In addition to cows and goats, sheep can also be a source of milk on the farm. These animals can only be milked during lactation, and the volumes of milk are small, but it has a valuable chemical composition and is the main ingredient for the production of delicious cheese. For more information about which breeds of sheep are dairy, the basic rules for milking animals, as well as recommendations for milk processing and a description of the most famous types of sheep’s cheese, are described later in the article.

Which sheep are milked and which are not?

The lactation period in sheep lasts for 4-5 months. The volume of production of sheep’s milk depends on the breed of the animal, the conditions of its maintenance and the chosen direction of animal husbandry. Typically, a farmer breeds sheep for wool or meat, and milk is only a by-product obtained from the queens during the lactation period. But not all sheep are recommended to be milked, as in some cases the entire volume of milk goes to feed for posterity.

Did you know? Sheep milk is used in the production of dry baby food for weakened babies - the product helps to gain body weight faster and strengthens the baby's immunity.

Meat breeds of sheep

To obtain a large amount of meat with high commercial characteristics, it is recommended to breed sheep meat. The uterus of meat sheep also feed the lambs milk, but they are usually not milked, as in this case the farmer needs to get a quick increase in the mass of young animals, which will determine the timing of the slaughter of animals and the size of their carcasses.

Therefore, the high-quality feeding of lambs when breeding meat sheep is a priority and all uterine milk should go to feed the offspring.

To obtain a large amount of meat with high commercial characteristics, it is recommended to breed sheep meat.

The main features of the appearance of sheep of meat breeds are presented below:

• large sizes of adults;
• barrel-shaped body;
• rapid increase in muscle mass in young animals;
• increased resistance of animals to adverse climate conditions;
• good immunity;
• compact and narrow skeleton;
• thin skin with a thick fat layer.

Dairy breeds of sheep

The peculiarity of the milk breeds of sheep is that during lactation they produce an increased amount of milk, which is sufficient not only for high-quality feeding of lambs, but also for use in the food industry. Some breeds of animals are considered dairy, so they are bred by farmers to get valuable smushki - skins of lambs killed on 3-4 days of life.

In this case, the sheep continues to be milked until the end of the lactation period, receiving a large amount of sheep’s milk. A description of the most common dairy breeds of sheep is presented later in the article.

Romanovskaya

This breed of sheep is one of the most common and is bred by many farmers in order to obtain tasty meat and high-quality durable wool, from which hosiery is made.

The main characteristics of the breed are presented below:

1. The body of the animals is medium or large, and the coat is gray or black. The hair length reaches 35 cm.
2. Sheep of this breed have a wide chest, a strong straight back and strong, symmetrically arranged legs of medium length.
3. The weight of an adult female is about 50 kg, and that of a male is up to 85 kg.
4. For one lambing, the uterus brings up to 5 lambs, which reach puberty at the age of 5 months.
5. Milk productivity is about 120-130 liters for the entire lactation period or about 1 liter per day.

Important! One female Romanovskiy breed of sheep can produce offspring up to 3 times a year, giving up to 300 liters of milk for all periods of lactation.

Askanian

Sheep of this breed have a thin and thick coat. They were bred in Ukraine at the beginning of the twentieth century on the territory of the Askania Nova Nature Reserve.

The main characteristics of Askanian sheep are presented below:

1. The body of animals is large and regular in shape, covered with dense cream-colored wool, the length of which can reach 10 cm.
2. The skeleton of animals is strong, with a lot of muscles.
3. An adult ram weighs 110–120 kg, and a sheep weighs about 65 kg.
4. The fertility of the breed is average - from 100 queens about 130 lambs are born.
5. During one lactation period, the female gives up to 140 liters of milk. On average, for 1 day from each lactating sheep receive 1.2 liters of milk with a fat content of up to 9%.

Tsigayskaya

Tsigai sheep are one of the oldest breeds and are bred around the world . Animals differ in endurance and universal productivity - they are bred to get tasty meat, quality wool and milk.

The main characteristics of the breed are listed below:

1. Adult animals have an elongated barrel-shaped body of compact size. The wool is colored white, and the length of the strands can reach 14 cm.
2. Tsigai sheep have a straight back and a wide chest. The legs are straight, set correctly and securely hold the body of the animal.
3. Adult males gain weight up to 85–100 kg. Sheep are smaller and weigh 45–60 kg.
4. Uterine fertility is low - the number of cubs in each lamb does not exceed 2 individuals. The lamb reaches slaughter age at the age of 6 months.
5. Sheep's milk production is 150 liters per lactation period, or about 1.25 liters per day.

