ENSJ
Chillin' with the herd
1. Do you or have you ever kept sheep for milk? What was your experience?
2. What supplements would they need in addition to high-quality grass
3. What is the care level compared to horses and goats
4. What would the yearly cost look like
1. Not yet. I know people who do keep dairy herds.
2. They need minerals, (though take care not go give coppers. Goats need it, but its toxic to sheep in the amounts you need for goats.). Hay and silage is necessary next to grass and it's recommend to feed oats and grains to your lactating sheep as they require a lot more feed during that period. Orchardgrass hay is often picked for dairy sheep. Alfalfa pellets, oats and beet pulp can be added to the grain you feed to give richer milk.
3. They are pretty similar to goats in that they need shelter. Unlike goats most sheep (especially the ones with wool) tend to do well in wet conditions. Three sided shelters are often enough, but people who milk their sheep often also have a barn to have some lambing pens and a milk room.
You have three options when it comes to milking them. You either wait 36 hours to then remove the lamb completely and keep all the milk for yourself. You can then bottle feed the lambs or sell them as bottle lambs.
Another option is to wait for 30 days (no milking), then removing the lamb and milk exclusively. You won't get more milk and the lamb's growth will be slower but it's less work.
The third and my preferred option is to keep the lamb on the ewe. After 30 days separate at night, milk in the morning, then allow the lamb back with the mother. Cuts down on time needed to milk and will ensure a better growth on the lamb.
4. Upfront costs would be high, good quality dairy sheep can be costly to purchase (300-700 per sheep, depending on breed and location). It's also easier to have a stanchion for milking (you can build one yourself or purchase a ready made one). Depending on where you can get your hay and grains from that can also be high. If you have room to grow some of your own feed that helps (the beets for example and if you have enough pasture that you can use a section to grow some supplemental hay that'd be good as well).
Good pasture management is needed to prevent parasite build-up, so rotate a lot and don't let them eat the grass too short. (Unlike cows who use their tongues to pull grasses, sheep use their lips so they graze a lot closer to the ground and thus are more likely to ingest more parasites).
Medical care wise: Sheep need CDT vaccines when they are lambs. It is recommended to give a booster to ewes to give passive immunity to their lambs. Deworming is needed, though some treatments affect the milk. Mastitis can occur so you best have supplies for that on hand.
2. What supplements would they need in addition to high-quality grass
3. What is the care level compared to horses and goats
4. What would the yearly cost look like
1. Not yet. I know people who do keep dairy herds.
2. They need minerals, (though take care not go give coppers. Goats need it, but its toxic to sheep in the amounts you need for goats.). Hay and silage is necessary next to grass and it's recommend to feed oats and grains to your lactating sheep as they require a lot more feed during that period. Orchardgrass hay is often picked for dairy sheep. Alfalfa pellets, oats and beet pulp can be added to the grain you feed to give richer milk.
3. They are pretty similar to goats in that they need shelter. Unlike goats most sheep (especially the ones with wool) tend to do well in wet conditions. Three sided shelters are often enough, but people who milk their sheep often also have a barn to have some lambing pens and a milk room.
You have three options when it comes to milking them. You either wait 36 hours to then remove the lamb completely and keep all the milk for yourself. You can then bottle feed the lambs or sell them as bottle lambs.
Another option is to wait for 30 days (no milking), then removing the lamb and milk exclusively. You won't get more milk and the lamb's growth will be slower but it's less work.
The third and my preferred option is to keep the lamb on the ewe. After 30 days separate at night, milk in the morning, then allow the lamb back with the mother. Cuts down on time needed to milk and will ensure a better growth on the lamb.
4. Upfront costs would be high, good quality dairy sheep can be costly to purchase (300-700 per sheep, depending on breed and location). It's also easier to have a stanchion for milking (you can build one yourself or purchase a ready made one). Depending on where you can get your hay and grains from that can also be high. If you have room to grow some of your own feed that helps (the beets for example and if you have enough pasture that you can use a section to grow some supplemental hay that'd be good as well).
Good pasture management is needed to prevent parasite build-up, so rotate a lot and don't let them eat the grass too short. (Unlike cows who use their tongues to pull grasses, sheep use their lips so they graze a lot closer to the ground and thus are more likely to ingest more parasites).
Medical care wise: Sheep need CDT vaccines when they are lambs. It is recommended to give a booster to ewes to give passive immunity to their lambs. Deworming is needed, though some treatments affect the milk. Mastitis can occur so you best have supplies for that on hand.
