Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
SHEEP BEHAVIOR
Understanding your sheep's behavior will be easier if you remem-
ber the following:
■
Sheep fear noise, unfamiliar surroundings and unfamiliar items
in their surroundings (that jacket hanging on the shovel against
the wall, for example), strange people, dogs, and water.
■
Sheep move readily from a dark area to a light area, from a
confi ned area to an open area, from a lower area to a higher
area, and toward food.
■
Sheep like to follow one another and move away from people,
dogs, and buildings.
■
Sheep will cling to a wall in a pen, and if there are sharp cor-
ners, will bunch up in the corners and stay there.
when dealing with animals: fear. Scientists have discovered that fear memo-
ries are stored in a primitive part of the brain; consequently, these memories
stay with an animal for long periods. If an animal has an especially bad fright,
for example, upon entering a barn, it will continue to fear entering that build-
ing. (See chapter 3 for more about handling facilities.)
As much as fear reactions can be a pain in the neck for shepherds, remem-
ber that those reactions are genetically programmed in sheep to ensure their
survival. Sheep are prey animals, and the speed with which they have a fear
reaction is part of their defense against predators — and make no mistake
about it: when sheep see you, they see a predator. With patience and training,
however, you can win their trust.
Sight
Like humans, sheep count on their senses for understanding the world around
them. And as prey animals, they rely heavily on their sense of sight. A sheep's
eyes are set off to the sides of its head, creating a wide fi eld of vision (between
270 and 320 degrees, depending on how much wool it's wearing). This wide
fi eld of vision allows it to see predators at great distances — and, more impor-
tant, in almost any direction that a predator may approach. Sheep do have
a blind spot directly behind them, so if you are approaching from the back,
make sure to let them know you're there by talking to them.
