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Sheep Facts & Worksheets

Sheep are the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes.

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Sheep are the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes. Sheep are raised for fleece, meat (lamb, hogget, or mutton), and milk. Sheep are related to antelope, cattle, muskoxen, and goats. There are a little over one billion domestic sheep in the world, making it the most numerous species of sheep. There are also five or six species of wild sheep in the world.

See the fact file below for more information on sheep, or you can download our 27-page Sheep worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Introducing the Wooly Sheep

  • Sheep are part of the Bovidae family, which includes antelope, cattle, and goats, all of which are ruminant mammals.
  • An adult male sheep is called a ram, and a female is called a ewe. A sheep, less than one year of age, is called a lamb, and sheep are happiest living together in groups called flocks.  
  • Wild sheep, undomesticated sheep, and farmed sheep, domesticated sheep, are very similar, but wild species tend to have more impressive spiral horns, and domestic sheep tend to have longer, fatter tails. 
  • Sheep farming, also called sheep husbandry, is the breeding and raising of domestic sheep.
  • Sheep are farmed for meat, milk, and wool, with different breeds producing different products. 
  • The meat is either lamb or mutton, and the wool sheared from a sheep is called a fleece.  
  • A single sheep can provide around 10 lb (4.5 kg) of wool annually.
  • There are over one billion sheep worldwide, with the largest number being in China, followed by Australia, India, Sudan, and Iran. 

Taxonomy 

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Class: Mammalia
  • Order: Artiodactyla
  • Family: Bovidae 
  • Subfamily: Caprinae
  • Genus: Ovis

Species

  • Ovis ammon (argalis), also known as the mountain sheep
  • Ovis aries domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock.
  • Ovis canadensis, also known as bighorn sheep, is a species of sheep native to North America.
  • Ovis dalli, also known as the Dall sheep or thinhorn sheep, is a wild sheep native to northwestern North America.
  • Ovis nivicola, also known as the snow sheep or Siberian bighorn sheep, is a species from the mountainous areas in northeast Siberia.

History

  • The word sheep comes from Middle English as a derivation of the Old English word scēap.
  • Sheep were first domesticated from wild species of sheep at least 5000 BCE.
  • Ancient Romans kept large numbers of them for the products they provided.
  • In ancient times a lamb was considered a possession of high value, and owning sheep signified wealth.
  • In both ancient and modern religious rituals, sheep are used as sacrificial animals.

Characteristics

  • Female sheep, ewes, typically weigh 100 – 220 lb (45 – 100 kg). 
  • Male sheep, rams, typically weigh 100 – 350 lb (45 – 160 kg).
  • Sheep have crimped hair in a wide variety of shades. Wild sheep wool usually has brown hues, while domestic sheep wool varies from pure white to dark chocolate brown.
  • Sheep have no teeth in the front part of the upper jaw, which is a hard, fibrous pad. Mature sheep have around 32 teeth.
  • Sheep eyes have horizontally elongated pupils, which gives them excellent peripheral vision. They can see what’s behind them without turning their heads.
  • Breeds are often categorized by the type of their wool, face color, tail length, presence of horns or lack of horns, and topography of where they live.

Reproduction

  • Rams generally reach puberty at four to six months, although almost all rams heavier than 27kg, regardless of age, are sexually mature and ready to mate. 
  • Ewes generally reach sexual maturity at six to eight months of age.
  • The mating season, called the rut, happens in the autumn.
  • In feral sheep, rams usually fight to determine which individuals may mate with ewes.
  • In farmed sheep, a large group of ewes is generally mated with a single ram, chosen by the breeder.
  • The gestation period averages 145 days.
  • Immediately after giving birth, the ewe will lick her lamb clean, and the lamb then stands to nurse.
  • Lambs are generally weaned from their mothers between 2 – 4 months old, after which they are raised as breeders or for meat. 
  • Castration is commonly done after 24 hours, as is docking (shortening a sheep’s tail mainly to reduce fecal soiling). Male lambs bred for meat will not usually be castrated but kept separated from ewes.

