Sheep – Follow the Leader

Sheep are among the most valuable of all domestic animals. They are closely related to goats. There are more than 200 breeds of sheep. They are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Male sheep is called ram and baby sheep is lamb. Female sheep are called ewes. Sheep like to follow a leader. They live together in groups called flocks. Adult sheep weigh 35 to 180 kilograms. Some sheep have horns. The horns of the bighorn sheep can be more than 1 meter in length.
Sheep eat grass and plants. The shepherds take care of the sheep, sometimes with the help of well-trained and specially raised sheepdogs.

The thick, soft wool of domestic sheep is used for making clothes and blankets. Merino and Rambouillet sheep are raised specifically for their wool. Some sheep are raised for their meat. In many countries people make sheep’s milk into cheese. Sheep milk contains 6-9% butterfat while the cow’s milk contains 3-6%.
There are wild sheep which look a lot like goats.
Sheep evolved about 2,500,000 years ago. They were the first animals to become domesticated, approximately 9,000 to 10,000 B.C. Wool fabrics have been found in prehistoric ruins 10,000 years old. Sheep skins were the source of parchment from around 600 B.C. through the Middle Ages.

Argali

Interesting facts
– The first cloned animal was the sheep. She received the name Dolly in honor of singer Dolly Parton. Subsequently, the phrase Dolly sheep became known throughout the world. There are many souvenirs, gifts, clothes depicting a cute painted lamb with the signature Dolly;
– A distinctive feature of sheep, oddly enough, is not the coat or size, but the tail! The longer and thicker it is the more valuable is the breed of sheep;
– Sheep have become the first animals to become famous in advertising, as its carriers. A farmer who received a ban on installing advertising along his farm, placed ads on the back and sides of his sheep. The effect was impressive;
– These animals have rectangular pupils;
– The Germans rent sheep as lawn mowers. This is cheaper than buying equipment.
– Sheep have a unique ability to recognize their shepherd.
– Sheep is the eighth of twelve animals associated with the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, based on the Chinese calendar.
– Sheep, as a rule, give birth to twins.