Interesting Facts About SHEEP

Cute Lamb

Sheep are counted amongst the oldest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes. They are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals, typically kept as livestock. Here are some Interesting Facts about these animals :-

1. Female sheep are called ewes, baby sheep are called lambs, and male sheep are called rams (they have prominent horns on their head). A group of sheep is called a flock.

2. Sheep are defenseless against predators like coyotes and wild dogs, as they are timid, nervous, and easily frightened.

3. Sheep do not prefer to walk in water or pass through narrow openings, or routes. They like to move uphill, into the wind, than going downwind and downhill.
4. Sheep are ruminants, with four chambers in their stomach. The first chamber is used to store quickly digested food. It can be brought back into their mouths for chewing again, before it is fully digested. Nearly one-third of sheep’s life is spent ruminating.

5. Sheep see in color. An average sheep possesses a field vision ranging to 270 degrees. However, the amount of wool on their face can have an impact on their visual field.

6. Though the name sheep can be used for over 200 distinct species, its everyday usage mostly refers to Ovis Aries.

7. The milk from sheep is considered to be a very rich source of whey proteins, which also makes it easier to digest.

8. Sheep are known to posses an excellent sense of hearing. Being very sensitive to high frequency sound, they get scared by loud noises.

9. Sheep are very selective with regard to their grazing habits. They have a split in their upper lip, which helps them pick the preferred leaves of the plant.

10. Apart from being social animals, they also flock together for protecting themselves against any danger. Still, some breeds of sheep are solitary as well.