Did ewe know?

Sheep belong to the ruminant classification of animals. Ruminants are characterized by their "four" stomachs and "cud-chewing" behaviour. The cud is a food bolus that has been regurgitated. Sheep breeds There are more breeds of sheep than breeds of any other livestock species. Worldwide, there are more than one thousand distinct sheep breeds. Sheep come in all different sizes, shapes, and colours. Breeds are usually classified according to their primary purpose (meat, milk, or wool), the type of fibres they grow (fine, medium, long or carpet wool; or hair), the colour of their faces (black, white, red, or mottled), and/or by specific physical or production characteristics.

Sheep Improve plant biodiversity. Numerous studies have shown how sheep and goats, used under prescribed conditions, can help increase the plant biodiversity .When sheep are grazed in the same areas for several years, the level of perennial grasses within the plant community tends to increase which has been shown to increase water infiltration and decrease erosion. Sheep will graze for an average of seven hours per day, mostly in the hours around dawn and in the late afternoon, near sunset. When supplements are fed, it is best to feed them in the middle of the day so that normal grazing patterns are not disrupted.

Did ewe know sheep are intelligent? Sheep are above average in learning ability and have very strong herding instincts, making it hard to be separated from the flock Sheep have survived as a species when others have disappeared. The sheep has precisely the correct amount of intelligence it needs to allow it to function within the grazing/ruminating niche that it inhabits (Ruminants don't need to be Einstein). Therefore, when the question is examined as the amount of intelligence present relative to the amount needed, it would be unfair to characterize them as "dumb." The pejorative use of "dumb" or "stupid" as applied to sheep implies "dull," and sheep have too many interesting facets to their behaviour to deserve being labelled as dull. Sometimes the shepherd is tempted to call sheep stupid because the sheep do not react in the manner the shepherd thinks they should. However, sheep react in a very predictable manner, and the failure of the sheep to behave according to the shepherd's desires may, in fact, reflect the shepherd's lack of intelligence rather than the sheep's.

Eyes: Wide-angled Sight Did you ever look a sheep eye to eye? If you have you probably noticed a few things. For one thing, they have a very large pupil, and the sheep pupil is differently shaped than the human pupil. The sheep pupil is somewhat rectangular in shape. And the eyeball is placed more to the side of the head, which gives them a wider field of vision. Behavioural scientists believe that the placement and structure of the sheep's eyes are due to nature's designation of sheep as a prey species. Predator species, such as dogs and coyotes, have eyes placed toward the front of their head. This narrows their total field of vision but it increases their binocular visual field. This gives the predators better depth perception and a more concentrated field of vision.

Prey species, like sheep and cattle, have a much wider visual field. With only slight head movement, sheep can scan their entire surroundings.. They have wide-angled perception, allowing them to see behind them without turning their heads. If there is a threat, the sheep is likely to perceive it and the behavioural response is generally to flee. The shape of the pupil further enhances the ability of sheep to pick up movement. The rectangular shape provides a built-in wide angle lens effect which is further enhanced by the placement of the visual receptors in the retina. The total effect is enhanced peripheral vision. It is speculated that a certain amount of vertical vision is sacrificed, i.e., sheep may not be able to easily observe objects that are overhead, such as a predator in a tree.

Colour: What about colour vision? For many years it was believed that both cattle and sheep were colour blind, but apparently this is not true. Current evidence is that all common livestock have the cones necessary for colour vision. In addition, research with sheep trained to discriminate between colours has led investigators to conclude that sheep are not colour blind. It is, however, likely that sheep's colour acuity is not equal to other species, such as humans. They are above average in learning ability and have very strong herding instincts, making it hard to be separated from the flock. Their non-violent nature, however, does make them easy targets for predators ranging coyotes, bears, and mountain lions to eagles and neighbourhood dogs. In addition to fencing, many farmers protect their sheep with guard dogs, donkeys or llamas.

Ears: Hearing Did ewe know? Sheep become nervous and difficult to handle when stress hormones are elevated, so it may be useful to avoid loud or shrill noises when handling or moving sheep. The sheep can amplify and pinpoint sound with its ears. Sound arrives at each ear at slightly different times with a small difference in amplitude which the auditory system can process into a directional signal. This can be further refined by moving the ears, head or the entire body. This skill is probably almost as important as sight and smell for sheep.
#Sheep eyes, #Sheep ears #Sheep intelligent #Ruminants