# Milk Goats vs. Milk Sheep



## yeshuaisiam (Jan 25, 2012)

We've been researching milk goats and milk sheep for a long time. Here's what we have come up with. Consider my pros and cons in quotes.

Goat Pros:
33% more milk from Goats
Goats are funnier & have a personality
Goats are more hardy
Goat milk more "drinkable" because it doesn't taste like heavy cream

Goat Cons: 
Most will require feed
Expert escape artists
Goat milk less fatty and will not curd as much cheese, make as much butter, or cream

Sheep Pros:
They have wool if you are into spinning
They won't require the same feed since they are grazers not browsers
Milk will make more cheese, butter, and cream because of more fat
Are docile and won't test the fences

Sheep Cons:
Milk less drinkable because it is so rich
Not much personality and often called "fuzzy rocks" LOL
33% less milk than goats


We may get both sheep and goats! But anyway, consider pros and cons in quotes and not absolute, as some things that may be a pro or a con to people could be reversed. (Some may like a fuzzy rock, some may like personality etc.) But I'm just trying to "get the facts" of what to expect from each type of animal. I don't know if my list is entirely complete. I've also read that male sheep don't make the milk taste funny in sheep's milk.... Don't know if that's true.

We do drink milk, make cheese, make butter, make sour cream, and my daughter spins fur (from angora rabbits right now) into yarn. We are looking into getting goats, sheep, or both.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Other things to consider...

Goats need copper and sheep cannot have it... 
Goat breeders usually set out free choice ...loose salts and minerals for them..it is either labeled for cattle or goats.... so... it is sometimes hard to keep both sheep with goats... unless you can find a place... that the goats can climb to get the minerals.... 

Sheep need shearing.....goats do not as they shed out.... :wink:


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

We have both. Yes goats can be little Houdini's and love to climb all over things. Sheep are like fuzzy rocks, but we do have a few that have personalities too. We keep our sheep in separate fields then the goats. If for some reason the goats get in with the sheep (we have never had that happen here) the sheep minerals will not hurt the goats, but if your sheep get into goat minerals they will be harmed. Just be sure to use Sheep minerals designed for sheep (no added copper) and if you have goats use minerals designed for Goats as they need the copper. 

If your looking at sheep for milk (in my opinion, others my vary) Polypay's are some of the best for milk production but Tunis's can be used as well but we have noticed that most Tunis breeders have bred the heavy milk production out with the "newer" style Tunis. Polypay's are easier to get your hands on then quality Tunis's.

Hope this little bit of information helps.


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## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

We have been trying to get our hands on some dairy sheep also. My partners family is italian and they LOVE their sheep milk ricotta. I hear that East Friesians are the BEST milkers out there, but I have had zero luck finding anyone breeding them. I have seen many people keeping goats and sheep, so why not do it and try both? As everyone said, just watch out for the copper!


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

East Friesians are good milkers but also hard to get your hands on. Our Tunis originally came from the foundation herd at Blackberry Farms, but they have changed over now to the East Friesians and Karakul. Polypays are the easiest to get around here, but that can vary state to state. My brother-in-laws wife's family is Italian and they love both the goat and sheep milk. It is really just up to you. Kind of like with goats if you have a chance try the milk of the animal before buying, even the same breed can have different tastes. We keep little dixie cups on hand so if a buyer wants to try momma's milk they can. We always offer fresh from udder to prove it was from that animal.

Good luck with your choice!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I've had sheep before...but prefer my goats. I like that the goats are a bit smarter and seem to have more personality. The shearing wasn't fun either and our climate was kind of hard on them...cause it can get so hot here. I never milked the sheep though.


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## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

I'm hoping to get dairy sheep in the near future... :laugh: Along with my dairy goats, and most likely a Jersey cow that will happen along sooner or later, I'm going to be swimming in milk! I guess I'm lucky; there are a lot of folks in WA who have dairy sheep, both Friesians, and Lacaune sheep, so I have a few more choices than most folks. 

I do like sheep. They have personalities just like any animal, but they tend to have it on a more shy level. I think they're fun, and being a spinner, I enjoy the wool. I guess you're either a sheep person, or ya' ain't. :wink:


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

My goat can kick your sheep's arse.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

yeshuaisiam said:


> We've been researching milk goats and milk sheep for a long time. Here's what we have come up with. Consider my pros and cons in quotes.
> 
> Goat Pros:
> 33% more milk from Goats
> ...


Just wanted to make a few notes based on my experience. Good luck!


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I've never owned sheep but kow people who do and they all say sheep are hard to keep fenced than goats. I really think it depends on the animal though, they're all different. I know people who have reallly friendly, goofy sheep... but i love my goats so I'll stick with them. I think the main reason I don't have sheep is copper toxicity and not much of a market here.


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## LoneStarChic (Jan 19, 2012)

The folks down the road from me raise sheep. They are out of the brand new fence quite often, despite it being a nice fence. Their fence would contain my goats, but their sheep are jumpers.

So some can, and do, test fences. 

I prefer goats (obviously) but a friend of my mom's has a Babydoll ewe that is personality delux.... Everytime I'm around her, I'm tempted to get a few


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