It’s no secret that at Shepherd’s Lamb and Tierra Wools we think sheep are super! And while we gave you five of our favorite fun facts about sheep in last month’s blog, there’s certainly more than five reasons sheep are special. So as we savor the final weeks of long summer days here in the mountains, we give you five more of our favorite sheep factoids to enjoy!
1. Sheep are Selective
You may know that sheep are grazers – animals that prefer to eat grasses and forbes – but did you know that they can be picky about which blades of grass they eat? Sheep have a groove in their upper lip called a philtrum that allows then to carefully select the vegetation they like from their pastures!
2. Sheep are Storied
Sheep were first domesticated over 10,000 years ago along with dogs and goats. Sheep are related to antelopes, musk oxen, and goats. There are over 10,000 distinct breeds of domestic sheep raised worldwide and there are also 5 species of wild sheep!
3. Sheep are Seasonal
Ewes are seasonally polyestrous, which is a fancy way of saying that they are generally only able to breed at certain times of year. The shorter days of autumn with overall fewer daylight hours trigger hormonal changes in the ewes that enable them to breed successfully in the fall and winter. Ewes are usually anestrus, or unable to breed, during the late spring and summer months. Temperature and geographic location can also play a role in this cycle and there are variations by breed as well.
4. Sheep are Split-Toed
Like their relatives, goats, sheep are even-toed ungulates: their hooves are split, or cloven, into two toes. This foot structure helps with balance and keeps them steady over uneven or rocky terrain.
5. Sheep are Unstoppable
Unstoppable wool growers, that is! Did you know that a sheep’s fleece never stops growing? While we only shear our sheep once per year, some breeds need to be shorn twice per year due to their prolific wool growth! A sheep can produce anywhere from two to thirty pounds of wool per year.
We hope you enjoyed this fun summer foray into five more fabulous facts about sheep!
References:
1. https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/behavioural-differences-sheep-goats
2. https://www.livescience.com/52755-sheep-facts.html
3. https://u.osu.edu/sheep/2020/08/18/reproductive-physiology-of-sheep/
4. https://www.devonduvets.com/news/post/twelve-things-you-might-not-know-about-sheep
5.http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/ca/facts/mammals/bighorn_sheep.html#:~:text=They%20have%20split%20hooves%20which,by%20his%20massive%20brown%20horns.