Recently, there has been a heated debate about how useful sheep's milk is for humans. To understand what properties it has, it is necessary to consider this product in more detail.
In what form is it consumed?
Today, sheep's milk is mainly used in Greece and the Middle East. It is rarely commercially available as the animal only produces it within 80-100 days after the birth of the lambs. The drink has a high content of fat, conjugated linoleic acid, when compared with the milk of other animals. The product is also rich in lactose.
Due to its high protein content, this type of milk is ideal for making yoghurts and cheese. The most popular types of cheese that are made from sheep's milk are called:
- "Roquefort";
- "Romano";
- "Pecorino";
- "Feta".
Yogurt made from such milk is an excellent alternative to traditional fermented milk products. This type of drink, made from sheep raw materials, is not only tasty and healthy, but also has a completely different texture. It can be consumed both separately and together with fruits and other additives. It contains the required number of calories and is high in calcium. It has twice the vitamin B content of a regular cow's milk product. It is easier to digest, but it is not so easy to find it on store shelves. In addition, the cost of this product is much higher than the prices of ordinary yogurts.
Creams are often made from sheep's milk, which are famous for their unique properties and benefits. Cleopatra took milk baths with a sheep product. Thanks to this, her skin remained soft, supple and radiant. Today you can do the same. A few glasses of a drink are enough for a standard container, which contains special substances that are useful for the epidermis. Lactic acid helps to achieve smoothness, elasticity, reduce the number of wrinkles.
However, if there is an individual intolerance to the product, it is better not to take such baths.
nutritional value
One cup of the drink contains 265 calories, 14.65 g of protein, 17.15 g of fat, 2.35 g of ash and 13.13 g of carbohydrates. In addition, the drink contains many vitamins and minerals:
- vitamin B12, B2;
- phosphorus;
- valine;
- isoleucine;
- calcium;
- tryptophan;
- leucine;
- lysine;
- threonine;
- protein;
- vitamins A, K;
- copper;
- zinc;
- magnesium.
Pros and cons
Among all the available types of milk that a person uses in food, sheep is considered the best. It has a special aroma and is often used to prepare original dishes. It also has a pronounced taste. The reason for this is the high fat content. Therefore, many cannot drink the drink in its pure form and dilute it with a small amount of water.
The product provides the human body with a sufficient amount of essential minerals and vitamins. It contains vitamins E and A, which help to strengthen the immune system. Milk has antioxidant properties, helps to remove free radicals from the body, improves the appearance of the skin.
This is an excellent source of protein, which is especially necessary for children at a certain stage of development. Its mineral complex is vital for cells, tissues and bones. Protein provides the necessary amount of energy and helps athletes increase muscle mass, so they drink this drink in large quantities.
Sheep milk has a high content of nucleotides and nucleosides, which reduce the chances of getting cancer. It contains a whole range of B vitamins, which are vital for a woman's reproductive health. Drinking the drink improves metabolism. Scientists have also proven that a glass of warm milk helps women cope with PMS symptoms and calm the nervous system.
The product is an indispensable tool for patients who suffer from high blood pressure. Sheep milk contains more amino acids than the equivalent goat, cow or buffalo product. They help protect the heart by lowering blood pressure.
Proper levels of zinc, calcium and magnesium increase bone density. Doctors recommend regular consumption of sheep's milk products for the elderly to minimize the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium in the drink contains twice as much as in goat's or cow's milk.
Who better to abstain?
Despite all the benefits of the product, it is impossible not to say about the possible harm from its use. The drink contains monounsaturated fats, which increase the level of cholesterol in the body. Accordingly, the likelihood of a heart attack, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and stroke increases. That is why it is better for people at risk not to abuse products from sheep's milk.
There are other groups of people who are advised by doctors to use the drink very carefully. These include:
- having intolerance to lactose;
- overweight people;
- patients with shortness of breath and hiccups.
Fresh milk is not advised to be eaten by anyone, as it may contain bacteria and pathogens that are harmful to humans. The drink is consumed only after certain processing.
Can it be given to babies?
A person is constantly in search of a product that would bring maximum benefit to babies and could replace breast milk. Such a product can be given to babies from 5 months, but only processed (by no means whole) and provided that the child does not have individual lactose intolerance.
More calories give your child the energy they need to stay active throughout the day. Due to the rich content of minerals, the drink benefits the entire body. It is easily digested without burdening the digestive system of the baby.
You will learn more about sheep's milk by watching the following video.
