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Why arent we all milking sheep????

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Very common in Slovakia and eastern Europe.
    They make a soft cheese from it called bryndza.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭roosky


    I assume the big issue is getting a stable market for it


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,105 ✭✭✭selectamatic


    maxresdefault.jpg
    "They're milking rats"

    Sorry op this is all I could think of when I seen the title :P

    As said above it's popular in other countries but unless a solid export market could be established it won't really ever be a runner here in Ireland especially since production costs are probably less in other countries where said product is popular.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭roosky


    maxresdefault.jpg
    "They're milking rats"

    Sorry op this is all I could think of when I seen the title :P

    As said above it's popular in other countries but unless a solid export market could be established it won't really ever be a runner here in Ireland especially since production costs are probably less in other countries where said product is popular.

    "You offered me dog or higher" Mayor Quimby !!!

    Well if we have the lowest production costs for cows milk I assume we would be competitive for sheep and we could push out the grazing season


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,297 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    Forgive my ignorance, but if you are milking the ewe, what feeds the lamb?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    Forgive my ignorance, but if you are milking the ewe, what feeds the lamb?

    From reading that article the land are taken from ewes at 4 days and reared as pets basically, not sure if it was replacer they were fed or not any then killed at 16 weeks I think...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    Fair play to the guy. Thinking outside the box and hopefully doing well out of it. Feeling tired even at the idea of spending 6 hours a day milking and the idea of all those pet lambs. Sounds labour intensive, but deserves to be well rewarded for the effort he seems to be putting in.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭roosky


    Fair play to the guy. Thinking outside the box and hopefully doing well out of it. Feeling tired even at the idea of spending 6 hours a day milking and the idea of all those pet lambs. Sounds labour intensive, but deserves to be well rewarded for the effort he seems to be putting in.


    Farm is set up for donkeys years supplying cashel blue cheese or some of the local cheese manufacturers........im just wondering if it looks so good on the surface why did the last lad leave it


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    roosky wrote: »
    Farm is set up for donkeys years supplying cashel blue cheese or some of the local cheese manufacturers........im just wondering if it looks so good on the surface why did the last lad leave it

    Crosse is a smart lad, if the figures didn't stack up he wouldn't of gone for it


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    But the lambs off those ewes would be the same as holsteins. Hard to finish. Seen them before


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    But the lambs off those ewes would be the same as holsteins. Hard to finish. Seen them before

    Never came across those breeds of ewes in the flesh. How come they aren't more popular as a maternal breed of ewe, as you'd imagine you'd have savage lamb growth rates if you put a texel etc on them ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,299 ✭✭✭orm0nd


    There's a fellow over in Clare milking Friesland sheep for years, was probarbly 1 of the first to start sheep cheese production in Ireland

    http://www.cratloehillscheese.com/index.html


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭roosky


    Never came across those breeds of ewes in the flesh. How come they aren't more popular as a maternal breed of ewe, as you'd imagine you'd have savage lamb growth rates if you put a texel etc on them ?

    Ounce of breeding or tonne of feeding????


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,401 ✭✭✭arctictree


    Just like anything, he's probably making money because no one else is doing it. If we all started it, the price would collapse!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    orm0nd wrote: »
    There's a fellow over in Clare milking Friesland sheep for years, was probarbly 1 of the first to start sheep cheese production in Ireland

    http://www.cratloehillscheese.com/index.html

    Anyone ever tried the cheese ? sounds like theyve carved out a niche for themselves .


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    I've eaten sheep's cheese from Slovakia. Really nice.
    My in-laws make their own, along with goats cheese.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Never came across those breeds of ewes in the flesh. How come they aren't more popular as a maternal breed of ewe, as you'd imagine you'd have savage lamb growth rates if you put a texel etc on them ?
    I don't think the meat is as nice either. A friend got them as pets and fattened them. They had to give all the meat to the dogs


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,175 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    Had a pint in the local village yesterday evening and the idea of milking sheep somehow came to mind.

    We've nearly finished lambing and the thoughts of small returns for the time/effort put in probably had me in an "out of the box" state of mind.

    I searched for info on boards.ie here and came across this thread from July, 2016.

    Has anyone ever seriously looked into switching to dairy from meat/lamb production? Is a steady market for sheep's cheese, yogurt, etc. still the biggest obstacle?

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,269 ✭✭✭Cran


    Had a pint in the local village yesterday evening and the idea of milking sheep somehow came to mind.

    We've nearly finished lambing and the thoughts of small returns for the time/effort put in probably had me in an "out of the box" state of mind.

    I searched for info on boards.ie here and came across this thread from July, 2016.

    Has anyone ever seriously looked into switching to dairy from meat/lamb production? Is a steady market for sheep's cheese, yogurt, etc. still the biggest obstacle?

