2LearnKept species
Sheep
Ovis aries
Sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated and are kept for meat, wool and milk. There are more than a thousand breeds, from hardy hill sheep to specialised wool and dairy breeds. They are grazing flock animals and a common first livestock for smallholders.
About
Domesticated ruminant bred for meat, wool, and milk.
- Family
- Bovidae
Keeping
How it is kept
Kept for
- Meat
- Fibre
- Dairy
- Mature weight
- 40–130 kg
- Lifespan
- 10–12 years
- Gestation
- 147 days
- Temperament
- Gentle flock animals that stress easily when alone
- Forage
- Grazers that do well on good grass and hay. Ewes need extra feed late in pregnancy, and many areas need a mineral supplement made for sheep.
- Housing
- Stock-proof fencing and shelter from wind and rain. Lambing in cold, wet weather may need a barn or shed.
- Good to know
- Sheep must never be kept alone. Most wool breeds need shearing at least once a year, and feet and the rear end need regular checks for flystrike in warm weather. Sheep are sensitive to copper, so avoid minerals and feeds made for cattle or goats.
Photos, videos and notes
From keepers
Known as
Names around the world
- en
- sheep
Full detailsevery field on the record, to copy
- Name
- Sheep
- Slug
- sheep
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Ovis
- Species
- aries
- Wikidata QID
- Q7368
- Container suitable
- No
- Indoor suitable
- No
- OSSI pledged
- No
- Hazard level
- 1
- Data completeness
- 48
Generated sections & citations
summarywikidata