According to the chemical composition and nutritional value, sheep's milk differs significantly from the milk of other animal species. In sheep's milk, compared to cow's milk, the content of solids is 1.3-1.5 times higher, fat and protein are 1.5-2 times higher (Table 6.5).
The composition and properties of milk are species-specific and, in addition, depend on feeding, lactation period, age, individual characteristics of the animal, frequency and time of milking. For example, the milk of the first days after childbirth (colostrum) has a yellow color and a viscous consistency. Colostrum differs from the milk of subsequent lactation by a significantly higher content of protein and fat. Colostrum contains immune bodies, enzymes, vitamins, lysozyme. There are 10 times more vitamins A and C in colostrum than in milk. Colostrum is an indispensable food for newborns, helping them to fight pathogenic microbes from the first hours of their lives.
The colostrum lasts 5-7 days, after which the milk has its normal composition and properties.
At the end of lactation, the fat content of milk is higher than the lactation average.
Sheep milk is white in color, due to the absence of the yellow pigment carotene (provitamin A) in milk fat, which gives cow's milk a yellowish-cream color. Sheep carotene consumed with feed is converted into vitamin A, which enters the milk. The content of vitamin A in sheep milk ranges from 0.34 to 0.40 mg / kg of milk, vitamin C - 33-41 mg / kg, there are also B vitamins.
The melting point of milk fat in sheep is 35.5-36.0 ° C, the solidification point is 24.5-25.0 ° C, the iodine number is 25-38 (in cow's milk 26-45 is recognized as ideal). The fat contains more unsaturated fatty acids - caprylic, capric, which gives the fresh milk of sheep a specific taste and smell. The fat globules that make up milk fat are much smaller in sheep than in cows (in 1 mm3 of sheep's milk there are 6 billion fat globules, and in cow's milk there are 4 billion), so their milk is homogeneous, easily digestible and does not change its state in cheese clot, providing a high percentage of cheese yield; but when separating, small fat globules are separated worse, and a lot of fat remains in the skim.
Sheep milk protein is digested in the human body by 99.1%, contains all essential amino acids (29 g per 1 kg of milk) and is more complete than milk proteins of other farm animals, besides, sheep milk contains an increased amount of casein (at the end of lactation - up to 6.17%). The ratio of α- and β-casein is 40:39, i.e. they are almost the same number.
Sheep milk is also rich in minerals: calcium (235 mg%), phosphorus (144 mg%) (calcium-phosphorus ratio 1.63: 1), iron (3.2-5.85 mg%), copper (0.11 -0.27 mg%), zinc (1.8-2.74 mg%), manganese (0.23-0.45 mg%) and other trace elements.
Sheep milk contains phosphatides - lecithin and cephalin, which give stability to the emulsion and hinder the formation of butter.
From a nutritional point of view, sheep's milk is a highly concentrated product. The energy value of sheep milk (102 kcal or 426 kJ) is much higher than that of goat milk (71 kcal or 296 kJ) and cow milk (65 kcal or 272 kJ). This exceptionally high nutritional value of milk, along with a high content of vitamins (especially B1, B2, B5, B6, B12), is necessary to ensure the rapid growth of lambs during the first weeks of life.
The density of sheep milk is 1.035-1.040 g/cm3. Titratable acidity ranges from 20 to 24°T (at the end of lactation 26°T), and active acidity differs little from cow's milk (pH 6.5-6.9). Sheep milk has a high buffering capacity and therefore coagulates at a higher acidity - 120-140°T (cow's milk - at 60-70°T), it also coagulates more slowly from the action of rennet (by 30-50%), and the resulting clot is less elastic, which is reflected in the formation of the physical qualities of cottage cheese and cheese.
Sheep milk is a valuable and healthy food product.
Milk productivity of sheep. According to the level of milk productivity, sheep of different breeds differ significantly (Table 6.6).
From the presented data, it can be seen that most domestic breeds of sheep have low milk production. This is due to the fact that until now, due attention has not been paid to the milk yield of sheep during selection and selection, although the milk yield of queens is extremely important for the development of lambs and the production of marketable milk. Methods for increasing the milk productivity of sheep are discussed below.
Evaluation of milk productivity of sheep. Currently, several methods are used to account for the milk yield of sheep:
1. For the first two or three weeks of life, the lamb mainly feeds on mother's milk, which is why there is a high dependence between mother's milk production and the growth of lambs in the first month of their life (r = 0.87-0.90). Therefore, the milkiness of the uterus is often determined by the growth of lambs in the first 20 days of life. The milk yield of the queens in this case is determined as follows: from the body weight of a lamb at the age of 20 days, the body weight of the lamb at birth is taken away, the resulting difference is multiplied by 5 (the number of kilograms of mother's milk consumed per 1 kg of live weight gain). The resulting product is the average milk production of queens for the specified period. It should be noted that lambs of different breeds and different directions of productivity spend from 4.5 to 6 kg of sheep milk per 1 kg of growth, therefore, for each breed of the herd, one should determine its own level of milk consumption for the growth of lambs.
