Milk Sheep Instead of Goats or Cows?

Could milk sheep be the right dairy animal for your farm?
Subscribe to Castra Isidore Farm here: / @castraisidorefarm
Get GROW OR DIE: amzn.to/3O1zG7A
Subscribe to the newsletter: thesurvivalgardener.us3.list-...
Compost Your Enemies t-shirts: www.aardvarktees.com/products...
David's gardening blog: www.thesurvivalgardener.com
I visited my friends at Castra Isidore Farm and asked some questions about raising milk sheep. I was curious if milk sheep would do well in the South, and if they fit in well with cows. In today's video, you'll get to learn a bit about milk sheep, what sheep milk tastes like, why milk sheep are better than milk goats and more.

[@SCOTTBULGRIN]

Sheep's milk is superior to cows milk in its nutrient profile even though jersey and guernsey milk is excellent. I occasionally by raw sheep's milk cheese from Whole Foods. In certain states where raw milk products are legal sheep cheese from France and the U.S. are a real treat.

[@LucieSalat]

It's true! The molecular size of milk from sheep is small enough to allow proper absorption of nutrients in the stomach. It is also excellent for newborns if breast milk is insufficient or for weening!

[@jenbear8652]

I wish I was in a state where it’s legal!

[@SimonGarstin]

How do you find the digestibility of raw sheep milk vs row A2 cow milk? And any other comments I would be interested to hear.

[@kathleenebsen2659]

Tunis sheep originated in Africa and tolerate heat and humidity better than many other breeds. They are a fat tail breed and are said to be particularly flavorful. I didn’t know that they’re a Triple purpose breed. I love them!

[@abdallahmanasrah2317]

Originating in tunisia the breed is guaranteed to be highly tolerable to heat and drought and be an excellent milking and meat bread

[@davidpritchett855]

In my mind smaller is almost always better for breeding or milking stock. The reason is simple, less feed bill in the off season. Also there's a lot of research on this but smaller frame animals are more feed efficient at producing milk and meat too. A quick tip, if you don't have neighbor whose a snitch autumn olive and willow are amazing sheep feed. Both are very high in protein and due to their bitterness help worm your stock passively. I am going into my 4th year running katahdin and have only lost 3 one to parasites that was a runt to begin with, 1 to bloat during a heat wave and I didn't know how to recognize the symptoms and 1 that decided to go into labor in pasture in the middle of a tornado.

[@davidpritchett855]

@@mikem5475 it's categorized as an invasive. It does create problems for farmers who want to just disc, seed then combine their fields because of the woody stems. Additionally the seeds go through birds so you often find them growing on fence lines just like cedars.

[@WonbyGrace2]

Hey I do Katahdin also. If you put baking soda free choice where it stays dry you will not have bloat and we never vax. 😀 they self regulate their needs. Works for goats cows also

[@davidpritchett855]

@@WonbyGrace2 yeah I learned that one after the fact. It is very good to know for sure. I haven't lost a sheep to bloat since.

[@JS-mh1fh]

It's my preference for making cheese and ice cream since I have an allergy (not lactose intolerant, but an actual allergy because of the structure of the protein) to cows milk. Thanks for making this video, I hope it spurs more to produce this fabulous milk!

[@bethanygroskopf]

Yess!! I've been searching for dairy sheep. All seem to be wool breeds that i can find. My friend said he will sheer them for me twice a year for the wool. Good deal to me! Now to try and find some.. more people need to be aware of them, we need more dairy sheep in our world💞

[@JS-mh1fh]

If your in south-central Indiana, and you get dairy sheep, I'm interested in purchasing ($ or trade)!

[@Anonymous-km5pj]

Hear here !

[@bethanygroskopf]

@@JS-mh1fh you're not far! I'm about an hour NE of Lexington, KY. So far I've found dairy sheep in SC, but they aren't cheap, unsurprisingly.

[@JS-mh1fh]

​@@bethanygroskopfI've purchased sheep's milk from an Amish farmer connection when I sell at market in Bloomington. The farmers are about 1 1/2 hrs drive Northwest from there. If you want, I can use my connection to inquire if any of those sheep are for sale, the breed, and what they'd want for them if you'd want. It being an Amish connection, the response won't be speedy!

[@lisainOG]

I have Dairy Sheep and will have lambs available in Southern CA

[@koicaine1230]

FYI: You can deworm your animals from intestinal worms with Pumpkin Seeds, they contain a compound called cucurbitacin which is a natural dewormer.

