makes it up the teat canal, your ewe will get mastitis.

The reality is, that in any sheep flock (dairy or meat) mastitis is one of the top reasons that animals of prime reproductive age are culled.

High production dairy animals are particularly susceptible to mastitis due to their larger udders and teats.

Mastitis will result in lost milk production (often permanently), and possibly a lost animal. Some types of mastitis can kill a sheep overnight. Others cannot be cured, and once the animal has mastitis, they will be chronic carriers that can infect other ewes in your flock. If that isn’t reason enough to do everything you can to avoid mastitis, it is also very painful for your ewe.

While not absolutely required, investing in a strip cup and mastitis testing materials is a good idea. It is always a good idea to do a strip test to look for any clumps in the milk which typically indicates mastitis. Tests like the California mastitis test can help you to detect subclinical mastitis so that you can treat it.

Don’t put your animals at more risk than necessary.

Use an appropriate pre and post dip. They are not that expensive and are a very worthwhile investment.

There are many people on the internet not using any sort of udder disinfectants, or using ones that are likely ineffective. They claim that mastitis prevention isn’t important or necessary. Other people are using harsh chemicals of questionable efficacy like bleach that can burn or dry out the udders.

Don’t be like these people. Do yourself and your ewes a service and invest in a good quality dip that has been proven effectiveness. Get a pre and post dip designed and used by the commercial dairy industry. There has been a lot of research on this topic because preventing mastitis is of top concern in the dairy industry. They know what they are doing. If you will be milking your animals, it is what you should be doing as well.

Steps to milking a sheep

Step 1: Positioning for milking

First you need to bring your ewe to your milking parlor. Put her in the stanchion or tie her up. It is best to feed her while you are milking so that she is entertained. We feed our ewes their corn ration while we are milking. Put the hobbles on if you will be using them.

Step 2: Cleaning the udder and teats

Once the ewe is settled in, you need to clean her udder in preparation for milking. If it is very dirty, you should wash it with an udder wash, and then dry it. If her udder is already clean, go ahead and put the pre-dip on her teats.

It is best to use a liquid dip in a cup rather than a squirt bottle, as you may miss parts of the teat when spraying it. Once you have dipped the teats, use a clean paper towel to wipe off the pre-dip. Your goal here is to make sure that the udder is clean and disinfected. Also make sure your hands are clean and disinfected in preparation for the actual milking.

Step 3: The milking process–Bumping

Bump and massage the udder to get milk to let down.

If you have ever observed a lamb nursing, you know that they bash their heads into the udder before and during nursing. You need to replicate this behavior so that your ewe will let down milk.

After you have bumped on the udder you want to try to squeeze out some milk (we will tell you how in the next step). If no milk comes out, or it only trickles out, do some more bumping and massaging.

If you have an experienced ewe, very little effort may be required to accomplish milk letdown. If you and the ewe are new to this, you will need to work harder. Be patient and keep trying. It can also sometimes be helpful for milk letdown to have her lambs present.

Step 4: Expressing the milk

Squeeze out the milk.

Some people like to milk from behind, some from the side. Based on the shape of the sheep udders, our preference is to do this step from the side so that we are not inadvertently bending the teat. You can use whichever hand you are more comfortable with. We find that using the hand closest to the hind leg when you stand facing the rear of the sheep works best.

To get milk to come out, you what to make a circle of your thumb and pointer finger around the top of the teat. Push up into the udder a little bit and pinch your fingers together. Done correctly, you will see the teat bulge showing that it is full of milk.

Keep your thumb and pointer finger pinched, and squeeze your other fingers closed one by one to push the milk down and out the end of the teat. If you don’t keep the top pinched off enough, the milk will rush past your thumb and back into the udder rather than coming out the teat opening.

Done right you will get a big solid stream of milk. If you don’t try again. You may need to do some more bumping and massaging to get things started. Repeat this process until the udder is empty. As you are milking, try to avoid getting milk on the floor as it can grow bacteria that can then get splashed up onto the udder causing mastitis.

If you have a strip cup, squirt the first stream or two into the strip cup before milking into your container. If you see signs of mastitis (clumps in the milk), contact your vet to set up a treatment plan immediately. Don’t wait for it to get worse.

Here are a couple tips that will help the milking process to go smoothly.

First, if your sheep’s udder is very full, it is virtually impossible to empty one side completely while the other side is still full. To overcome this problem, we milk one side half out, then switch sides. Completely milk out side 2 and then return to finish milking out side one. This makes things go so much more quickly and smoothly for everyone.

