Behavior Traits

Behavior Traits

• Sheep, like most domestic species, have species-typical behavior, or "natural behavioral tendencies"

• Social animals that do not like to be separated from flock (flocking instinct)

• Most dominant ewe is often the oldest

• Little aggression is seen among sheep, but if feeding space is limited, dominant sheep will push weaker ones

• Can move sheep by simply shaking a pail of feed!!

approach

• Sheep like to be close or touching each other – it is an important interaction for them

• Very curious – troughs, people, new animals

• When approaching something new they often assume a position of submission – heads down and stretched outwards, sniffing

Prey Animals

Prey Animals

• Sheep are prey species

  • This is evident from their diet, grazing habits, and physical characteristics

• Free ranging animals will group together in tighter groups when there is little coverage, and will spread out more in sheltered pasture areas where there is less threat

• Safety in numbers – After fleeing, sheep will reform their group and look at the predator. They use their natural herding instinct to band together for safety. A sheep that is by itself is vulnerable to attack

• Average Life Span – dependent on breed/needs (8–10 years)

Never walk a straight line

 Sheep tracks are never straight. The winding of trails allows sheep to observe their backside first with one eye, then the other. Sheep can spot dogs or other perceived forms of danger from 1,200 to 1,500 yards away.

Pain

 Sheep have an amazing tolerance for pain. They do not show pain, because if they do, they will be more vulnerable to predators who look for those who are weak or injured.

How they show pain

• Sheep do hide pain well from predators but can be seen in the following behaviours:

  • Reduced feed intake and rumination

  • Licking, rubbing, or scratching painful areas

  • Reluctance to move

  • Grinding their teeth and curling their lips

  • Changes in posture to avoid moving or causing contact to a painful body area

High Temp & Humidity
If sheep are showing signs of heat stress:

• Provide shade +/- air movement

• Feed dusk and dawn

• Do not over-handle

• Water sprinklers

WATCH FOR...

• Heat stress

  • Continual panting

  • Rapid breathing

  • Weakness or inability to stand

  • Elevated temp

Low Temp Issues...

• Tolerate well if acclimatized

• Poor BCS (Body Condition Score)

• Inadequate feed

• Signs of hypothermia:

  • Shivering – will stop if worsens

  • Cold mouth

  • Inability to get up

  • No sucking reflex (lambs)

  • Frostbite (young)

• Provide additional feed and bedding

Vision & Hearing

• Can distinguish colors quite well (especially yellow, orange, and red) – may react to new colors

• Eyes positioned on side of head = 330° field of vision

• Limited binocular vision (they depend heavily on their vision) – wool may affect sight

• Sheep have excellent hearing. They can direct their ears in the direction of a sound.

• Sheep are frightened by high-pitched and loud noises.

Smell

• Detect odor from two sites:

  • Nose

  • Vomeronasal organ

• Olfactory center in cattle and sheep is 20x larger than in humans

• Smell is important for:

  • Recognizing reproductive changes in individuals

  • Sensing freshness and palatability of feed

  • Recognizing their lambs or other flock animals

  • Smelling other animals (predators)

Taste

• 25,000–35,000 taste buds (humans have 10,000)
  (Herbivores need to be able to differentiate between poisonous and non-poisonous plants)

• Have taste buds on the laryngeal surface of their epiglottis – important for reflexes protecting the airway

• Tongue is important in the grazing process – encircles a patch of grass and draws it into the mouth, then tongue and lower teeth together hold grass while it is broken down by head movement (sheep will select certain feeds over others)