[@JK-jf7xq]

Zach from all American homestead says tobacco and blackberry leaves.

[@koicaine1230]

@@JK-jf7xq I can totally see that, Tobacco is an excellent pesticide.

[@WilliamMiller-nr5gb]

Some food-grade diatomaceous earth and Ivermectin, too? Doesn't seem too burdensome for the animal nor the humans in my estimation... but I'm no expert.

[@rehoboth_farm]

You can also feed them sericea lespedeza. It is a pasture legume that contains a lot of tannin and that prevents barber pole worms from being able to metabolize protein. Kobe lespedeza should do the same. In some parts of the country they curse it. In some parts of the country they cultivate it. Sericea Lespedeza was originally introduced by the federal government to do land reclamation and prevent erosion in ditches. I have some that has naturalized on my property. Chickens, guinea fowl, etc will also eat the leaves too. There are some people who sell lespedeza hay and I heard that there is a commercial peletized product for worming small ruminants.

[@koicaine1230]

@@rehoboth_farm Thank you, I've never heard that one before :)

[@johnliberty3647]

I was told by other homesteaders that sheep are too skittish to milk. 🥛 but I had no plan to milk anything so I never got a second opinion on that. Glad you made this video so I can see someone milk sheep.

[@kathleensanderson3082]

Last year we learned that my youngest daughter and I are extremely sensitive to cow milk (not allergic, but get sick if we drink it). We are also mildly sensitive to goat milk, possibly because that's what we drank for most of forty years when we were raising goats. We are not sensitive to sheep milk, so I seriously considered doing sheep for both milk and meat, however, I'm almost as sensitive to sheep meat as I am to cow milk (which is strange because we hardly ever eat lamb). So we've got a few goats again, for milk and meat. And yes, they are escape artists and cause problems if you aren't smarter than they are, LOL! Taste of goat milk depends on several variables. The most commonly blamed is cleanliness, and that is a factor. Diet is also blamed, and can be a factor. The one thing that isn't blamed as often as it should be is breed. Alpines, Saanens, and especially Toggenburgs can have strong-flavored milk. The best goat milk is from Nubians, Kinders, Mini-whichevers, and Nigerian Dwarfs. Probably also Pygmies, though they aren't technically a dairy goat. I've heard LaManchas give good milk, too, but I've never milked one. And Boers -- a meat breed -- give very rich sweet milk. A Boer cross doe was my best-ever milker, and her milk was wonderful. (If anyone wants to try a Boer cross, though, make SURE you check her teats -- Boers are notorious for having weird teats that are impossible to milk.)

[@smas3256]

One sheep farm in my state. Lime where lime disease first "mysteriously" appeared. Thanks for the video. I had no clue about sheep milk being available or that is was even possible. lol

[@WilliamMiller-nr5gb]

Are you talking about Lyme disease? As in the Plum Island variety?

[@b_uppy]

Yes. It's best to select a variety that has 3-4 offspring a year unless you have little in the way of dairy needs.

[@hamharrington7646]

I have wanted dairy sheep for a long long time. I am finally getting my flock this summer. Sheep are such a useful animal, you can't beat the milk, meat, and wool they produce.

[@alicecowan3499]

I watch Home Free Alaska and she has milk sheep’s and loves them. I never knew there was such a thing. Lol

[@melanielinkous8746]

Sheep cheese is one of my favorites! Thinking of sheep here in central Florida.

[@TheDiligentSoul]

Sheep are my dream animal... Gonna get a fence in hopefully very soon, with the goal of adding sheep...

[@TheWonderwy]

Wow this is so serendipitous! I was just starting research on milk sheep. Thanks!

[@merileacain1826]

There is a great new book out called the guide to homestead dairy sheep by Rachel Hester. She and her husband Kyle run Whoopsy Daisy farm. This book is a great resource of information on sheep facts, sheep milk, feeding and parasite control. I run a small sheep dairy in central FL. It can be done.

[@davidthegood]

Thank you!

[@LucieSalat]

I have often thought of keeping dairy sheep! I'm in Western Australia. It would be great to make fresh cheese.

[@Ridley369]

Nothing but RESPECT to him!!! Two bold quotes, which I *highly* resonate with, and were glad to hear someone else say: "I hate goat milk", and "I don't like the way goats look, I like the way sheep look". With so many being goat-obsessed, and confounded when you tell them you're looking into, or already raising sheep, it's refreshing to hear this kind of thing! Much agreed.