    Flock down the road from me milking sheep making cheese, selling it looks as much work as the sheep work tbh. The cheese is fab though

    I actually milked ewes in Pyrenees about 7 years ago. Had a house rented and was sheep cheese country and dairy beside us. I popped in one evening & in pigeon French asked if could try, after about 10 minutes fella turned around to me in perfect English ‘it is not your first time working with sheep’😂 their ewes looked more like mules than milk sheep see here


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,175 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    Thanks for that.

    I wouldn’t be great at the selling side of things. Just trying to figure out how to add some value to sheep without having to get to 300 or 400. Upper limit here at the moment would be 100-ish before having to invest seriously in housing

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Thanks for that.

    I wouldn’t be great at the selling side of things. Just trying to figure out how to add some value to sheep without having to get to 300 or 400. Upper limit here at the moment would be 100-ish before having to invest seriously in housing

    There's friends of mine in Mayo that are milking sheep with a while making yogurt and cheese. They might be worth a visit for a chat, they're very approachable.

    http://www.velvetcloud.ie/

    The worst thing about it is you will have to process, market and sell it yourself.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    There's friends of mine in Mayo that are milking sheep with a while making yogurt and cheese. They might be worth a visit for a chat, they're very approachable.

    http://www.velvetcloud.ie/

    The worst thing about it is you will have to process, market and sell it yourself.

    Very nice man alright. Would be in our discussion groups


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    You’d have to take your hat off to people that start from scratch and create a business from it, marketing their own product and all the work that goes with it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,155 ✭✭✭Dinzee Conlee


    Thanks for that.

    I wouldn’t be great at the selling side of things. Just trying to figure out how to add some value to sheep without having to get to 300 or 400. Upper limit here at the moment would be 100-ish before having to invest seriously in housing

    I think you’re not the only one that’s trying to figure that one out Siamsa... :(


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,175 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions



    There's friends of mine in Mayo that are milking sheep with a while making yogurt and cheese. They might be worth a visit for a chat, they're very approachable.

    http://www.velvetcloud.ie/

    The worst thing about it is you will have to process, market and sell it yourself.

    Thanks for the link. I’ll do some more homework on it and make a few phone calls anyway.

    I’m assuming there’s no co-ops like with cows and everyone milking sheep is a stand-alone operator, processing and selling the cheese/yogurt themselves under their own brand.

    Hats off to them as Green Farmer said for creating something out of thin air. Must be some work involved getting out there and trying to sell your product in what’s a very busy market these days

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 Rocketman 23


    Thanks for the link. I’ll do some more homework on it and make a few phone calls anyway.

    I’m assuming there’s no co-ops like with cows and everyone milking sheep is a stand-alone operator, processing and selling the cheese/yogurt themselves under their own brand.

    Hats off to them as Green Farmer said for creating something out of thin air. Must be some work involved getting out there and trying to sell your product in what’s a very busy market these days

    Hi Siamsa,
    I'm just wondering did you ever go any further with milking sheep?
    Many thanks.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,175 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    Hi Siamsa,
    I'm just wondering did you ever go any further with milking sheep?
    Many thanks.

    It’s a while ago now but as far as I remember, it was having to process and market the sheep’s milk/cheese/yoghurt that put me off. I just don’t have the time and I’m interested but not *that* interested.

    I tried to sell/market lamb directly last year but discovered there’s too much marketing and logistics involved. Grand if you’re into that, but I just want a simple outdoor life!

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,431 ✭✭✭✭wrangler


    It’s a while ago now but as far as I remember, it was having to process and market the sheep’s milk/cheese/yoghurt that put me off. I just don’t have the time and I’m interested but not *that* interested.

    I tried to sell/market lamb directly last year but discovered there’s too much marketing and logistics involved. Grand if you’re into that, but I just want a simple outdoor life!

    I've often said here that selling boxed lamb isn't easy, there was a Organic farmer on IFJ last year claiming to have sold all his lamb privately,
    Well I know he doesn't, ICM use our lorries and depots for organics and plenty of them go that way...... even this week
    Why guys mislead others I don't know


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,015 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    Not nice to mislead like that.
    I also thing with shearing sheep, you have to shear a few times a year as clik isn’t licensed for ewes producting milk for humans.
    I’d say anyone doing it has their work cut out and everything is well earned


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 Rocketman 23


    It's a shame there isn't co-ops for it thanks for the information folks food for thought


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 122 ✭✭sandman30


    wrangler wrote: »
    I've often said here that selling boxed lamb isn't easy, there was a Organic farmer on IFJ last year claiming to have sold all his lamb privately,
    Well I know he doesn't, ICM use our lorries and depots for organics and plenty of them go that way...... even this week
    Why guys mislead others I don't know

    Could ICM have been processing the lambs for him, which he then collected and sold privately himself?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,431 ✭✭✭✭wrangler


    sandman30 wrote: »
    Could ICM have been processing the lambs for him, which he then collected and sold privately himself?

    He uses a local butcher, but could be as he exports boxes as well


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