A NUMBER of Welsh farmers are looking into the feasibility of milking sheep in order to plug a gap in the market.

With 10 farms in Wales milking sheep this year, the sector is understandably attracting more interest from farmers seeking to future proof their family businesses, and those further along in the food supply chain looking to capitalise on the growing demand for sheep milk products.

Nutritionally, ewes’ milk contains healthier fats, higher calcium, protein, energy, iron, and vitamins than cows’ milk. Sheep milk is predominantly A2, which means it contains far less of the A1 beta-casein protein that is known to cause digestive discomfort.

A group of farm businesses who initially got together through Farming Connect’s Agrisgôp facilitation support in 2017, teamed up with award-winning and internationally respected artisan cheesemaker Dr Carrie Rimes from Bethesda, north Wales, to secure EIP Wales support and funding in 2019.

“As a supplier of ewes’ milk for Dr Carrie Rimes’ ‘Cosyn Cymru’ cheese-making business in Bethesda,” explained lead member and farmer Alan Jones of Chwilog near Pwllheli, “I felt there were large gaps in my understanding and the information available for me or any other farmer in my position, on what affects the quality of ewes’ milk when it comes to making cheese. Much research on dairy ewe milk production has been confined to European regions other than the UK.”

The group benefitted from an extensive literature review conducted by Farming Connect’s ‘Knowledge Exchange Hub’ that allowed them to shape the project to make best use of the funding.

“With guidance from Dr Yoav Alony-Gilboa of Friars Moor Vets in Dorset, the specialist involved in the project, we have implemented new protocols to bring our SCC score down to improve our flock performance,” explained Alan.

“This included extreme actions such as removing high-scoring ewes from the milking flock, and more operational adaptations such as better methods for teat wiping and improving knowledge of how to monitor and maintain good udder health. I am in regular contact with most dairy sheep farmers in Wales, and we’re regularly comparing our husbandry with bovine dairy – we are literally at the start of the journey with sheep-dairying in Wales, and the scope for improvements are going to be seismic.”

The group have just concluded, and will soon be publishing their findings, including how the Lleyn breed offers scope for an extensive milk and meat sheep system for Welsh farmers.