[@BearsEatBeetz]

The goats milk Ive had taste exactly like cows milk.

[@OriginalPiece17]

@@BearsEatBeetzI milked Nigerian dwarves for over a year and the milk was delicious. It’s how you handle it.

[@Adnancorner]

How is it "bold" ? Its lunacy to choose an animal based on look. And nobody is goat obsessed. it what they prefer to raise. you want grazers or browsers ? that's the difference.

[@monkeyfoodgarden]

I had never thought about sheep for milk. Well definitely have to look into it more. Wishing y'all a blessed day.

[@davidthegood]

Thank you.

[@alysoffoxdale]

Why sheep's milk? Well, I admit my very first two thoughts were "Manchego" and "P'tit Basque", so I was happy to hear at the end that he has a cheese cave!

[@user-ic2ug8ys1z]

Very good interview DTG, thank you. 😃🌱🐢

[@angelbear_og]

Nice idea! I don't have space for a cow (and not looking for a 1k+ lb animal to deal with!), but I love cow's milk. I've wanted to get some nigerian dwarf goats, but these sound even better! (Or maybe a little of both? Options!) Keep us updated, especially how to FIND livestock like this. God bless!

[@silvering14]

I have NDs and they are soooooo much easier to handle than my woolsheep. I suspect some people are genetically more sensitive than others to "goatiness" - my family says our goat milk is sweeter than store bought cow milk and that's the only difference we can taste!

[@b_uppy]

Sheep are easier to keep contained. Goats are escape artists.

[@TheRockInnRobin]

I wondered of Tunis Fresian crosses existed. That’s amazing.

[@t3dwards13]

Awesome!!! Funny enough, I was just looking up books on cheese making, animal husbandry and butchering!

[@sfc334]

Got transferred to Germany in 1985. Shortly after arriving, I had goat milk twice--the first time, and, the LAAAAST time!

[@WilliamMiller-nr5gb]

I was there just after you were. Mtly father was there as well.. just after Korea. ALL of the food was much better in Europe than that here in the US... and reminded me of the farms and markets of my young childhood. I've found "European Markets" near us now, thankfully. But still miss the pastry trucks coming down our street, the downtown farmers' markets of Saturdays, the grass fed meats... that you didn't have to hunt for delicious foods that weren't jammed full of artificial everythings! We're going back soon for our first return visit! Will be showing our son where he was born. 😊👍

[@beautifulfoodgardeningchan4330]

Goats milk is way to twangy for my taste

[@Adnancorner]

It depends if the male goat is kept within the range of milking females you will have that smell. If you get rid of them after breeding than there is no smell.

[@teripittman]

I went to a sheep dairy in WA state. They had Freisans.

[@debp9483]

Thanks for the info. Our new homestead is actually probsbly better suited for grazing sheep than browsing for goats, and ive wondered about making the switch. Good to know the wool sheep did fine in the heat. Im in texas and it does get hot

[@danielmusick211]

Feta cheese is made with sheep's milk, and that stuff is great on a taco or salad!

[@babetteisinthegarden6920]

Thanks for all that info David

[@sarahktm]

Wonderful! I have been putting off getting wool/milk sheep for the exact reason of parasite problems. Friesians do well in the PNW too and I hope to develop a flock in that same way.

[@Carolynfoodforest355]

Great video, I shared in some FB groups.

[@1millionpumpkins542]

Awesome video, thank you DtG! We've been wanting to produce our own dairy, but adding goats or a cow hasn't been in the budget. Our Katahdin, Mrs Robinson, is tame enough to try lambsharing some milk this coming spring. I think if her head is in a grain bucket, she won't mind.

[@dantheman9135]

ThankQ

[@smartartification]

Loved this!

[@derekmartin2817]

Old rules of thumb at least with meat animals you can run 1 sheep or goat with 1 cow. They target different plants and will graze much closer to the other species manure than their own. Goats being 80% browsers cows 80% grazers and sheep being roughly 60/40 graze to browse.

[@Adnancorner]

Sheep do not browse... + rams can actually kill a cow with head butting. I saw with my own eyes a large mother cow dying after being head butted by the ram in the sheep herd.

