In many parts of the world — particularly the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Central Asia — goats and sheep are herded together, and their milk is mixed rather than separated. This combined milk has been used for centuries to make traditional cheeses such as feta, which can legally be made from sheep’s milk or a blend of sheep and goat milk.
Goat milk is slightly lower in fat than sheep milk but both differ from cow’s milk in fat globule structure and protein composition, which affects how they behave in cheesemaking and digestion. Sheep milk is richer and yields more cheese per litre.
In Australia, sheep and goat dairying are small but growing industries, concentrated in Victoria, Tasmania, and parts of New South Wales. Most production goes into artisan cheese and yoghurt.
How it's produced
Dairy sheep and goats are raised on pasture and milked once or twice daily, either by hand in small-scale operations or in mechanised milking parlours. Both species have shorter lactation periods than dairy cattle — typically five to eight months — and produce smaller volumes of milk per animal.
Mixed flocks are common in traditional farming systems where the animals share the same pasture and are milked together. In modern Australian production, the two are more often kept separately, with their milk blended intentionally for specific cheese recipes.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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