Also, periodically bump and massage the udder while you are milking. Why? Doing this will help keep the milk flowing and will allow you to get all of the milk out. A lot of times the teats on sheep are not at the bottom of the udder, so you need to push the milk up and out of the bottom of the udder.

Lastly, it is important to get as much milk out as possible. Leaving too much milk in the udder can cause the ewe to dry off prematurely. This is one of the reasons that it is an excellent idea to lamb share while you are learning to milk. If you allow the lambs to nurse after you finish milking, they will finish emptying the udder while you are perfecting your skills.

Step 5: After milking cleansing processes

After you have completed milking, you want to do a post dip on your ewes teats. Make sure to thoroughly cover their teats with the post dip. Then you should allow your ewes to continue to stand there for a while, or you should take them out to graze. You do not want them to lay back down for a minimum of 20-30 minutes after milking. Ideally, they would go out on a clean pasture and not return to laying on a dirty barn floor for at least 2 hours.

The reason for this is that after milking, the teat canal needs time to close. While the teat canal is open, your ewe is highly susceptible to getting bacteria in her udder. Laying on a manure covered floor before her teat canals close is the perfect recipe for mastitis.

Some closure is achieved within 20-30 minutes of milking, but the teat canal is not fully closed for 2 hours. The reason you post dip is to kill all the bacteria on the teat post milking. Keeping her standing for 2 hours will prevent new bacteria from being introduced to her udder before the teat canal has closed. If you are returning the ewe to her lambs, you may do so once the post dip has dried.

Step 6: Caring for the fresh milk

Refrigerate or freeze your milk immediately. Strain it again before refrigeration if necessary. Warm milk will grow bacteria with alarming speed. If you are planning to use it raw, it is imperative that you get the milk as cool as possible as quickly as possible.

Next you should clean your milking parlor after you finish milking. This is good to do from both an animal health perspective, but also a human health perspective. Keeping your milking parlor clean will help keep your ewes from getting mastitis, and it will also help to keep you from getting sick from drinking their milk. Milk and manure spilled on the floor are perfect for creating a bacteria cesspool.

If you follow these steps, you should be set up for backyard dairy success. We wish you the best of luck as you start out in your sheep milking endeavor!

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Milking Sheep 101: How To Set Yourself Up For Success first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

When we purchased our original Katahdin Sheep the breeder mentioned in passing that they could also be milked. We didn’t think much about it until we found in 2023 that my husband wasn’t lactose intolerant, but that he actually had a casein allergy to the A1 casein proteins found in most cow’s milk.

This revelation started us thinking. A cow with A2/A2 milk is too impractical. That’s just way too much milk for the two of us to use. Vegan cheese substitutes are expensive and leave a lot to be desired. My husband could eat goat milk products, but I very much dislike the ‘goaty’ flavor of goat milk. So we discussed the prospect of getting a goat for his dairy purposes. However, goats are awful menaces that we just did not want on our farm. So what were we to do?

There just seemed to be no good options

Then we remembered that the Katahdin breeder mentioned milking sheep. So down the sheep milk rabbit hole we slid. As it turns out, sheep have been milked for thousands of years. They were used as dairy animals long before cows were milked. While milking sheep is virtually unheard of in this country, actually, there is a significant sheep milk dairy industry in Europe.

The majority of dairy sheep are located in Europe, the middle east, and the Mediterranean. There are even famous cheeses that are traditionally made from sheep milk. These include Roquefort and Pecorino Romano.

As it would turn out, sheep milk is pretty amazing stuff.

It makes the most amazing low fat ice cream and cheeses. If you have any interest in making home made cheese, sheep milk is the way to go. Sheep milk is very high in solids. Because of this, you will get up to 50% more cheese from each gallon of milk than you will with cow’s milk. It is richer in fats and proteins, giving you delightfully creamy, deluxe cheeses.

Sheep milk also makes low fat ‘ice cream’ that still has a rich, creamy texture. Because the proteins and fat molecules are much smaller, more concentrated, and naturally homogenized in sheep milk, even home made low fat ice cream will freeze to a creamy texture. You won’t get the unpleasant icy texture you get from cow’s milk.

More importantly, sheep milk is highly nutritious.

It has higher nutrient values than either cow or goat milk. It is better tolerated by many people with milk sensitivities, and it has a wonderful rich, sweet taste.

