Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the voices of their offspring or mother over fairly long distances. An animal
that is separated from the fl ock will call incessantly to try to locate its buddies.
One interesting fact about the sheep's auditory system is that it can pinpoint
where subtle sounds are coming from by “tuning in” its two ears separately.
Smell
The sense of smell is extremely important to sheep, and it's much stronger
than a human's. Smell is the fi rst sense that ewes use to identify their lambs
at birth and while they are nursing. The ewe recognizes her own scent from
the amniotic fl uid that is coating the lamb and later from the milk odor. One
method of grafting an orphan lamb to a ewe is to fool her sense of smell by
rubbing down the orphan with her amniotic fl uid. Rams also use the sense
of smell to detect ewes that are coming into heat or are ready to mate; at that
time, females release a chemical pheromone, which is like a perfume, which
the male smells.
Taste and Touch
Taste and touch are the least important senses. Sheep use taste the same way
humans use it: to decide if something is good to eat. Touch is used in court-
ing, in parental bonding, and sometimes to become more familiar with some-
thing. Unlike humans, however, a sheep does most of its touching with its
nose. You'll often see this behavior if something new has been introduced to
the animal's environment: fi rst, it approaches with its neck stretched far out
while it sniffs the air; then it touches the item with its nose.
Working Sheep
When you are working a fl ock of sheep (for example, for moving or shear-
ing), it helps to have patience, to move slowly, and to work quietly. Working
your animals is always stressful on them, so your efforts to reduce their stress
will pay dividends in better production, less illness, and fewer injuries. If
you're working sheep within the fi rst month after they've been bred, stress
can actually cause abortion. Your patience and slow, quiet approach will not
only reduce the stress on them but reduce yours as well.
Moving and controlling fl ocks in large areas are often best accomplished
with the assistance of a herding dog. Chapter 4 discusses the use of these
working companions. Working your fl ock also becomes easier if you use good
handling facilities such as catch pens, chutes, and gates. Read more about
these in chapter 3.