2. The milk yield of sheep is determined by the amount of milk given out from one half of the udder, the lamb sucks milk from the other half.
3. By carrying out control milkings at specified intervals (10, 15 or 20 days) during the entire lactation and multiplying the obtained value by the number of days passed, milk yield is obtained for a certain period of lactation.
A close relationship was noted between the milk production of the uterus in the first month of lactation and for the entire lactation, so the correlation coefficient of milk production for the first month and for 3 months ranges from 0.85 to 0.94. and this means that when determining the milkiness of the uterus, it is possible to take into account its value only for the first month of lactation.
4. In the first 2 months of lactation, the milkiness of the queens is determined by weighing the lambs before and after suckling. Control weighings are usually carried out within 24-48 hours with an interval of 10-15 days. When using this method, it must be borne in mind that in abundantly milking queens, the lamb may not suck out part of the milk.
5. With the help of the control coefficient, it is possible to take into account the milk production of sheep throughout the entire lactation. The reference coefficient of milk yield (morning + noon + evening) / milk yield (morning) is determined by 10 sheep from the herd during the entire lactation. By multiplying the coefficient obtained by the morning milk yield of a sheep, it is possible to determine its milk production on any day of lactation.
A simplified method for determining the milk yield of sheep is proposed, when the value of the morning milk yield for any day of lactation is multiplied by the control indicator of lactation, calculated by the formula:
Lactation benchmark = milk production per lactation / daily milk yield for a given lactation day
After weaning the lambs from their mothers, milking is the only way to account for the milk production of sheep. However, manual milking does not always succeed in removing all the milk from the udder, so in many countries sheep are given oxytocin prior to control milking to increase milk flow.
Milking sheep. Smushkovy sheep begin to be milked immediately after the slaughter of the lambs. Lactation lasts 4-5 months. In the mountainous regions of the North Caucasus, sheep begin to be milked in the third month of lactation, when they are driven to mountain pastures. In the Transcaucasus, from the second month of lactation, the queens are kept isolated from the lambs at night, they are milked in the morning, after which the lambs are let in. In this case, the lambs should receive additional feeding. After weaning the lambs at the age of 2.5-3 months. queens continue to be milked for another 2-3 months.
At the beginning and middle of lactation, sheep are usually milked 2 times, and at the end - once a day.
Sheep are milked by hand or machine. With the manual method, sheep are milked from behind or from the side. For the convenience of milking, machines or special platforms are built, which are placed under canopies that protect animals, equipment, and staff from rain and sun.
Before milking, wipe the udder and teats with a damp towel. Then they start distributing. For this, the udder is held with the left hand, and the nipple is wrapped around the nipple with the fingers of the right hand, pressing it from top to bottom. So each nipple is milked, after which they start milking - they wrap the entire udder with the palms of both hands and squeeze it several times. The final stage is milking, which is carried out as follows: the udder is held with the left hand, and the remaining milk is expressed with the fingers of the right from each nipple.
Milking in three steps is caused by the peculiarities of milk formation and milk excretion in sheep. Each half of the udder in sheep consists of alveolar tissue - the mammary gland, where milk is formed, and the tank, which ends with a nipple. Milk is secreted by the mammary gland and enters the cistern. During milking, milk from the alveoli enters the tanks, during milking - from the tanks to the teats, and by milking, the residual milk is removed from the teats.
With machine milking, labor productivity increases, labor is facilitated, and the sanitary and hygienic properties of milk are improved.
When milking fat-tailed and fat-tailed sheep, the milker is located on the side. In this case, milk is less contaminated with mechanical and other impurities.
In Russia, a milking machine DUO-24 has been developed and tested in two modifications: stationary and mobile. It consists of two parallel platforms, designed for the simultaneous milking of 24 sheep. The installation kit includes milking machines with buckets, a vacuum pump and a vacuum wire, a washing system and feeders. In addition, the mobile installation kit includes a single-axle trailer (with platforms) and ladders.
The platform with boxes can be raised above the floor or be on the floor. In the first case, the height of the platform above the floor level should be 75-80 cm. If the machine-boxes are installed on the floor, then the milker works in a trench of the same depth as the height of the platform. The distance between the platforms is 120-150 cm. The productivity of the DUO-24 plant is up to 60 sheep per hour with 4 workers.