Sheep milk has a much higher solids content than either goat or cow milk. That means that it has more nutrients and less water in it. It has both a high protein and mineral content. It contains up to 2x the protein in goat or cow milk and 36% more calcium than cows milk. Sheep milk is a better source of all 10 essential amino acids. It contains more healthy short and medium chain fatty acids, and is much richer in healthy mono and poly unsaturated acids than cows milk. Additionally, many biopeptides found in sheep milk have antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.

It is A2/A2 for people with casein allergies

Like goat milk, sheep milk is A2/A2 milk, so if you have an allergy to A1 casein you may be able to consume sheep dairy products. On top of that, sheep milk is often better tolerated by people with milk sensitivities.

Research done in Australia has shown that sheep milk proteins are more easily digested than those found in cows milk. They also found that because sheep milk contains more good fats, those fats are readily converted to energy. Sheep milk does not spike blood triglyceride levels. It has also been shown that sheep milk may be better tolerated by those with lactose intolerance as well.

Best of all, sheep milk doesn’t contain any capric acid.

Sheep milk is mild and sweet. It is very similar to cow’s milk in flavor though it has a creamier texture. Like cow’s milk, sheep milk does not contain capric acid. It does not have and will not produce that tangy ‘goaty’ flavor that turns many people off to goat milk. Capric acid is what gives goat milk its distinct off-putting flavor.

Dairy sheep breeds you should look for

If you are interested in adding dairy sheep to your farm, you will have to put in a bit of effort to find good ones as they are not nearly as widely available as dairy goats and cows.

While people across the ocean have access to quite a large selection of breeds of dairy sheep, in this country we only have a couple breeds available. The most prevalent dairy sheep in the USA is the East Friesian. The East Friesian is the ‘Holstein cow’ of sheep. They are high production animals, but they also tend to be high maintenance and somewhat fragile. For this reason, virtually every single East Friesian in this country is crossed with another sheep breed.

In addition to the East Friesian, you can also sometimes acquire Lacaune sheep though they are harder to come by. Luckily for those interested in dairy sheep the USA has recently lessened import restrictions. This has allowed some sheep dairies to start importing Lacaune and East Friesian semen from improved animals. This will be very helpful in improving our dairy sheep production performance. Sheep with these improved genetics are worth obtaining and will likely become more widely available as time goes on.

One other breed commonly used for dairy in this country despite not technically being a dairy breed is the Finnsheep. While Finns are not dairy sheep per se, they have been selected to produce enough milk to feed their litters of 3-4+ lambs. Finns are tough, prolific little sheep who are popular choice for with East Friesians to help make them less fragile and difficult to care for. Our dairy sheep are East Friesian x Finn crosses.

One downside to all dairy sheep breeds is their wool

All the breeds of dairy sheep are wool sheep. There are no shedding dairy sheep at this time. You should not let this put you off the idea of raising dairy sheep. To feed your family you will likely only need a few sheep, so hand shearing them yourself once a year is not impractical. This is particularly true since they will need to be friendly and used to being handled for milking. The wool can be used for craft projects, or it can be composted and used as mulch in your garden. It has been shown that wool can be a valuable soil amendment.

If you cannot abide the idea of dealing with a wool sheep, Katahdins can be milked

If you remember, when we purchased our first Katahdins, the breeder mentioned that they could be milked. We tried it, and yes, they definitely can be milked. However, they were bred as meat sheep not dairy animals. They do not have nearly the milk production volume or lactation length a specialized dairy animal will have.

If you wish to try milking Katahdins, it is important to select your animals very, very carefully. Katahdins can vary drastically in their milk production. Within our flock we have ewes that produce only a couple cups of milk, and who also have tiny nearly impossible to milk teats. We also have 2 ewes that will produce over ½ gallon a day in an udder with large easy to milk teats. You need to seek out ewes that produce a lot of milk in udders with a confirmation suitable for milking.

Now that we have you intrigued by the idea of milking sheep

You might be questioning if you would even be able to accomplish a task like milking. You might have no idea of where to begin. We were certainly apprehensive the first time we tried. Fortunately, while milking sheep takes some practice (for both you and the ewe) to be proficient at, it is actually quite easy to do. Even if you have never milked anything before, you can learn to milk a sheep. We hope that you will join us next time for our how to milk article where we will discuss the process from start to finish.

If you don’t want to miss out on that article, please sign up for our newsletter to have it delivered directly to your inbox!

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Dairy Sheep: A Remarkable Triple Purpose Animal first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.