Did you know? The pupils of the sheep are not round, but rectangular.

How to milk a sheep

Sheep milk is the main component in the diet of newborn offspring, so before you start milking, you need to consider how many months the lambs have turned. The most commonly used approaches to sheep milking are:

• if lambs are used to produce astrakhan pelts, then the female will be milked from 4-5 days after lambing. This procedure in the first 2 months is carried out 2 times a day in the morning and evening hours, and then animals are milked 1 time per day;
• if young animals are weaned at the age of 3 months, then the uterus is milked from this time until the end of the lactation period (that is, within 45-60 days) - first the animals are milked 2 times a day, and closer to the end of the lactation, they carry out this procedure Once a day;
• you can start milking the sheep before weaning the lambs, but only after they have reached the age of 1.5 months - at the same time, young animals are temporarily transferred to another pen during milking, and after the completion of this procedure, the lambs are returned to their mother.

Important! If the sheep begins to be milked before weaning, the young animals and the female must be fed with other types of feed so that the animals gain weight and develop normally.

Milking preparation

It is most convenient to milk a sheep in a small paddock or machine made to fit the size of the animal. The front and rear walls of the structure must be closed so that the sheep enters through the front door and leaves after milking through the rear.

The sex in the pen is slightly inclined so that the front limbs of the animal are slightly higher than the rear and the female behaves calmer. A person is placed behind the udder of the animal.

Before you start milking, you need to perform several preparatory steps:

• wash hands thoroughly with hot water and soap;
• rinse the female udder with warm water, and then wipe it dry with a clean towel;
• lubricate the animal’s nipples with a special ointment or a small amount of vegetable oil - this helps to avoid the appearance of irritation on the tender skin of the udder;
• knead the udder of the sheep with your hands, making light massaging movements - this procedure is recommended to be carried out within 1 minute;
• Express the first stream of milk on the floor - for this you need to grab and hold the nipple with your fingers, and then 2-3 times hold it with your thumb bent at an angle downward;
• prepare for milking a suitable sized clean bucket and cover it on top with several layers of gauze.

Read also how many years sheep and sheep live.

Milking

In comparison with cows and goats, sheep do not produce much milk, so the whole milking process lasts no more than 5-7 minutes. The procedure for milking a sheep resembles milking a cow, and the differences are only in the size of the udder of these animals.

Step-by-step instructions for milking sheep are presented below:

1. Sit on a small stool behind the animal. Place a clean milk bucket under the udder.
2. Grasp the first pair of nipples of the udder with two hands.
3. Milk from each nipple in turn, gently stretching it with your fingers from top to bottom.
4. Grasping the udder with the left hand, squeeze and pull down the nipples with the fingers of the right hand several times.
5. Similarly, express milk from the second pair of nipples.
6. After milking, rinse the udder of the animal with warm water, and then wipe it dry with a clean towel.

a - crushing; b - alignment

Characteristics of Sheep's Milk

Sheep milk has a rich chemical composition and contains a lot of substances useful to the human body. It is much fatter than cow and has a high calorie content, so it is practically not used fresh.

Did you know? Sheep have excellent memory, and newborn lambs can recognize their mother by voice.

The nutritional value of 100 g of sheep’s milk is presented below:

• calorie content - 111 kcal;
• proteins - 5.6 g;
• fats - 7.7 g;
• carbohydrates - 4.8 g;
• water - 80.8 g;
• ash - 0.9 g.

In addition, in the composition of sheep’s milk there are such components:

• vitamins - A, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, E, H, PP;
• macroelements - calcium, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium;
• trace elements - iodine, iron, manganese, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, strontium;
• lactose;
• essential amino acids - arginine, valine, gimstidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine;
• essential amino acids - alanine, aspartic acid, glycine, glutamic acid, proline, serine, tyrosine, cysteine;
• saturated fatty acids - butyric, caproic, caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic;
• monounsaturated fatty acids - myristoleic, palmitoleic, omega-9;
• polyunsaturated fatty acids - linoleic, arachidonic, Omega-6.

• Thanks to such a rich composition, sheep’s milk brings great benefits to the human body:
• strengthens bones and prevents the development of osteoporosis, rickets;
• helps to restore the body after diseases;
• increases immunity;
• prevents the development of cancer cells;
• helps fight insomnia;
• stimulates the activity of the brain;
• improves skin and hair condition;
• beneficial effect on vision;
• effectively cleanses the body of toxins;
• Helps fight anorexia
• strengthens the heart and walls of blood vessels;
• provides normal fetal development during pregnancy.

Important! The daily norm of sheep’s milk for an adult is not more than 150 g per day.