[@lincwayne3435]

Thank you Mr Good! Just in the last couple of days we've been talking about getting sheeples 🤠

[@blessildajoy]

Sheep is the direction we have chosen. I was hoping to start this year but it might not be till 2025.

[@92bagder]

Great for backyard homesteaders. Not a lot can have enough land for a couple of cows.

[@HealthyDisrespectforAuthority]

Thank you.. I had a vague memory that one species in the barnyard was like that.

[@caterjunes3426]

Fascinating!

[@FulbrightFarmstead]

I've had milk cows for many years, we had goats, and now we've added dairy sheep! I love my cows. I wasn't a fan of the goats, the kids are fun and silly but I wasn't a fan of the goat's milk and how needy they were. I should start lambing any day so I'm excited for our new venture with sheep!

[@StarTexaspets]

I need ya to read some audiobooks. Voice is crispy lol

[@stephenluna7932]

Very cool I didn’t even know that was a thing

[@TSis76]

Goats are awesome. My does' milk is delicious and nutitious, but this is timely as I have been trying to learn more about dairy sheep wondering if they are less hard on fencing, trees, etc.

[@b_uppy]

Sheep are much easier to contain/retain, lol, but you need a guard goat, llama, donkey or the like.

[@andrewsackville-west1609]

Timely. Ive been reading up on goats, looking ahead to when we are in a position to start having livestock. What i wanted was a three-purpose goat: dairy, meet and fiber. But, maybe sheep are the way to go!

[@stampznightaway]

I have laMancha goats and St. Croix sheep… love them both and their milk!

[@ascendant95]

Would you say that the St. Croix is a good breed for milk? I would love to have a couple or 3 sheeps to milk to make sheep's milk ricotta and pecorino! How much milk would you say you get per day per animal? Are they difficult to milk? Thanks! :)

[@stampznightaway]

They don’t love jumping up on the stanchions, but if you had a stanchion on the ground, they are motivated by snacks(I give them alfalfa pellets, sprouted grain and Modesto milling no soy dairy pellets while milking). One of my ewes is very well-trained and stands beautifully. The other two I started later and they’re not so compliant. The milk is delicious and I’d say I get over a quart separating the lambs the night before.

[@meredithr9824]

Pretty animals!

[@Green.Country.Agroforestry]

I have been fortunate to have never had bad goat's milk .. all of ours (that were milked) were Nubian, Saanen or Toggenburg. I can imagine what the milk from some of the smaller breeds would be like, though .. ggh.

[@b_uppy]

Goats are like deer, the taste is dependent on their feed, rather than their breed. More browse instead of forbs or grasses makes a difference. How the milk is handled is part of the factor, as well. Air can affect "tanginess." Milking into cheesecloth covered cans can help.

[@mealbla7097]

I litterly just had this question

[@barbaralong8665]

The sheep milk yogurt is wonderful ❤

[@JS-mh1fh]

And so is the cheese! If you've an international store not far from you, then you'll find that France, Bulgaria, Italy, and also some from middle eastern countries may supply the store with various options from feta to houmi.

[@hilarylonsdale608]

So is sheep milk ice-cream

[@quailjailss]

Drogo!! Your friend is a game of thrones fan. Heck yeah!

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

I've had fresh goat and cows milk but have never tried sheep milk. It's probably very close to goats milk.

[@HealthyDisrespectforAuthority]

Is sheep milk the one that comes naturally homogenized.. no cream on top?

[@TSis76]

Goats milk is like that.

[@gelwood99]

Sheep and cows together is called a flerd. An old saying is that goats need fencing that will hold water while sheep can easily be contained with 2 strands of hot wire.

[@lagoya]

It’s true that some goats simply WILL NOT be contained… but my nubian girls won’t even hop over a hog panel.

[@SovereignSymphony]

Maybe check out 123homefree's KZbin channel. He's a local nomad in Oregon who has dairy sheep, for a sustainable food source, as he travels in his tiny shepherd's wagon. He's made all sorts of stuff, including a felted wool evaporative cooler / cheese cave. Also, try using a soil test kit on whatever land your sheep graze on, to see what minerals they moght need supplements of. Pat Coleby's Natural Sheep Care book talks about these minerals. (Also learned this from 123homefree's channel)

[@oliveeisner8964]

Does anyone know if sheep's milk could be used to feed newborn (human!) babies, similar to how goat's milk is used as a mother's milk replacement? I fed my baby daughter goat's milk when I had to go to work and couldn't breastfeed her anymore. I had read that it is closer to human milk and nutritionally better than cow's milk or (heaven forbid) commerce formula. She thrived on it. I'm curious about this whole sheep's milk thing. EDIT: Never mind! Someone in comments already addressed the issue of feeding babies sheep's milk! It's a go. ❤

[@BlessingsfromNorthIdaho]

Do sheep give cream that you could make butter?

