4 things to know about milking sheep
The milking season for sheep is short, usually August to April and the yield isn’t huge. A short milking season can work well for people who do not want to be tied to the milking station all year but still want to enjoy having a milking animal.
When you’re not making cheese, the work doesn’t stop. There is still lambing and shearing and all the other chores involved with having sheep.
The milk can be successfully frozen and defrosted to make great cheese, used in cooking or soap making, or in fact anything that requires milk.
Select your milking animals carefully. A friend was devastated to find many of her milking goats had CAE (a highly contagious, non-treatable viral disease) and she had to remove them from her property. Different diseases are an issue for different livestock so check before you begin, and ask for tests where possible.
If you are thinking of getting any animal for milking, make a list of what you want and what you can provide and get advice from someone with experience. Think about your specific conditions too, including your family, your land, your lifestyle, and infrastructure, such as fencing.