white and brown horse on green grass field during daytime by Liam Read on Unsplash

Sheep Facts

Published: Apr 1st, 2023 9:53 AM

Categories: Information / Fun Facts / Sheep

For a while now, Happy Valley Free Range Farm has been posting facts about Sheep on their Twitter feed, alongside other farmers who share other animal facts that you can find via the links below:

Sheep Facts (Happy Valley Free Range Farm)
Cow Facts (DDFarmerette 365 Days 365 Cow Facts) <- This is the monster that birthed it all.
Goose Facts (charissa-goose facts)
Bull Facts (Farmcat)
Pig Facts (kelly)
Calving Facts (Blair Gilmore)
Bison Facts (BuffaloGuyRon)

The facts listed below here detail slightly more information than the Twitter posts due to Twitter's maximum character allowance.

Sheep Facts 1

#Sheep #Facts 1: Also known as Ovis Aries, there are over a billion sheep worldwide, & were one of the first animal species domesticated by humans for agriculture about 10,000 years ago. Sheep breeding and production is one of the oldest organized industries.

Sheep Facts 2

#Sheep #Facts 2: It was in 3,500 BC that people learned how to spin wool. Babylon was also known as the Land of Wool. People in Babylon began wearing clothes made of wool in 4,000 BC. The wool industry was developed around 6,000 BC in Iran and other Persian countries.

Sheep Facts 3

#Sheep #Facts 3: Ancient Egypt, sheep were believed to be sacred, considered rams earthly manifestations of the god Khnum, worshipped from 1st dynasty into the early centuries. He was represented as a ram with horizontal twisting horns or as a man with a ram's head.

Sheep Facts 4

#Sheep #Facts 4: 1493 Columbus took sheep to Cuba during his 2nd voyage to the New World. 1500s, Cortes introduced sheep to Mexico & Western America. The sheep brought are believed to be offspring of Columbus’ sheep & descendants of the Navajo Churro, the oldest breed in the US.

Sheep Facts 5

#Sheep #Facts 5: 1600s UK declared illegal to import sheep to US to gain supremacy in wool clothing production, was punishable by cutting off the person’s hand. Colonists smuggled sheep to US, by 1664 there were about 10k in the US colonies.

Sheep Facts 6

#Sheep #Facts 6: Domestic sheep have crimped coats which are wool & short tails due most shepherds docking for health/maintenance). The colour of the coat of wild sheep is usually brown hues, while domestic sheep have pure white to dark brown coats. Some have pigmented spots.

Sheep Facts 7

#Sheep #Facts 7: Sheep are ruminants with 4 chambered stomachs. 1st chamber, the largest is called the Rumen. 2nd chamber is the reticulum. 3rd is the omasum. 4th is the abomasum. Unlike Goats, Sheep have a groove that divides their upper lip, called a philtrum.

Sheep Facts 8

#Sheep #Facts 8: Sheep have cloven hooves split into two toes (Even-Toed Ungulates). The interdigital skin between the toes is pale pink and dry, with a layer of fine hair. The sole horn is 2–3 mm thick and easily damaged by thorns or sharp objects.

Sheep Facts 9

#Sheep #Facts 9: Sheep have rectangular pupils. Giving them a wider field of vision estimated to be 270-320 degrees. As prey animals, having rectangular pupils allows them to detect motion better without turning their heads, so they can immediately flee when they spot predators.

Sheep Facts 10

#Sheep #Facts 10: Horns commonly grow in male sheep or rams, but there are some sheep breeds (like the Jacob) in which both males and females have horns.

Sheep Facts 11

#Sheep #Facts 11: Wild sheep are larger than domesticated sheep species. The Argali is the largest sheep species, which can grow up to 1.2 meters tall. They also have longer horns for defending themselves against predators.

Sheep Facts 12

#Sheep #Facts 12: Adults have approx 32 teeth, that are divided into 2 sections, eight permanent incisors in the lower front jaw and twenty-four molars, the latter divided into six on each side of the upper and lower jaw. Sheep have no teeth in the front part of the upper jaw.

Sheep Facts 13

#Sheep #Facts 13: Sheep have strong flocking behaviour. A group of sheep is called a flock, herd, or mob. Isolated sheep or those separated from their flock show signs of depression by hanging their heads low or avoiding positive actions.

Sheep Facts 14

#Sheep #Facts 14: Post Yearlings -> 7-10 mths, Yearlings -> 10-13 mths, Hoggets -> 13-18 mths & Adults -> 18 mnths-older. Gummers are sheep that have lost their teeth due to old age. The average Life expectancy is 10-12 yrs. According to the GBWR, the oldest sheep lived to be 23.

Sheep Facts 15

#Sheep #Facts 15: Castrated sheep are called Wethers & are used for wool production. A flock of sheep is usually made up of different types of animals including ewes, rams, wethers, lambs, weaners and hoggets.

Sheep Facts 16

#Sheep #Facts 16: Sheep have an amazing memory. They can recognize up to 50 faces of other sheep and remember them for up to two years. They can also recognize human faces. Sheep can also recognize different facial expressions, preferring a smile to a frown.

