Sheep milk

Lacaune dairy sheep in rotary parlour, Aveyron, France.

Sheep's milk (or ewes' milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products.

Sheep breeds

A minority of sheep breeds are primarily kept for dairy purposes, but these few have been selectively bred for milk production and thus produce a higher volume than most other sheep. The most prolific dairy sheep breeds include the Lacaune, the East Friesian, the Sardinian and the Awassi.

Milk production period

Female sheep (ewes) do not produce milk constantly. Rather, they produce milk during the 80-100 days after the weaning of lambs.

Products made from sheep milk

Sheep milk cheeses include the feta of Greece, the Roquefort of France, the Manchego of Spain; the Serra da Estrela from Portugal; the Pecorino Romano (the Italian word for sheep is pecora), the Pecorino Sardo, and the ricotta of Italy; and the Ġbejna of Malta; and the Gomolya of Hungary. Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheep's milk. Though sheep produce a far smaller volume of milk than cows do, it is richer in fat, solids, and minerals. This makes it ideal for making cheese.

Nutrition by comparison

Milk composition analysis, per 100 grams:

Mechanical sheep milker, South Island, NZ.

Constituents	unit	Cow	Goat	Water Buffalo	Sheep
Water	g	87.8	88.9	81.1	83.0
Protein	g	3.2	3.1	4.5	5.4
Fat	g	3.9	3.5	8.0	6.0
Carbohydrate	g	4.8	4.4	4.9	5.1
Energy	kcal	66	60	110	95
	kJ	275	253	463	396
Sugars (Lactose)	g	4.8	4.4	5.1	4.9
Saturated	g	2.4	2.3	4.2	3.8
Mono-unsaturated	g	1.1	0.8	1.7	1.5
Polyunsaturated	g	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.3
Cholesterol	mg	14	10	8	11
Calcium	IU	120	100	195	170
Fatty Acids:

See also

• Goat milk
• Moose milk
• Donkey milk
• List of dairy products
• List of sheep milk cheeses

External links

• Sheep dairying at sheep101.com
• Sheep dairying documentary by Cooking Up A Story