Milking machines operate under vacuum from 40 to 50.7 kPa with a frequency of 60 to 175 pulsations per minute and a ratio of compression and pause strokes of 50:50 or 60:40.
Work on accustoming sheep to the machine and milking equipment begins 7-10 days before the start of milking, when the sheep are still with the lambs. The queens are passed through the installation, in the feeders of which there should be food (hay, mixed fodder, barley, oats). Most sheep take 2-3 days to get used to the milking parlor and daily routine on the site.
After the sheep get used to the milking machine, the lambs are beaten off from them and milked.
Many delicious dishes can be prepared from lamb: bis-bashe, piti, kharcho, various hodgepodges and, of course, shish kebab - the most popular national dish of our Central Asian and Caucasian peoples. And the most popular food made from sheep's milk is cheese. Sheep breeders have to work hard to have barbecue, feta cheese and everything that can be prepared from lamb and sheep's milk on the table.
Lamb on the stream. When, fifteen years ago, in sheep breeding, as in other branches of animal husbandry, they began to create complexes, they began to produce mutton continuously and evenly throughout the year, that is, in-line.
At the complexes, it is not the shepherds who take care of the sheep, but the operators. Their work and life are not as difficult as those of shepherds on pastures - the operator, unlike the shepherd, does not work in the open air and lives at home, complexes are built near settlements.
Sheep fattening at the complex is the final stage. It is preceded by the work of shops for artificial insemination of ewes, lambing and rearing of lambs before transfer to fattening. Operators work in each workshop, as well as at fattening.
The most painstaking work is in the lambs rearing shop. With industrial technologies at fattening complexes, they are weaned from ewes at the age of two to three days and then grown on milk substitutes. At the same time, the work of operators requires a lot of perseverance, patience, knowledge of the subtleties of development and behavior of lambs.
Sheep fattened for meat are grown not only in complexes, but also in large feedlots. At the complexes and sites, all work on feeding, watering animals, and cleaning manure is mechanized.
A sheep is a precocious animal. The lambs grow fast and it's time to send them to the slaughter. It is easier to arrange shipment from the complexes. And what about the sheep in the distant pastures? After all, animals are driven from pastures. On the way, sheep often lose weight and lose tens of tons of meat over the haul.
The problem of delivering fattened sheep to their destination is very acute. They try to use all kinds of transport for this, up to helicopters in mountainous areas. And they are specially developing a two-tier sheep carrier. The tiers will be installed on a powerful KamAZ-type vehicle. In two tiers of the body, they can immediately place a hundred large, well-fed lambs or culled adult sheep fattened for meat.
Sheep milk. There is a specialty - a milker ... sheep. There are also installations for machine milking of sheep's milk.
Machine milking of sheep is also extremely necessary because milking sheep by hand is very tedious and difficult, since you have to literally squeeze the milk out of the udder. Should sheep be milked at all? After all, the main thing is to get wool, sheepskins and meat from them. So it is, but not entirely.
How, for example, to be, if the lambs of the Karakul sheep are slaughtered in the first three days after birth and the ewe has no one to feed? Don't waste milk. Yes, what! Sheep milk is much better than cow's and even goat's milk in terms of protein and fat content. Its color is white with a slightly yellowish tint. The taste is salty, but pleasant. However, they drink little sheep's milk. The famous cheese is made from it. But not only her.
Tasty from sheep's milk and curdled milk. From ancient times, shepherds also used cottage cheese made from a mixture of sheep and goat milk. The mixture was allowed to sour and poured into a sheepskin bag (tuluk). A full tuluk was loaded onto a donkey. From constant shaking while walking the donkey, cottage cheese was formed in the bag. That's what they called him - "donkey".
There is something to get from sheep's milk. Sheep need to be milked. And it is already provided. Thus, according to new technologies, it is proposed to take away lambs from sheep of fine-fleeced and semi-fine-fleeced breeds early, at a month or two months of age. And the ewes at this time retain a fairly abundant milk supply, and they can be milked for another two to three months.
True, a sheep gives little milk in one milking season, for example, Karakul - 60-70 kg, Romanov - up to 200 kg. If we take sheep of dairy breeds, which are most successfully bred in Belgium and France, then from one dairy sheep for six to seven months of milking a year they get 600-800 kg.
