During my PhD research at Cornell University (Animal Science ’20) I investigated nutritional strategies (by-product feeding) for year-round sheep milking systems as opportunities for U.S. sheep dairy farmers to increase farm viability through a more consistent supply of marketable milk. Exciting results showed the suitability of U.S.-available, aseasonally polyestrous, meat-type breeds for year-round sheep milk production. Together with this research the Cornell Sheep Dairy was founded: a Grade A inspected, small-scale, student operated dairy, that supplies sheep milk to creameries in the Northeast U.S. for cheese production.
My strong background in small ruminant nutrition and management, especially in grazing systems, provides the basis for expanding my interests into ecosystem impacts of grazing within solar arrays. Enticing preliminary results show that sheep grazing is a viable tool for vegetation management within solar arrays and can – if managed appropriately – provide diverse habitat for pollinators.
Publications:
Kochendoerfer, N., Shepherd, SJ., Posbergh, C., Huson, H., Barbano, DM, Thonney, ML. 2022. Genetic make-up, milk production, and infrared predicted milk constituents in a commercial dairy sheep flock of variable breed composition. Sheep & Goat Research Journal, In Press.
Kochendoerfer, N., Thonney, ML. 2021. Grazing Sheep on Solar Sites in New York State: Opportunities and Challenges. Scope and scaling-up of the NYS sheep industry to graze ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays for vegetation management. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University Ithaca, NY.
Kochendoerfer, N., Brown, D.L., Thonney, M.L. 2020. Effect of carbohydrate source on dry matter intake and digestibility, and nutritional status of ewes milked year-round on an accelerated lambing system. ASAS Annual Meeting: Abstract #887100.
Kochendoerfer, N., Barbano, D.M., Thonney, M.L. 2020. Reproductive and lactation management for year-round ewe milk production with non-traditional dairy breeds. ASAS Annual Meeting: Abstract #886991.
Kochendoerfer, N., Barbano, D.M., Thonney, M.L. 2020. Effect of dietary NDF on mid-infrared predicted milk constituents of non-traditional dairy sheep breeds milked on an accelerated lambing system. ADSA Annual Meeting: Abstract #82169.
Kochendoerfer, N. and Thonney M.L. 2019. Effect of forage inclusion in diets on milk yield and milk components of dairy crossbreed ewes managed on an accelerated lambing system. In: C. University (ed.) Proceedings of the Cornell Nutrition Conference No. 81, Syracuse, NY.
Kochendoerfer, N. Hain, A., Thonney, ML. 2019. The agricultural, economic, and environmental potential of co-locating utility scale solar with grazing sheep. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University Ithaca, NY.
Kochendoerfer, N., Thonney, M.L. 2018. Fermentable fiber for year-round ewe milk production. In: C. University (ed.) Proceedings of the Cornell Nutrition Conference No. 80, Syracuse, NY.
Kochendoerfer, N., Thonney, M.L. 2017. Management and Nutrition for Milking Sheep in Short and Frequent Lactations. In: C. University (ed.) Proceedings of the Cornell Nutrition Conference No. 79, Syracuse, NY.
Kochendoerfer, N., Thonney, M.L. 2016. Fermentable Fiber for Milking Sheep on the Star System. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Dairy Sheep Association of North America Symposium, Ithaca, NY.
