Sheep milking in Canterbury

Another change on the Canterbury Plains is on the horizon. It is white and or black, with some shades of brown, has four legs, provides us with a white liquid fit for human consumption but it goes baa instead of moo! Sheep milking is starting to make headway with a handful of farmers milking small flocks of sheep to provide consumers with highly nutritional milk products such as cheese, yoghurt, fresh milk and gelato. Sarah O’Connell is taking a closer look at the opportunities and challenges of the sheep milking industry.

Milking sheep is a relatively new industry in New Zealand although sheep have been milked worldwide for thousands of years, being especially popular in Europe and Middle Eastern countries. New Zealand has two large sheep milking operations, Maui Milk and Spring Sheep Milk, both operating out of the central North Island producing milk powder for the export market. There are now many smaller operations making their mark from the original Kingsmeade Dairy, who got started way back in 1998 making cheeses, to Charing Cross Sheep Dairy processing their own gelato, yoghurt and cheese and selling it at the new Christchurch Riverside Market through to Fernglen Farm producing a flavoured milk marketed towards the sports and health conscious as a nutritional recovery drink. Yum! You can even get sheep milk soap from local Lonsdale Sheep Dairy.

The milk from sheep has a different nutritional makeup to that of cows. As a starter, sheep only produce A2 milk whereas cows can produce A1 or A2. The milk is naturally homogenized, meaning smaller fat globules that make for creamier milk that is easier to digest. Sheep will produce 1-2 litres per day, although this will increase in time with the improvement in genetics and age of the ewes. Sheep tend to have a 150-200 day lactation whereas dairy cows will lactate for up to 300 days - so a shorter and lesser quantity although a different quality.

The table below shows the nutritional composition of sheep milk compared to that of cows and goats.

Milking sheep breeds differ from those you normally see wandering the paddocks and hills of our sheep and beef farms. East Friesian, a name many of you are probably familiar with, are a commonly used breed here in New Zealand for milking. A lot of work has gone on to introduce some of the more specific milking breeds such as Lacaune, Awassi and Assaf to crossbreed with and to continue breeding lines of in New Zealand conditions.

Sheep milking has different challenges to that of dairy cows, but it also has some great benefits, mainly the reduced environmental impact due to the smaller size of the animals. Sheep milk farmers still most certainly have nutrient loss challenges to work with, although the nutrients excreted from the animals are generally lower than that of a dairy cow operation. This is where sheep milking on the Canterbury Plains has the potential to be a excellent option for farmers looking to reduce their environmental impact while still producing high quality food products for our consumers.

One of the biggest challenges facing the industry at present is the processing capacity. Currently, in the South Island, there is no facility to process large quantities of sheep milk into further value-added products; this is something that is stopping many people getting into the industry. On the flip side of that, there is no processing company willing to set up shop as there are not the numbers of sheep being milked yet to warrant building a dedicated facility.

The recent formation of the Canterbury Dairy Sheep Association (CDSA) will help to guide and inform people who are interested in the industry and what they need to do and consider when taking a long hard look at the prospects. The CDSA includes a number of the local producers in the Canterbury area who have their own flocks and are filling different markets with their products. They are happy to share their experiences and knowledge to those looking to embark on a new venture that may be a little different to the ‘norm’.

So what does sheep milk taste like? As a country, our taste buds are very much aligned with the cattle taste of milk and milk-based products. Many of us have had an experience with goats milk that you may or may not want to re-visit. Sheep milk does taste different to cows milk, it doesn’t taste sheepie in the way that goats milk can taste goatie. It has a silky smooth subtle flavour that is kind on your stomach, it makes a great cheese and, from what I have heard, a delicious gelato.

The success of Charing Cross Sheep dairy locally has been great, starting out at the Riccarton Market, braving the cold and the unsure but inquisitive customers, to being offered the slot of Cheesemonger at The Riverside Market shows us what dogged determination, belief and passion can do for an industry. There is opportunity for growth in this industry and like a good cheese, good things take time.

If you want to find out more please contact: Sarah O’Connell

Sarah is the facilitator of the RMPP Action Group, Canterbury Sheep Production, where the group is looking at improving sheep milking in Canterbury from a farming perspective. Sarah also sits on the newly established Canterbury Dairy Sheep Association.