The “harmful" qualities of sheep’s milk include:

• high fat content - the product should not be consumed by people suffering from overweight;
• the ability to cause an increase in blood cholesterol as a result of a high fat content;
• irritating effect of the product on the gastric mucosa in the presence of gastritis or ulcers.

How to process sheep’s milk

Sheep's milk differs from cow's in appearance, consistency and taste. Due to its high fat content, it is not consumed in its raw form, but is used for processing. The quality of the finished product depends on the correctness of this procedure, therefore, the processing of sheep’s milk should be carried out taking into account such requirements:

• milk obtained after milking must be filtered through several layers of gauze, removing all undesirable impurities from it;
• if the product will not be processed immediately after milking, then it must be cooled to a temperature of +10 ° C and placed in a dark place;
• while boiling in a container with sheep’s milk, it is necessary to add sugar so that it does not curdle - 1 tsp will be required for 1 liter of the liquid product. Sahara;
• to avoid the appearance of foam during heat treatment, you need to stir the milk often, and after boiling immediately remove it from the heat;
• It is possible to prevent the burning of sheep’s milk by pre-rinsing the dishes in cold water;
• if the product is curled, then it can be used to make cottage cheese.

Sheep milk products

Due to the fact that sheep’s milk is denser and heavier than cow’s milk, it is ideal for the production of cottage cheese and creamy yogurt. But most often this product is the main ingredient for the preparation of hard and brine cheeses. They have a high fat content and a rich creamy taste, and due to the low content of lactose, it is more easily absorbed by the stomach.

Important! Boiling sheep’s milk is recommended for no more than 3 minutes - otherwise it will lose all vitamins and nutrients in its composition.

Cheeses

Most types of cheese can be made from both sheep and cow's milk. But there are several varieties of this product that are made exclusively from sheep’s milk. These cheeses have a special taste and useful chemical composition, which is why they are highly valued among consumers and have a higher cost.

The most common types of sheep milk cheese are listed below:

1. Roquefort . The pulp of this cheese has an oily consistency, white color and a characteristic nutty taste, and inside it there are small cavities filled with precious blue mold. Outside, the product is covered with a shiny moist white crust and exudes a mixture of flavors of sheep's milk and limestone.
   

2. Pecorino Romano . The product has a pungent taste with pronounced salty notes, and its flesh has a dense structure and is painted white and yellow. Outside, the cheese is covered with a light and smooth crust, and also exudes a rich aroma. It is used to prepare first courses, appetizers and salads, and is also often served with honey as a dessert.
   

3. Feta . A soft cheese that crumbles easily and has a sour-salty taste. The product is painted white, and its exposure requires at least 90 days. Feta needs to be stored exclusively in brine, since without a liquid its surface dries quickly and its taste worsens. It is used for salads and cheese snacks.
   

4. Chanah . This brine cheese is a traditional product in Armenia and is made in special clay pots. The product has a “brittle” pulp of white or cream colors, inside of which there are small cavities. There is no crust on the cheese, and its sour-milk taste is characterized by characteristic sharp notes and a salty aftertaste with a small bitterness. Used for salads, appetizers and khachapuri.
   

5. Broccio . It is made in the form of a ball or flattened cylinder, coated on the outside with a thin layer of creamy mold. The product has a rich pungent taste with pronounced sweet and salty notes. The pulp of cheese is soft, has a creamy consistency and is painted white. The product is used as an ingredient for vegetable salads and can be added to soups and main dishes.
   

Brynza

The most famous cheese made from sheep’s milk, which has a relatively low cost, is feta cheese . It can be used for cooking dishes from vegetables and meat, snacks and soups, and also as a filling for baking. Brynza is often used as an addition to tea, as it goes well with bread.

Did you know? For slicing Roquefort cheese, a special device was invented - rock cutter. A wire is used as a blade in it, which allows you to maintain the integrity of the soft mold heads in the pulp.

The main characteristics of feta cheese are presented below:

• the product has a moderately dense consistency, breaks easily;
• the cheese is white;
• taste - sour-milk, with a characteristic salty aftertaste;
• the product exudes a pleasant sour aroma;
• the surface of the cheese does not have a crust, but a clear pattern from a fine mesh is visible on it;
• cheese is recommended to be stored in brine so that its surface does not dry out.

Due to its thick consistency and high fat content, sheep’s milk is a valuable ingredient from which nutritious and healthy dairy products can be obtained. Using the recommendations listed above, you can correctly choose the breed of sheep to obtain this product, effectively perform milking of animals, and also use milk to produce delicious types of cheese.