Icelandic Sheep for Milking
Thinking of milking Icelandic sheep? Certainly it can be done but is this breed a true dairy sheep? In my opinion, the answer is no. In North America, they are used for personal milk production by many shepherds for yogurt and soap. Some farms are making gourmet artisan cheeses. In North America, we have had some successful Icelandic only sheep dairies, but I am not aware of any commercial Icelandic dairies operating currently.
The Icelandic ewes do produce a good quantity of milk, easily supporting twins without assistance. For personal use, it is possible to allow lambs to continue to nurse while milking once per day, without sacrificing lamb growth.
Reprinted from the ISBONA website:
Research from Iceland
The milk production of the ewes depends on many factors, the most important being the quantity and the
quality of forage intake. Also the grazing ewes generally have a higher maintenance requirement than ewes
fed indoors, especially under northern conditions, because of the greater variation in the environmental
temperature, exposure to wind and rain and because of their greater mobility. (Icelandic ewes have to walk
great distances to harvest the sparse forage in Iceland.)
The Icelandic ewes are noted for good milking ability and longevity. A very limited amount of information is,
however, available on the milk production of the Icelandic ewe during grazing. Limited studies covering a 3
year period have been done in zero grazing experiments with ewes fed on grass from a cultivated mire,
fertilized with different rates of nitrogen and or calcium. In the 2-year study, ewes that started with a production
of 2700 grams at 10 days into lactation, decreased production by 11 to 15 grams for each day of the lactation
period, which was 1500 at day 90. The difference in the quantity of milk produced in different years was great
and has not been explained. The quantity difference is even greater than that found between ewes with singles
and twins in earlier experiments when fed indoors on hay and concentrates for approximately two weeks after
parturition.
Limited studies are also available on the chemical composition of the milk of the grazing ewe in Iceland. The
average chemical composition in very limited samples from the zero grazing experiments is:
29 July - protein 5.56%; fat 4.26%; lactose 5.22%
12 August - protein 4.99%; fat 4.95%; lactose 4.95%
3 September - protein 6.21%; fat 6.20%; lactose 4.88%
A few samples have been collected from ewes grazing on a dry mountain shrub land and on lowland mire.
There is not apparent difference in the samples except for the fat, which was relatively high in the mountain
sample: 8.5%
It can be speculated using experimental results from other countries, that during early lactation, the milk
production is relatively independent of the pasture condition, as the ewes can mobilize their body reserves for
energy and protein. This of course depends on the condition of the ewes at parturition. After 4 to 6 weeks of
lactation the ewes depend entirely on the available herbage for their milk production.
Homestead milk production
Whether you are interested in a full-fledged sheep dairy business, some milk for your own homestead cheese
making, or genetics that will produce lambs (crossbred or purebred) that will achieve fast growth on good
forage, consider Icelandic sheep. Icelandic sheep can turn grass into copious amounts of milk, lamb meat and
high value naturally colored wool.
Small Dairy Publication/Resources
CreamLine is a voice for small dairies. This is excellent information for the small dairy producer or
homesteader interested in producing their own dairy products at home. Subscriptions are $22/year. Send to
CreamLine, P.O. Box 186, Willis, VA 24380
http://www.metalab.unc.edu/creamery has a wonderful list of small dairy information and equipment sources.