General

  • Sheep have a strong tendency to follow, and the “leader” may simply be the first individual to move.
  • Sheep’s natural inclination to follow a leader to new areas/pastures was one factor in sheep being one of the first domesticated livestock species.
  • Generally, sheep are docile and non-aggressive, making them the perfect farm animal and pet.
  • They can become stressed when separated from their flock, and cornered sheep may charge, butt, or adopt an aggressive posture, particularly protective ewes with newborn lambs.
  • Sheep are herbivores who eat legumes and grasses and also happily eat invasive plants making grazing sheep effective for conservation.
  • Sheep feed from dawn to dusk, stopping periodically to rest and chew their cud.
  • They have a complex digestive system composed of four chambers, which allows them to break down cellulose from stems, leaves, and seed hulls into carbohydrates.
  • To completely digest their food, sheep will regurgitate their food into their mouths, re-chew, and swallow. This regurgitated food is called cud.
  • Sounds produced by sheep include bleats, grunts, snorts, and rumbles. Bleating or “baaing” is the usual communication between ewes and lambs. Each sheep has unique bleats enabling the ewe and her lambs to recognize each other’s vocalizations.
  • Sheep are often kept in unfenced pastures, with farmers/shepherds using herding dogs to round them up or move them to another area.

Sheep Products

Wool

  • Domestic sheep are bred specially to produce thick wool coats.
  • These coats/fleeces are harvested by shearing.
  • After shearing, the fleece is baled, sold, and manufactured into hundreds of different products, from knitwear such as jumpers and socks to cloth used for suits and furnishings.
  • Lanolin or wool wax, the byproduct of wool, is used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, printing inks, and even motor oils. 

Meat

  • Sheep meat was one of the earliest staple proteins consumed by humans.
  • Nowadays, nearly half a billion sheep are slaughtered annually for their meat, and almost every part of a sheep is eaten. 
  • Sheep testicles are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. 
  • Svio is a traditional dish in Iceland. The whole sheep’s head is boiled, split in two, and served on a plate, with the eyeballs and tongue intact. They do not, however, eat the brain.
  • Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish, uses sheep offal mixed with oats, onion, suet, and spices encased in the animal’s stomach and then cooked. Nowadays, an artificial casing is usually used instead of the stomach.

Milk 

  • Sheep’s milk has twice the fat content of cow’s milk, making it too rich for most people to enjoy drinking. 
  • It is predominantly used to make cultured dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. 
  • Some popular sheep cheeses include ricotta, feta, and Roquefort.

Did You Know?

  • Many shampoos, lipsticks, and mascaras contain lanolin.
  • Wild sheep get rid of their wool naturally by shedding/molting. They often assist the process by rubbing their bodies against trees, leaving chunks of loose wool behind.
  • The plural of sheep is sheep.
  • Sheep and shepherds are mentioned 247 times in the Bible.

Sheep Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about sheep across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Sheep worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about sheep, which are the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes. There are a little over one billion domestic sheep in the world, making it the most numerous species of sheep. There are also five or six species of wild sheep in the world.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Sheep Facts
  • The Ovine
  • Breed of Sheep
  • Wool Countries
  • The Little Lamp went to Market
  • Sheep Vocabulary
  • Black or White Sheep
  • Varieties of Wool
  • The Flock Quiz
  • Raising Sheep for Science
  • Hidden Lives of Sheep

Frequently Asked Questions

Are sheep clever?

Research has shown that sheep are nearly as bright as pigs. They can recognize up to 50 other sheep faces and can even recognize human faces! Sheep also have good memories and can remember how to navigate complex mazes.

Are sheep afraid of anything?

Sheep are timid creatures, so they are afraid of some things, including loud noises and dark places. They are also easily frightened prey animals, so they prefer to be in large flocks where they feel secure. 

Who first brought sheep to America?

It is recorded that Christopher Columbus brought Spanish sheep to America in 1492. They gradually spread through the western United States and Mexico.

Are shepherds and sheepherders different?

Yes, because they manage flocks of sheep differently. Shepherds lead the sheep to where they want them to go. Sheepherders drive groups of sheep from behind the flock, usually with the assistance of dogs trained to help keep the flock together.

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Link will appear as Sheep Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 29, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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