April 02, 2023

Think like a sheep - How to encourage positive sheep behaviour

29 minutes

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime!

How can we encourage the sort of sheep behaviour that is good for us and makes our life easier and the sort of behaviour that is nature and easy for our sheep too? In this episode we explore sheep behavioural traits, how sheep react, how sheep see and hear and how sheep move.

This episode will get you thinking like a sheep!!

Specific Behaviour Traits
Sheep are created with specific behaviour traits. Knowing
what these traits are can make handling them much easier.
 Sheep are social animals, so try and prevent seclusion.
 Sheep by nature are followers; let them follow - you or each other
 Sheep are docile animals by nature.
 Sheep have good memories; these memories need to be
positive ones as much as possible.

Sight and Hearing
Sheep and other farm animals have a well developed sense
of hearing. They capture a wider frequency of sound than is
audible to our ears. So talk to them in a calm,
reassuring voice. When they sense that you mean no harm,
they will turn to their usual business of eating, drinking and
feeding their young.
Humans have binocular vision, focusing both eyes
simultaneously to achieve good depth perception and
clarity for objects directly in front of them. However humans
peripheral vision is very limited. Sheep see the world through
a different set of eyes than ours. Sheep have their eyes set
on the side of the head. They have a narrow field of
binocular vision in front of their head and wide peripheral
fields of monocular vision.
The area in the back of the sheep's head is a blind spot
when their head is raised. If a sheep is approached from the
rear, a handler can remain undetected visually and have a
better chance at catching the animal. With its head down in
a grazing position the sheep can see in all directions; a good
defensive adaptation whereby the sheep can see predators'
from all sides while grazing.