Beyond Yaks (I): Dairy Sheep & Sheep Milk
An healthy alternative of cow milk at high elevation
When we’re not helping Leon train his yaks, we are busy working on our own small hobby ranch located not far away from his. In this three-part article, we are sharing about what livestock we have and how they enrich our day-to-day lives — in the field and on the table.
Any small dairy animal on this ranch must be suitable for our rotational grazing plan in order to survive while being productive. We tried goats, but they quickly proved too hard to manage, as we couldn’t use electric fences and had many problems keeping them inside the grazing area.
In 2023, we stumbled upon a great book written by Rachel Hester and decided to give dairy sheep a try. As it turns out, it’s a perfect animal for us in many ways: cold-hardy, multi-purpose (milk, fiber, and meat), and so tame that even kids can milk them with their bare hands!
Last year, we actually were able to collect enough milk for our family of four and produce butter / cream, yogurt, and even leave the whey from yogurt to ferment grains for our chickens with just three sheep in milk!
According to Rachel’s book, sheep milk actually is way more nutritious than cow’s milk. Beyond that, our daughter also built strong bond with the sheep by performing the daily routine of milking them by hand.
By witnessing and participating the process of turning grass into milk, it deepens our appreciation for the land, mother nature, and of course our cute sheep!