A camel dairy. It鈥檚 not the most obvious choice when you might think about a career in farming, but it鈥檚 just what Daisy Fossett is championing in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire.
The 24-year-old launched the UK鈥檚 first camel dairy in 2021 alongside her family, diversifying out of the entertainment sector and into farming.
Creative diversification
鈥淚t鈥檚 the exact opposite of what most people in farming are looking to do when it comes to diversification,鈥� Daisy told Student Farmer.
The move to milking camels, which she added had been on the cards for at least ten years, was finally sparked by the Covid pandemic when the entertainment side of her parents鈥� business, Joseph鈥檚 Amazing Camels, was forced to grind to a halt.
鈥淲e always knew we would have to diversify in some way, and we always wanted to,鈥� she explained. 鈥淵ou have to move with the times in order to survive as a business, no matter what it is. This is why all farmers are diversifying. The only difference is we鈥檝e gone into farming, whereas farmers go out of farming.鈥�
The business was started by Daisy鈥檚 parents, whose eyes met over a bucket of meat. Literally.
鈥淢y dad is part of one of the oldest circus families in the world and grew up in the circus. He was a lion tamer, among other things. Mom decided to get a job as a wild animal presenter in the circus and that鈥檚 how they met: over a bucket of meat she passed to him to feed the lions.鈥�
When the couple realised Daisy was on the way, they started Joseph鈥檚 Amazing Camels, offering camel racing and hire across the UK. Daisy, who now runs Daisy鈥檚 Dromedairy Ltd as creative director, said she didn鈥檛 originally plan to get into farming, but the camels stole her heart.
鈥淚 always wanted to do something with the camels, I knew that that was my thing. But as any young farmer will tell you, it鈥檚 very hard to work with your parents, no matter who they are. It鈥檚 not an easy decision. I worked for them full-time when I was 18 and then I went travelling and to uni, but the camels were always in the back of my mind. I was always going to be drawn back to them in some shape or form, I just didn鈥檛 know how.鈥�
Medicinal benefits
The dairy started with the purchase of three pregnant milking camels from Germany and now sees Daisy offering raw camel milk, chocolates and soap made with camel milk. She explained camel鈥檚 milk has a number of medicinal benefits, adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing superfood with a lot of benefits in that many other milks don鈥檛 have.鈥�
But it鈥檚 not been an easy ride. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any of us knew what we were getting ourselves into,鈥� Daisy said, adding that with those first three pregnant camels 鈥渆verything that could have gone wrong, did鈥�. The issues ranged from a delayed milking machine to an early first birth and huge calf who couldn鈥檛 lift his head up, let alone stand and suckle.
鈥淲e had to milk his mom and then bottle feed him and check on him every hour for about 12 hours before teaching him how to suckle. This whole ordeal took place over a week, and as soon as that one was fine, the next one popped out.鈥�
And learning to milk the camels was a task in itself.
鈥淭hey aren鈥檛 like cows,鈥� Daisy said. 鈥淢ilking itself is not easy. Camels are very emotional, they really have to trust you.鈥�
She added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a journey. Every pitfall, we鈥檝e fallen into it, we鈥檝e been there, and we鈥檝e done it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not been easy but we鈥檒l keep going. I think that鈥檚 how general farming works!鈥�
A helping hand
Help from friends with dairy farms has been invaluable.
鈥淥ur dairy farm friends have been our absolute heroes. They鈥檝e come out and shown us things like how to even turn the machine on because it鈥檚 not simple. If you鈥檝e never seen a portable milking machine, you wouldn鈥檛 have the first clue how it works. It鈥檚 been a lot of trial and error, but slowly we鈥檝e come up with our own way of doing things and what works for us.鈥�
Daisy鈥檚 Dromedairy currently has four milking camels which are milked once a day 鈥� a process that takes about 45 minutes. This is in addition to a further 14 camels which make up the family鈥檚 herd across their 30 acres, on which they also house a number of 鈥榬acing pigs鈥�, a couple of donkeys, a horse and make their own hay.
鈥淐amels produce about 10 litres of milk a day and we get, depending on where they are in their cycle, between one and three litres from each camel, so it鈥檚 not a huge amount. The calves get the rest of it and are really healthy and very happy, which is the way I want to keep it.鈥�
When the camels aren鈥檛 being used for milking, Daisy explained they like to be kept busy.
鈥淭hey milk for about two years, or as long as they鈥檙e happy to, and then they鈥檙e dried off for around six months to let their bodies recover. We have one camel currently that is drying off so we might take her racing so she鈥檚 not bored. The thing with camels is they鈥檙e so intelligent, they need a job and not to be in a field for six months. They go a bit stir crazy.鈥�
Ideally, Daisy explained, the business would have three camel herds: 鈥淵ou need the milking herd, the dried off herd, and the pregnant herd to help keep the whole thing going.鈥�
She鈥檚 also keen to improve camels鈥� reputation among the general public.
鈥淭hey have an awful reputation. So many people ask if they spit or bite. I always compare it to dogs, if you treat them badly, they鈥檒l act badly. They鈥檙e gentle giants and when you look after them, they鈥檙e really lovely. When they greet one another they鈥檒l touch each other鈥檚 noses to say hi, and they do that now with us too.鈥�
Walk on the wild side?
But despite their sweet nature, Daisy was careful to stress how important it is to do your homework if you鈥檙e mulling over the idea of diversifying into unusual animals.
鈥淒o your research,鈥� she said firmly. 鈥淪pend time with those animals if you can and learn about them before you go into something like this because, no matter if it鈥檚 camels or snakes, whatever it is, you need to know how to look after them because otherwise you will run into problems. Talk to people, talk to us, ask us questions. We will advise you the best we can.鈥�
And it鈥檚 the same story for anyone looking to diversify on a less unusual scale.
鈥淕o to as many people as you can and just ask questions,鈥� Daisy reiterated. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been so lucky that, because we live in a farming area, we have so many friends who are dairy farmers. That鈥檚 number one.
鈥淚t is really scary, it鈥檚 terrifying going into the unknown but just go for it. You are going to come across failure, and you are going to cry, but you will find your way.鈥�
For Daisy鈥檚 camels鈥� raw milk, chocolate boxes and soap, contact 聽on Instagram or visit for details.