In our sheep farms we started using milking machines DZO-8 and DZO-16 made in Czechoslovakia, as well as mobile units made in Bulgaria and Germany. The milking time of one sheep on such installations is about 3 minutes. The overall productivity of each installation depends on the organization of labor, for example, at the DZO-16 installation, up to 300 sheep per hour can be milked. The installation kit includes equipment for making cheese.
The picture gives an idea of a mobile milking unit made in Germany for use on pastures. To put on the milking machines on the teats of the udder, the milker approaches the sheep from behind. During milking, milk enters the milk pipeline, and from it into the tank. The unit is operated by two people.
Does a sheep pay for itself when kept at home?
It can be said without exaggeration that, like a goat, it is a profitable animal: in summer it is pastured, in winter it does not require so much hay, and not the best.
A.G. Zalygin
Sheep milk enjoys great popularity among the population of the Crimea, Italy, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Since this drink has a rather unpleasant odor, it is practically not consumed in its entirety.
Beneficial features
Sheep's milk is 1.5 times more nutritious than cow's milk. With regular consumption, this product improves brain activity and increases the supply of oxygen to cells. In addition, this drink is involved in protein synthesis, and it is also an excellent antioxidant.
Given the large amount of calcium, sheep's milk reduces the risk of osteoporosis, and it also strengthens the skeleton. In addition, this mineral is necessary for the body after serious illnesses to strengthen the immune system. Included in this milk and zinc, which favorably affects the condition of the skin.
It is recommended to include this product in your diet for people who are allergic to cow's and goat's milk, as well as asthma, eczema and some skin problems.
Thanks to the content of vitamin A, vision improves and reduces the risk of eye diseases. Due to the content of chlorine, swelling is reduced, and this mineral also helps to eliminate toxins from the body. Given the high content of potassium, sheep's milk has a positive effect on the activity of the cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other problems.
Use in cooking
Sheep's milk is used in cooking like cow's milk and other variants of this product. It makes delicious yoghurts, cheese, cheese, butter and other fermented milk products (see photo).
Harm of sheep's milk and contraindications
Sheep milk can harm people with individual intolerance to the product. It is worth refusing to use this product for gastritis, colitis and ulcers. Due to the high calorie content and fat content, you should not abuse this drink so as not to cause serious problems.
History and distribution
Sheep milk is widely used in the Crimea, Transcaucasia, Central Asia and the North Caucasus. A lot of sheep's milk is consumed by residents of Italy, Greece, and the countries of the Middle East. Many breeds of sheep give an average of 100-150 kg of milk in 4-5 months of lactation. Kefir, curdled milk, cheeses and oils have long been prepared from sheep's milk. Sheep milk is nutritious and has a rich and delicate, slightly sweet taste.
Application
Sheep milk is highly digestible and a nutritious food product. Especially sheep's milk is indicated for use in children. Products such as ayran, yogurt, katyk, matsoni are prepared from sheep's milk. This milk has a specific smell, which limits its consumption in whole form. That is why excellent cheeses are made from sheep's milk - vats, Ossetian, Tushinsky.
Composition and properties
Sheep's milk is an ideal alternative to cow's and goat's milk. Sheep's milk is one and a half times more nutritious than cow's milk. It contains much more vitamins A and B than cow's milk. This milk is very useful during the period of growth of the child, as well as during pregnancy. It is an excellent antioxidant and promotes the synthesis of cholesterol, vitamins A and D, amino acids. Regular consumption of sheep's milk improves brain function, increases oxygen consumption by cells.
Compared to cow's milk, sheep's milk is characterized by a high content of fat, protein, solids. So, it contains 18-20% dry matter and 7 to 10% fat. Therefore, this milk is better absorbed than cow's milk. Compared to other types of milk, sheep's milk contains a lot of calcium and zinc. Calcium in sheep's milk plays an essential role in the fight against osteoporosis. Calcium is also required by the body after every disease that weakens the immune system. The zinc found in milk is essential for nourishing healthy skin and is also recommended for anorexia. The lack of zinc in the body affects the well-being in general. Experts in this field know that the ratio of calcium and phosphorus in sheep's milk is almost ideal, because the absorption of one requires the presence of the other.
Sheep milk contains an important protein - casein, which is very important for the nutrition of people who are allergic to casein from goat's and cow's milk. For diseases such as asthma, eczema, and other skin problems, the use of sheep's milk is indicated.
A cup of warm sheep's milk before going to bed promotes restful sleep.
Contraindications
Individual intolerance.
Calorie content and nutritional value of sheep's milk
Sheep milk calories - 109.7 kcal.
Nutritional value of sheep's milk: proteins - 5.6 g, fats - 7.7 g, carbohydrates - 4.8 g
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