Sheep Facts 17

#Sheep #Facts 17: Like other animals, sheep use vocalizations (bleating) to communicate various emotions such as fear, anger, happiness, and boredom. Rams make a rumbling sound during courtship. Rut, or sheep mating season, happens in autumn.

Sheep Facts 18

#Sheep #Facts 18: The gestational period of ewes is about five months. Ewes usually birth to one to two (ideal) offspring at a time. Newborn sheep can walk within minutes after they are born but are dependent on their mother’s milk until the 6th month of age.

Sheep Facts 19

#Sheep #Facts 19: When managing large numbers of Lambs, Shepherds will often use marking paint to match up lambs to their mothers, making management easier and making sure lambs match to their mothers. This is done for Welfare reasons.

Sheep Facts 20

#Sheep #Facts 20: When Ewes birth more than 2 Lambs, it isn't uncommon for shepherds to take steps to encourage other Ewes to take on extra lambs when they lose a lamb, or only have 1. This practice helps alleviate pressure on Ewes, esp. for feeding as they only have 2 Teets.

Sheep Facts 21

#Sheep #Facts 21: Sheep are seasonal breeders in temperate regions, meaning they experience distinct periods of sexual activity or inactivity annually. Specifically, sheep are short-day breeders, breeding at times of the year when the day length is shorter and night time longer.

Sheep Facts 22

#Sheep #Facts 22: Sam Neil & Michael Caton star in the Australian Comedy-Drama "Rams", about 2 brothers who don't get along, but come together to save the bloodline of Dorset Horn Sheep their family raised. Filmed in Mt Barker Western Australia.

Sheep Facts 23

#Sheep #Facts 23: There are over a thousand sheep breeds recognized worldwide. In the US, there are over 60 sheep breeds. Too many to list here.

Sheep Facts 24

#Sheep #Facts 24: Sheep’s milk is high in nutritional substances like protein, calcium, iron, minerals such as magnesium and zinc, and vitamins such as Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D. It is also rich in amino acids and linoleic acids.

Sheep Facts 25

#Sheep #Facts 25: Sheep’s milk is naturally alkaline. Alkaline-rich food helps the body absorb nutrients faster, helping boost immunity. Sheep’s milk has smaller fat globules which make it easy to digest.

Sheep Facts 26

#Sheep #Facts 26: Sheep’s milk is higher in protein, making them a healthier alternative to cow’s and goat’s milk, especially for health and fitness enthusiasts.

Sheep Facts 27

#Sheep #Facts 27: Most Cheese makers prefer sheep’s milk, as it is the creamiest among cow’s and goat’s milk. Some popular cheeses made from sheep’s milk include: Feta, Ricotta, Roquefort, Manchego, and Pecorino Romano.

Sheep Facts 28

#Sheep #Facts 28: "Hefting" is a traditional way of managing animals on large areas of communal grazing, often on common land. To establish a heft the animals, usually sheep, have to be kept in place by constant shepherding as there are no physical boundaries.

Sheep Facts 29

#Sheep #Facts 29: A "Gimmer" is A female sheep in her second year who has not yet had her first lamb. This is also known as a theave. Hogg / Hogget. The name for a young sheep between the January after its birth and its first two teeth (usually at 18 months).

Sheep Facts 30

#Sheep #Facts 30: A "Gelt" is an adult ewe that is not in lamb when others are. Usually, she has been kept away from the ram due to problems that occurred at a previous lambing. Gelts are usually fattened and sold for meat at a time when lamb is scarce.

Sheep Facts 31

#Sheep #Facts 31: A "Bellwether" is a sheep that leads the flock, often with a bell hanging from its neck.

Sheep Facts 32

#Sheep #Facts 32: A "Cast" or "Rigwelted" is a sheep that’s fallen onto its back and can’t get up again without assistance. Usually when heavily pregnant and broad-backed. She may roll over and become unable to right herself.

Sheep Facts 33

#Sheep #Facts 33: A "Draft Ewe" are older ewes that are raised on hill farms and then sold to farmers on lower ground where conditions are less challenging.

Sheep Facts 34

#Sheep #Facts 34: "Colostrum", the first milk a ewe gives after birth. This milk has a high number of antibodies and protects newborn lambs against diseases.

Sheep Facts 35

#Sheep #Facts 35: "Common Grazing" common fells are upland areas where sheep flocks from different farms graze freely without fences or walls.

Sheep Facts 36

#Sheep #Facts 36: "Cross-Bred" Sheep that are a combination of two or more different breeds. This can make them stronger for a certain environment and in some cases more disease resistant.

Sheep Facts 37

#Sheep #Facts 37: "Crutching (or Crotching)" shearing wool from around the tail and between the rear legs of a sheep, reducing chances of disease and getting fly-blown (can still happen in other areas of their bodies).

Sheep Facts 38

#Sheep #Facts 38: "Dag", Wool that is clogged with dung. Usually formed into teardrop shapes clinging to the wool under the tail and around the anus of the sheep. Without removal, they are a risk for fly strike as maggots can infest the dags and spread to the flesh of the sheep. (Photo not our sheep).

Sheep Facts 39

#Sheep #Facts 39: "Dagging", the process of trimming away sheep dags. This can made more unpleasant the longer the dags have had time to ferment.