[@davidthegood]

He knows more than I do - please go ask him on his channel. I'm just a gardener.

[@JS-mh1fh]

From the milk I've purchased, when I can find it, the cream does not separate from the milk. If it does, it's very little and not enough to make butter. Also, I learned from the Amish that they will freeze their sheep's milk so that they have some in winter.

[@BlessingsfromNorthIdaho]

@@davidthegood there is no such thing as “just a gardener.” 😎

[@David-kd5mf]

Wooly sheep in the heat !? Wow would never have thought that they tolerate extreme heat. Good to know.

[@davidthegood]

Apparently the wool is good for heat and cold. I find it surprising as well!

[@Silviotheoblate]

I’ve heard that sheep only produce milk for a small portion of the year. How much of the year is he able to get milk production? I would love to go the dairy sheep route, but they don’t seem to produce long enough to be a stand alone dairy source.

[@b_uppy]

You only want to harvest /drink milk during its "natural season." Cattle are milked long after their natural season. Milking during the off season causes harmful compounds in the milk in cattle...

[@ascendant95]

@@b_uppy When is the "natural season" for cows?

[@b_uppy]

@@ascendant95 Normal lactation is 6 months or so. By then normal quality of grass changes from high mineral to high protein. Believe after 9 months the cows produce inflammatory stress products in milk at a much higher rate. Tried to find original article but so far only found articles on how to extend lactation periods.

[@b_uppy]

@@ascendant95 Believe the worst chemical to be found in cattle during extended lactation is cortisol.

[@thehazelnutspread]

doesn't the milk flavor depend on what the goat eats?

[@martinstube45]

it looks a bit dry there , are sucking stones ? to survive

[@davidthegood]

Huddled in circles, praying for rain, bleating at the iron skies above.

[@tradermunky1998]

Haha, I don't like goat milk, but do like sheep milk. He's right, devil animals 😂

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

I've been considering sheep. BTW I'm only seeing 4 videos on his page, and none sheep.

[@davidthegood]

None yet. He is recording more.

[@petekooshian5595]

I really want dairy, but I doubt I'll have the space for a cow or consume enough to justify a cow tbh. Maybe I need sheep (although I don't mind goat milk)

[@utubeCENSORSaregai]

Thanks for letting us know that keeping sheep isnt all baaa aaaa aaad ✌🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🙏🏻😂

[@Adnancorner]

Why is he holding an old man stick ? My grandpa had that when he was older.

[@davidthegood]

He catches sheep with it.

[@gershhayes796]

Wool sheep, yikes,,to much work.

[@ascendant95]

Sheep milk ricotta and pecorino romano!!!

[@jakebarnes3054]

I want raw sheep milk. I need that 10% fat content.

[@koicaine1230]

That Cow does not like that Sheep 😂

[@davidthegood]

They are hilarious to watch. My cows do that to eachother.

[@chanteaparian9346]

Lol, I also avoid things that remind me of the devil.

[@venidamcdaniel1913]

He’s mean to his animals. I understand having them move but he seems to enjoy hitting them 😡😡😡

[@davidthegood]

Seriously? Get out of here. They butt each other FOR FUN. Have you kept cows, goats or sheep? It's not hurting them.

[@venidamcdaniel1913]

@@davidthegood ok

[@davidthegood]

I used to have a goat who would try to spar with anyone coming in. I had to warn my friends. He loved fighting.

[@venidamcdaniel1913]

@@davidthegood lol

[@ceeemm1901]

Not your mother, not your milk. Ever heard of biology?

[@CBiscuit420]

You fittin to cry?

[@ceeemm1901]

@@CBiscuit420 You run outta banjo strings, Zeke?

[@CBiscuit420]

@@ceeemm1901 wish I could play banjo.

[@ceeemm1901]

@@CBiscuit420 What's the best sound you can get out of a banjo?- The sound it makes when it lands in the dumpster...

[@CBiscuit420]

@@ceeemm1901 harsh. Clifton Hicks plays a mean banjo.