thistledowncreamery
GP81
Registered: 01-2011
Posts: 19
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
Hi everyone,
I live in Australia, I have a 150 head dairy and on farm cheese making facility.......all sounds pretty normal doesn't it?
But heres the twist.............we milk sheep! I also own a few jerseys (and a monty cross!) but they are currently being milked for me by someone else-if I'm not welcome due to having sheep just let me know...but it would be great to be able to discuss dry cow treatments and teat dips without getting strange looks
Vanessa
|
14/1/2011, 0:12
|
Link to this post
PM via Email
PM via Forum
|
Riceton
EX93
Registered: 04-2010
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 333
Karma: 3 (+4/-1)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
Glad to have you and I`m sure you can pick up some ideas, but you still might get some strange looks.
--- "Where Lifetime production matters"
|
14/1/2011, 2:25
|
Link to this post
PM via Email
PM via Forum
|
MBurgess
VG89
Registered: 10-2010
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 130
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
Welcome! Do you have to sheer your sheep often? How are they to work with and 'break in' compared to dairy cows?
|
14/1/2011, 7:45
|
Link to this post
PM via Forum
|
thistledowncreamery
GP81
Registered: 01-2011
Posts: 19
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
Yeah...but an udder is an udder! LOL We usually end up shearing 2x per year-helps keep them tidy in the bail and shearing before lambing saves all kinds of headaches. It takes about 3 days to fully break a young ewe in-some are better and a few are worse-but overall I'd say they're easier than cows, they're smaller for a start! They come down and wait at the gate to be milked just like cows, complain loudly if you're late and will quiet literally knock you down to get into the bail first-like a football scrum! I've never seen any other animal more keen to get into the bail-they even try to come in 3 at a time and occasionally practice sheep 'surfing' where one sheep rides into the bail atop a couple of others, jammed fingers and bruised toes ensue And yes it still hurts if they kick you :devil
Vanessa
|
14/1/2011, 9:24
|
Link to this post
PM via Email
PM via Forum
|
smous
Cowtalk Staff
Registered: 11-2003
Location: South Africa
Posts: 2817
Karma: 54 (+54/-0)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
Welcome - who buys your sheep milk?
--- WWS-SA
|
15/1/2011, 5:38
|
Link to this post
PM via Email
PM via Forum
|
thistledowncreamery
GP81
Registered: 01-2011
Posts: 19
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
No one-we make all our milk into cheese on farm
Vanessa
|
15/1/2011, 5:50
|
Link to this post
PM via Email
PM via Forum
|
PADairymen
Ex 97 2E
Registered: 12-2009
Posts: 1676
Karma: 21 (+23/-2)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
This is awesome. Is there a certain breed of sheep you milk or that is the best to milk? How much milk do they produce?
|
15/1/2011, 19:44
|
Link to this post
PM via Email
PM via Forum
|
thistledowncreamery
GP81
Registered: 01-2011
Posts: 19
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Hello from Aus.....bet you've never milked one of these before ;)
Yep, we milk East Friesians and Awassi's both are considered dairy sheep-altough the stock available are not milked recorded or even milked usually, so pot luck, but they're generally better than other breeds. I milk record mine, our best ewe peaked at 3.5L and generally they average somewhere around 1 L........not much milk at all really!
vanessa
|
22/1/2011, 10:22
|
Link to this post
PM via Email
PM via Forum
|