The Rural Voice, 2000-01, Page 251
Lambs are Tett on the ewes
to nurse for the first 30
days because he feels the
cost of raising lambs
artificially is too high with
too much work involved.
The drawback to
extending the nursing
period is ewes' udders
sometimes become
uneven from Iambs
nursing only on one side.
That is one of the
problems that remain to be
worked out, said Meister.
"We are learning as we
go"
Mastitis is also a
major concern.
Ewes familiar
with the less demanding
task of providing milk for
two or three Iambs, when
pushed for more
production, will often
develop the disease.
The milk itself is stored
frozen in 18 litre plastic
pails. The components of
sheep milk do not separate
after being frozen like
cows' milk. This also
makes it possible to
transport the milk on a
regular truck to a cheese
plant where it can be
thawed and processed.
Currently there are no
rules governing the
production of sheep milk
because the industry is so
new. Producers do not
have to be licensed but the
industry may eventually
fall under the same set of
federal guidelines
governing other farm
animals kept for milk.
Meister said he
welcomes that change
since the quality of milk
he has, purchased himself
for processing in the past
has not been consistent.
So far he has lost three
processors who attempted
to make and retail cheese
with poor quality milk. It
is something that has to be
. addressed if the industry is
to grow.
Currently the majority
of sheep cheese consumed
in Canada is imported —
45 million pounds. All
types of cheese can be
produced with the milk.
The cheese retails in a
broad price range, from
$16 per kilogram to $45
per kilogram. Meister sells
most of his for $28 per
kilogram as well as
marketing milk in the
form of yogurt through a
company he operates in
partnership with a
Tavistock area producer.
There are plants in
for cow and goat milk.
The end product is
consumed mostly by the
ethnic market: Italians.
Greeks. Portuguese.
Czecks and Romanians. It
has been a challenge for
Meister to Lind a cheese
maker with experience in
making cheeps' milk
cheese.
More and more farmers
appear willing to supply
the milk however. There is
a large number now
entering the business v ith
flocks of 50 to 100
Meister aallisee,
starting small
only 10-20 ewes.
London, Hamilton,
Toronto, Peterborough
and Ottawa producing
limited amounts of sheep
milk cheese. When he
began, Meister said he
called every dairy in
Ontario to see if there was
an interest in the product.
The response was very
limitedat first but more
dairies are beginning to
attempt processing.
Rules for processing
sheep milk are the same as
animals.
Some discussion has
taken place among
producers about handling
the milk in fluid form in
conventional bulk tanks.
However, in most
instances, the volume
would not warrant pick up
more than once per week
which would greatly
reduce the quality of the
milk, suggested Meister.
While the requirements
of caring for milking
sheep are not complex. the
biggest problem Meister
sees with producers is
"empty gut disease." in
other words, not
adequately feeding the
animals for higher milk
production.
Normally a ewe can
stay in the milk line for
five or six years. Since
they are seasonal breeders.
Meister dries his animals
up from November to
March and milks them
only once a day toward
the end of their lactation.
twice daily during the
peak production period.
In his current system.
he milks 85 ewes in three
hours, which he admits is
too long. Much of the time
is consumed in moving
the ewes to and from the
milking , platform.
emphasizing the need for
an efficient handling
system.
Ewes are fed a dairy
ration in the parlor. and
held in place with a self
locking, cascading head
gate. He explained that
ewes have a two-stage
milk letdown so they do
require extra stimulation
while being milked.
"The biggest problem
is people do things just
-because they look good."
said Meister for the
benefit of those who
might thinking of entering
the industry.
The economics of
milking sheep may attract
them on' paper but there is
a danger for people with
little or no experience
beginning with too many
animals. He believes
starting with IO or 20
ewes and getting familiar
• with them is preferable. If
a person discovers they
can't make a living at
milking sheep. it is better
to do so with a few rather
than a few hundred, added
Meister.0
JANUARY 2000 21