44 Facts About Domestic sheep

Use of the word Domestic sheep began in Middle English as a derivation of the Old English word ; it is both the singular and plural name for the animal.

Many other specific terms for the various life stages of Domestic sheep exist, generally related to lambing, shearing, and age.

Domestic sheep are relatively small ruminants, usually with a crimped hair called wool and often with horns forming a lateral spiral.

Domestic sheep differ from their wild relatives and ancestors in several respects, having become uniquely neotenic as a result of selective breeding by humans.

Wild Domestic sheep are largely variations of brown hues, and variation within species is extremely limited.

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Selection for easily dyeable white fleeces began early in sheep domestication, and as white wool is a dominant trait it spread quickly.

The front teeth are then gradually lost as Domestic sheep age, making it harder for them to feed and hindering the health and productivity of the animal.

In general, Domestic sheep have a tendency to move out of the dark and into well-lit areas, and prefer to move uphill when disturbed.

Also, Domestic sheep breeds are often naturally polled, while naturally polled goats are rare (though many are polled artificially).

Domestic sheep is a multi-purpose animal, and the more than 200 breeds now in existence were created to serve these diverse purposes.

Long wool Domestic sheep are most valued for crossbreeding to improve the attributes of other Domestic sheep types.

Coarse or carpet wool Domestic sheep are those with a medium to long length wool of characteristic coarseness.

These Domestic sheep produce a higher quantity of milk and have slightly longer lactation curves.

Hair sheep are similar to the early domesticated sheep kept before woolly breeds were developed, and are raised for meat and pelts.

Also included in some Domestic sheep's diets are minerals, either in a trace mix or in licks.

Feed provided to Domestic sheep must be specially formulated, as most cattle, poultry, pig, and even some goat feeds contain levels of copper that are lethal to Domestic sheep.

Ideal pasture for Domestic sheep is not lawnlike grass, but an array of grasses, legumes and forbs.

Types of land where Domestic sheep are raised vary widely, from pastures that are seeded and improved intentionally to rough, native lands.

Common plants toxic to Domestic sheep are present in most of the world, and include cherry, some oaks and acorns, tomato, yew, rhubarb, potato, and rhododendron.

However, Domestic sheep prefer to eat invasives such as cheatgrass, leafy spurge, kudzu and spotted knapweed over native species such as sagebrush, making grazing Domestic sheep effective for conservation grazing.

Furthermore, in contrast to the red deer and gazelle, Domestic sheep do not defend territories although they do form home ranges.

All Domestic sheep have a tendency to congregate close to other members of a flock, although this behavior varies with breed, and Domestic sheep can become stressed when separated from their flock members.

In regions where Domestic sheep have no natural predators, none of the native breeds of Domestic sheep exhibit a strong flocking behavior.

The bleats of individual Domestic sheep are distinctive, enabling the ewe and her lambs to recognize each other's vocalizations.

In Domestic sheep breeds lacking facial wool, the visual field is wide.

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Good depth perception, inferred from the Domestic sheep's sure-footedness, was confirmed in "visual cliff" experiments; behavioral responses indicating depth perception are seen in lambs at one day old.

Taste is the most important sense in Domestic sheep, establishing forage preferences, with sweet and sour plants being preferred and bitter plants being more commonly rejected.

However, some signs of ill health are obvious, with sick Domestic sheep eating little, vocalizing excessively, and being generally listless.

However, extra-label drug use in Domestic sheep production is permitted in many jurisdictions, subject to certain restrictions.

Some countries allow mulesing, a practice that involves stripping away the skin on the rump to prevent fly-strike, normally performed when the Domestic sheep is a lamb.

Nose bots are fly larvae that inhabit a Domestic sheep's sinuses, causing breathing difficulties and discomfort.

Donkeys and guard llamas have been used since the 1980s in Domestic sheep operations, using the same basic principle as livestock guardian dogs.

Domestic sheep'sepskin is likewise used for making clothes, footwear, rugs, and other products.

Also, in contrast to most livestock species, the cost of raising Domestic sheep is not necessarily tied to the price of feed crops such as grain, soybeans and corn.

However, as Domestic sheep's milk contains far more fat, solids, and minerals than cow's milk, it is ideal for the cheese-making process.

Soay Domestic sheep come in several colors, and researchers investigated why the larger, darker Domestic sheep were in decline; this occurrence contradicted the rule of thumb that larger members of a population tend to be more successful reproductively.

Domestic sheep are sometimes used in medical research, particularly for researching cardiovascular physiology, in areas such as hypertension and heart failure.

Pregnant Domestic sheep are a useful model for human pregnancy, and have been used to investigate the effects on fetal development of malnutrition and hypoxia.

In behavioral sciences, Domestic sheep have been used in isolated cases for the study of facial recognition, as their mental process of recognition is qualitatively similar to humans.

In contradiction to this image, male Domestic sheep are often used as symbols of virility and power; the logos of the Los Angeles Rams football team and the Dodge Ram pickup truck allude to males of the bighorn Domestic sheep, Ovis canadensis.

These black Domestic sheep were considered undesirable by shepherds, as black wool is not as commercially viable as white wool.

Religious symbolism and ritual involving Domestic sheep began with some of the first known faiths: Skulls of rams occupied central placement in shrines at the Catalhoyuk settlement in 8, 000 BCE.

In Madagascar, Domestic sheep were not eaten as they were believed to be incarnations of the souls of ancestors.

Collectively, followers of Christianity are often referred to as a flock, with Christ as the Good Shepherd, and Domestic sheep are an element in the Christian iconography of the birth of Jesus.