As the second part of the study reported by Elhadi et al. (Abstract M331), the effects of forage:concentrate ratio (F:C, %) were studied in 72 dairy ewes (Manchega, MN, n = 36; Lacaune, LC, n = 36) in early lactation. Treatments were: high- (HF, 70:30), medium- (MF, 55:45) and low-forage (LF, 40:60). Ewes were fed indoors, in pens of 6, the HF diet during 4 wk and then the experimental diets (wk 5 to 8). Milk was sampled individually on wk 7 for composition (NIR system; Foss, Nordersted, DE) and coagulation traits (Optigraph; Ysebaert, Frepillon, FR). Tank milk samples were collected by group and fat extracted (2000 × g, 15 min, 4°C) and converted to FAME by base catalyzed transesterification for FA analysis by gas- chromatography. Milk composition varied by breed, being richer for main components in MN than in LC (P < 0.001), with no dietary effects on fat, protein and solids contents (P = 0.95 to 0.24) and only slight quadratic changes in some FA (P = 0.23 to 0.001). On average, milk FA (g/100 g FA profile was SFA:MUFA:PUFA = 70.3:24.0:5.7 and atherogenicity index 2.50. Nevertheless diet × breed interactions were detected in most milk components and FA profile data (P = 0.01 to 0.001). Regarding the extreme diets (HF vs. LF), no effects were observed in the FA saturation profile in MN ewes, whereas SFA decreased (−2%, P < 0.001) and MUFA (4%, P = 0.004) and PUFA (12%, P < 0.001) increased in LC ewes. Furthermore, comparing HF vs. LF, the C > 16 increased in the LC (2%; P = 0.031), whereas C > 16 and C16 decreased (−2% and −5%, respectively; P < 0.05) and C < 16 increased, in the MN (6%; P = 0.010). Changes in atherogenicity index were negligible. No effect of concentrate was detected on rennet coagulation time, rate of curd aggregation and laboratory cheese-yield in both breeds (P = 0.95 to 0.052), except for firmness at min 45 and rate of curd aggregation, that increased (23% and 47%, respectively; P < 0.05) in the HF vs. MF comparison in MN ewes. In conclusion, slight changes in FA profile, and no benefits in cheese traits, were detected when the ratio forage:concentrate fell below the level required to satisfy the nutrition requirements of medium and high yielding dairy ewes.