feedback on... MILK SHEEP: 'IS THATTA EWE, MAMMA?'

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The following article is reprinted by permission from Thomas Paine Ditto Works. Copyright 1974 by The House Organ.

In a recent issue, THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS ® appealed to readers for information on milk sheep (See the comment with Montie R. Davidson's letter in Issue No. 26, page 114.—MOTHER.). Answering that appeal both gives me a chance to play "know-it-all" and to tell you that Anastasia, our canny old Suffolk ewe, has—once again— saved herself from a mutton chop finale . . . this time by feigning pregnancy until she'd captivated the hearts of her new patrons, T. and J.

We can only smile at Anastasia's success since she taught us almost all we know about sheep. Bruce Lansdale-of the American Farm School in Salonica, Greece-taught us the rest. Around the Mediterranean, sheep's milk is more highly prized than the cow's product and is the fourth crop (after wool, mutton and lambs) of this docile ruminant.

I don't know which breeds of the animal make the best milkers although—around the Mediterranean basin—Barbary sheep are held in high esteem. When selecting a type you probably should consider your location (environment, altitude and latitude), the breed's sheeping ratio and its mothering qualities. We tend to think that sheep with a proven tendency to raise their lambs should be given the edge in the selection process. Livestock books can tell you which domesticated breeds in this country make the best mothers.

Any sheep can be a milk sheep provided that it's female, has recently had a baby and has been trained to supply milk at the convenience of a human rather than at the demand of the yeanling. As with other mammals, a great deal depends on getting the ewe to "let down" her milk. She may be a good producer . . . but the skill of her owner is what relaxes her and gets the white nectar into the pail. This requires [1] authoritative handling and [2] a stanchion at which the sheep learns to feed while being milked.

THE STANCHION

Since sheep are sometimes temperamental, you should train your ewes to feed at the stanchion even before they lamb . . . so that they'll get used to the device. And remember that the critters always seek out the highest ground for rest and sleep. If you place the "milking parlor" on a rise, your sheep will trot right home to it at the end of the day. And never use the milking stanchion to immobilize the ewes when you shear them or pare their hoofs. Such carelessness can make your sheep associate the stand with unpleasantness, and they'll refuse to let down their milk when near it.

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