Dairy Sheep- Lacaune Traditional Geocache

Sheep have been milked for thousands of years, perhaps before any other animal. The dairy sheep industry is highly developed in many countries, especially in and around the Mediterranean. In the United States, sheep dairying is a small part of a small industry. Most U.S. sheep dairies are located in Wisconsin and the New England states. At the same time, there are sheep dairies in many other states, and the interest in sheep dairying seems to be on the rise. 

The Lacaune is a French breed of dairy sheep. In France, the Lacaune breed has been rigorously selected for improved milk production. Annual genetic improvement for milk yield is 2.4 percent. The Lacaune is the breed used to produce France's famous Roquefort cheese.

As compared to the East Friesian, the Lacaune is a hardier breed of dairy sheep. They give birth to fewer lambs and produce less milk, but their milk is higher quality, giving better cheese yields. The Lacaune has very little wool. Its head, legs, and a good portion of its belly are bare. This lack of wool is advantageous when it comes to milking.