Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Cheese from Sheep's Milk
Another profi table project to consider is gourmet cheese made from sheep's
milk. Americans import sheep cheese, yet sheep dairy farming is in its infancy
in North America. Farmers who sell cheese made from sheep's milk are selling
their product for as much as $26 per pound (0.5 kg) in the United States.
Sheep's milk, being high in solids, yields about twice the amount of cheese
that cow's milk does. Per 100 pounds (45 kg) of milk, sheep's milk gives about
20 pounds (9 kg) of cheese, goat's milk yields 14 pounds (6.4 kg), and cow's
milk produces 10 pounds (4.5 kg).
A common practice among European producers is to permit the lambs
to nurse exclusively for 30 days and then wean them and milk the ewes.
However, weaning lambs at 2 or 3 days after birth and feeding them artifi -
cially would result in greater total yield of milk. Twice-a-day milking results
in the most milk, but another option is to milk once a day in the morning and
allow the lambs to nurse later in the day. Good nutrition (high protein) is an
absolute necessity for a high volume of milk.
On-farm cheese making is possible, but there are many regulations involv-
ing food processing that have to be observed. The factor that makes cheese
production from sheep's milk a more suitable cottage industry than making
cheese from cow's milk is that sheep's milk can be frozen for thawing and
making cheese later with no loss of quality, so it can be stockpiled and frozen
until there is an adequate amount for a cheese project.
Contact the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative (see Resources) to learn
more. Although the co-op is open only to producers in Wisconsin, Minnesota,
and Iowa, its Web site is a resource for anyone interested in the topic.
The pelts of meat lambs can be another source of income. Prime, No. 1 pelts
are from lambs that have been sheared 4 to 6 weeks before slaughter. This
shearing before slaughter provides a pelt that is perfect for use as “shearling”
lining for slippers or jackets. If you're selling your lambs through conventional
markets, you'll be paid extra for your lambs if they have shearling-quality coats
— sometimes quite a bit extra, depending on the market. If you are butcher-
ing lambs yourself (either literally yourself or at a custom packer), then these
pelts provide an excellent by-product. And if you create a product from the
pelt — say, shearling slippers — you can really increase your return.
A good reason to keep your sheep free of ticks is that they can ruin a pelt
for tanning: the dark bumps caused by tick bites are called “cockle” in pelts
