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Goats and sheep sometimes look quite similar, and their pregnancy and gestation are similar. Both have their breeding seasons in early fall, and both give birth in spring, with gestation periods averaging around 150 days, though the exact gestation period varies from breed to breed. Goats and sheep both show early signs of pregnancy,... more »
White cotton is a multifunction fabric that is used by millions of consumers without a second guess about its origin, history or the land used to grow it. With some education, however, the consumer can become highly informed about products like white cotton and its uses to gain some perspective and hopefully some appreciation for the... more »
Llamas usually aren’t the first animals you think of in terms of a pet, but if you’ve got a big yard for grazing and a roomy barn for a residence, llamas make loving pets, friends and guardians. In fact, llamas are naturally protective, which is why some sheep farmers get them to protect their flocks. They make a loud... more »
With so many different types of plants and shrubs to choose from, designing your own lofty landscape can be exciting. Decide if your landscape will be a high maintenance garden style, one that uses mulch instead of grass, or an ornamental landscape filled with beautiful flowers. more »
Lambs require complete nutrition to become healthy and strong. Several varieties of milk replacers for lambs can be used if a person needs to feed a young lamb. The best milk replacer is high in protein and fat. Protein and fat are essential for the proper development of growing sheep. more »
Animals must eat to live and some of them live just to eat. Dogs, cats, horses, cows,...
Whether you are interested in Pygmy goats as pets or as farm livestock, these friendly little...
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Shearing a sheep is like getting a hair cut. Some sheep farmers shear their own sheep, while others hire professional shearers to do it for them.... more »
Keeping a pet sheep can be a rewarding experience and a great tool for teaching children responsibility and respect for animals. Sheep kept as... more »
Sheep have more breeds than any other type of farm animal. There are thousands of breeds around the world, and about 40 distinct breeds in the... more »
Sheep are gregarious, which means that they are social animals that are happiest in a group. If you want to raise sheep you should have at least... more »
Breed your sheep to match market demands for their meat, wool and other sheep related products. Select sheep that are good at taking care of lambs... more »
Domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over 1 billion, domestic sheep are the most numerous species in their genus.
Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleece, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton) and milk. A sheeps wool is the most widely used of any animal, and is usually harvested by shearing. Ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones. Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science.
Sheep husbandry is practised throughout the majority of the inhabited world, and has been fundamental to many civilizations. In the modern era, Australia, New Zealand, the southern and central South American nations, and the British Isles are most closely associated with sheep production. Sheep-raising has a large lexicon of unique terms which vary considerably by region and dialect. Use of the word sheep began in Middle English as a derivation of the Old English word scēap; it is both the singular and plural name for the animal. A group of sheep is called a flock, herd or mob. Adult female sheep are referred to as ewes, intact males as rams or occasionally tups, castrated males as wethers, and younger sheep as lambs. Many other specific terms for the various life stages of sheep exist, generally related to lambing, shearing, and age.
Being a key animal in the history of farming, sheep have a deeply entrenched place in human culture, and find representation in much modern language and symbology. As livestock, sheep are most-often read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic+sheep
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