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15 Awesome Facts About Sheep

Sheep are a part of human life and to date, they have come to be appreciated as the most common figure in our lives. They have been domesticated for quite a long time in human civilization and they are typically kept as livestock. Also, the domesticated sheep are the most numerous species of sheep compared to the rest. Just for a  bit of some information, an adult female sheep is known as an ewe, an intact sheep as a ram although sometimes it is referred to as a tup while a castrated male is known as a wether. With that said what are some of the most awesome and fascinating facts about sheep? Let’s take a look.

1. The wool of sheep grows forever

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A story is told of a sheep in 2004 that was known as Shrek, the Merino sheep who hid in a cave for six years just so he could avoid getting sheared. By the time he was found and successfully cornered, his long overdue wool was enough to make 20 men’s suits. In 2015 again, another wild sheep named Chris was found in Canberra and he unloaded 89 pounds of fleece. This goes to show that, unlike wild sheep, the domesticated breeds of sheep keep growing their wool forever according to Dave Thomas, a retired head of sheep at the University of Wisconsin.

2. Sheep have nearly 360-degree vision

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Sheep have spectacular and amazing peripheral vision. It has been estimated by various researchers that their field of vision is between 270 and 360 degrees. This is really mind blowing given how for human it is only an average of 155 degrees. When you are a prey animal, having an almost perfect vision is advantageous. It is like having surround sound for the eyes. For the sheep, this kind of vision helps them a lot.

3. Some sheep actually show same-sex preference

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As much as research has shown over the years that there are instances of homosexuality in most animal species, sheep are so far the only animals besides human beings who show a same-sex preference for life. It has been found that in flocks of domesticated sheep, up to about 8% of the males prefer other males regardless of the fact that fertile females are around. In many animal species, males will pair with males while females with females under certain circumstances, but for sheep, it is a male-on-male preference and it is a lifelong propensity.

4. The upper lip of a sheep has a pronounced groove dividing the left and right sides, called a philtrum

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Because of this physiological feature, sheep tend to be very selective grazers. They prefer leaves and blades over stems. Their philtrum helps them get close to the ground and this is unlike other ruminants. This is what sets sheep apart and helps them not struggle too much when it comes to feeding.

5. Sheep can’t exactly right themselves if they’re on their back

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Typically speaking, sheep that are heavily pregnant, overweight, or have very heavy fleece, usually have quite a hard time righting themselves back up once they have the misfortune of being on their back. The term for this scenario given how it is common among sheep, is known as cast sheep. With that said, if you ever spot a sheep on its back, just know that they are really stressed out and have no idea how to get back up. Finding a farmer therefore to help them roll back over would probably be the best call.

6. There is a rather deep historical ties between sheep and the U.S. presidents

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Coincidentally, three different presidents of the United States all raised sheep. These are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. As a matter of fact, Madison was sworn in while wearing a coat that had been spun from his sheep’s wool. During the World War I, Woodrow Wilson kept a flock at the White House. His objective though was a brilliant move of cost-cutting measure by using the sheep to keep the grass always trimmed. Brilliant actually!

7. Sheep were the first species of livestock to be domesticated

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Sheep and goats were among the first species of livestock to be domesticated and this domestication event occurred around 10,000 BCE in Southwest Asia. Researchers actually believe that this domestic sheep is a descendant of the Asian mouflon. Ever since then, sheep have been selectively bred with the sole purpose of mostly providing wool, milk, and meat.

8. Hundreds of Breeds of Sheep Exist

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Presently, it is estimated that about 200 breeds of sheep exist today. They are found worldwide and they are the product of over 8,000 years of very deliberate and selective breeding by humans. Additionally, thousands of composite breeds have been created over time by crossing two or more of the typical breeds. The most popular breeds of sheep that exist today include Merino Hampshire, and Suffolk sheep.

9. Sheep Have Rectangular Pupils

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As noted earlier, sheep have an amazing peripheral vision and this is thanks to their rectangular pupils. Most people find it quite unsettling but this feature in many livestock animals including even goats, is what allows them to have a wide range of vision. Thus, the shape of their eyes serves a great purpose. Also, their vision being so spectacular, means that they have no blindspot in the front.

10. Sheep Have a Great Memory

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It is known that sheep have a rather great memory such that they can remember up to 50 different sheep faces and humans too. Even more funny, is how they cannot recognize a freshly sheared sheep even if they knew them before they were sheared. So of course it leads us to ask ourselves whether really a sheep would confidently remember someone who had a beard before then shaved.

11. Sheep Build Friendships with Others

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Having a good memory, means sheep can also remember their friends, meaning that they also form friendships quite well to begin with. It is believed that sheep are very social creatures who bond even better in flocks. In fact, after they form friendships, they tend to give preferential treatment to those they consider friends. This also means that they can experience grief and loss and miss their friends if one of their group members passes away.

12. Sheep Were the Subjects of the Oldest Tattoo Art

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Way before the days of flower and butterfly wrist tattoos, the coolest tattoo art you would find was that of livestock and some of the oldest tattoo art to ever be recorded were found in Egypt. The most common were that of sheep and bulls. In fact, mummies of people who might have lived about 5,000 years ago, had tattoos of these. It is not exactly clear whether there was a significant angle to the subject of the tattoo, but it is interesting to realize that sheep were considered cool enough to have a tattoo.

13. It is estimated that about 1 Billion Sheep Exist in the World

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China is believed to have about 200 million sheep living within its borders and only 5 million in a country like the U.S. This is not to mention Africa where agriculture and livestock keeping is a huge part of the livelihood. It thus shows that there are so many of them in the world.

14. The First Successfully Cloned Mammal was a Sheep

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In the 1990s, there was a lot of controversy surrounding cloning and a lot of these stemmed from the cloning and development of Dolly the Sheep. It was the first mammal that was ever cloned from an adult cell and it was named Dolly Parton. People weren’t really amused and the role that humans were taking in cloning and animal development was highly questioned and criticized. Unfortunately, she did not live long and had to be euthanized in 2003. She was stuffed and her remains are at the Museum of Scotland.

15. The gestation period for sheep is five months

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The female sheep, known as an ewe takes about five months before giving birth. They typically give birth to one or two offspring at a time. Newborns can walk within minutes after they have been born but are very much dependent on their mother’s milk until about 6 months of age.

When all is said and done, sheep are not really the most exciting and peculiar livestock creatures but they sure are the most interesting. They have so many unique qualities that make them great. They are also quite intelligent and thoughtful, always demonstrating care for their herd members.

Read more: /blog/africa/10-fascinating-facts-about-african-wild-dogs/