Sheep behaviour & needs
Understanding the natural behaviours of sheep can help explain their needs.
Feeding – sheep spend most of the day between grazing (eating grasses and low-growing vegetation) and resting.
Sleep - Sheep only sleep for around four hours a day, though newborn lambs can sleep for 12 - 16 hours per day. They take naps while standing or lying down, as they are wary of predators. Sheep may spend as little as 2.5% of their sleep in REM sleep, compared to humans who spend up to 10 times that amount. Sheep, like humans, mostly sleep at night.
Social – Sheep are highly social animals and find it stressful to be isolated from their flock, which can happen through incidents such as sheep worrying. They like to be around other sheep they're familiar with and form strong social hierarchies ('pecking orders') within their flocks and sometimes show aggression (head butting) to maintain their status. The dominant members of the flock usually lead, followed by the submissive ones. If there is a ram in the flock, he usually leads. Sheep will follow a leader, or flee in unison, and like to see other sheep while grazing, rather than being solitary. They may charge or threaten by hoof stomping if escape is prevented. Sheep communicate with each other through vocalizations, with low-intensity vocalizations related to mother-off-spring interaction & high-intensity vocalizations often in situations of stress.
Avoiding predators – sheep flock closely together whenever they feel threatened and try to maintain a 'flight distance' between themselves and a potential threat. A sheep's natural instinct is to flee when they sense danger, then regroup after. They have good eyesight, with a wide field of vision, and accurate hearing, which help them spot possible threats. Because they're prey animals, sheep have evolved not to show easily recognisable signs of suffering. This means people often don't spot the subtle changes in behaviour that may indicate sheep are in pain or distress. Sheep are at particular risk at certain times of year, such as lambing, or after certain husbandry practices, such as gathering for shearing.
Sheep intelligence – Despite the popular belief and portrayal that sheep are unintelligent, they are actually incredibly intelligent. Scientific evidence show that they can form complex social relationships within their flocks. They have very impressive cognitive ability and just like humans, they form deep and lasting bonds with each other, they stick up for one another in fights, and they grieve when they lose a friend. They also have an extremely good learning ability and memory. Sheep can learn how to find their way through mazes or puzzles while, Welsh mountain sheep can map their surroundings and may be able to plan ahead. Sheep can recognize human faces from photographs & can also recognize facial expressions. It has been shown that Sheep have good memory and can remember about 50 individuals for years and they self-medicate by seeking out plants & substances that make them feel better.
Adaptations to weather – Sheep have many adaptations to help them survive in different weather conditions, such as their wool, behaviour, & ability to seek shelter. Sheep's wool contains a waxy substance called lanolin, which insulates them from the cold and keeps them dry in the wet. Some breeds are known for their hardiness and ability to cope with bad weather, though this is not true of all breeds or ages. Sheep often choose to seek out shelter and have a similar tolerance to warm weather as humans do. They often huddle together in groups to conserve heat and seek shelter behind windbreaks. In hot weather, sheep pant, salivate, and refuse to lie down but shiver to keep warm in cold, wet, and windy conditions.
Swimming - A little known fact about sheep is that they can be quite good swimmers. While they may not particularly enjoy swimming, they can indeed swim if they fall into water or if they have to in order to survive. There are also some situations in which a sheep would choose to swim. The motivation is usually something primal, such as hunger, fear, or the desire to breed. They float and use a fast walking motion to keep their heads above water and breathe. This motion is similar to a dog paddle. Their ability to swim can be affected by factors like wool length. Moorland, EasyCare and North Ronaldsay sheep are noted for their swimming ability.
Tips to look after a sheep - Provide sheep with winter shelter and ensure they have access to fresh, clean water. Monitor sheep for signs of ill-health and cull sick animals, maintain dry barns to minimize breeding sites for pathogens. Control parasites and vaccinate sheep (visit https://www.scops.org.uk/ for more information on parasites).
