Sheep are gentle, sensitive animals who are emotionally complex and highly intelligent. The following recent studies have found that sheep and humans have many things in common.

Keith Kendrick, a professor of medicine at Gresham College in London, found that sheep can distinguish between different expressions in humans and can detect changes in the faces of anxious sheep. He also discovered that sheep recognize the faces of at least 50 other sheep and can remember 50 different images for up to two years.

Professor John Webster of the University of Bristol found that, like humans, sheep visibly express emotions. When they experience stress or isolation, they show signs of depression similar to those that humans show by hanging their heads and avoiding positive actions.

Like us, sheep experience fear when they’re separated from their social groups or approached by strangers. Sheep’s heart rates have been found to increase by 20 beats per minute when they’re unable to see any members of their flock and by 84 beats per minute when approached by a man and a dog.

When PETA staff members Carrie and Jackie visited the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Maryland, they found out just how captivating sheep and lambs can be. Playful and puppy-like, the sheep wagged their tails when they were stroked. They affectionately nuzzled and head-butted the women in order to get their attention.

One sheep, named Adam, who loved to cuddle and have his face stroked, made a big impression on the two staff members. “Adam was set to be a religious sacrifice before being rescued in the Washington, D.C., area. I couldn’t even begin to fathom such a hideous fate for the sheep who was softly stroking my neck with his warm, fuzzy face,” recalls Jackie.

Carrie also found that spending time with sheep was an eye-opening experience: “I had always seen sheep depicted as herd animals who didn’t have individual personalities. While I knew that this wasn’t true, my experience with such affectionate and personable sheep truly made me understand what unique animals they are and how horribly cruel it is that they suffer so greatly in wool production and live export.”

Although sheep are intelligent, social, emotional beings—just as humans are—the wool industry continues to abuse them in ways that could warrant cruelty-to-animals charges if dogs or cats were the victims. When they’re still lambs, sheep in Australia—the world’s leading exporter of merino wool—are subjected to mulesing, a cruel mutilation in which farmers carve skin and flesh from the animals’ backsides, often without giving them any painkillers. Every year, millions of unwanted Australian sheep are loaded onto extremely crowded multitiered cargo ships and sent on terrifying journeys to the Middle East or North Africa, where their throats are cut—often while they’re still conscious.

 

no more lamb chops for you buster !

 

Sheep are people too, as well as chickens, cows, dogs and cats. But fucking mung beans, carrots, garlic and lentils are all liars and cheats and are not to be trusted. And just the other day while walking down the street I was attacked by a rotten bunch of tomatoes. Luckily I had my knife with me, and by the time I was done with them the street was red with their juices. I say kill all fruits and vegetables, and we would be just crazy to let legumes and nuts get away with the crazy stuff they get away with, it just ain't right. There's only one good way to get rid of them. Eat them and turn them into the shit that they are.

 

I like sheep.

 

I hope this does not mean you are ( or were ) a shepherd

otherwise.. agree.. they're damn tasty... lamb curry is the bomb..

 

I do like the taste of lamb.

 

But I'm flexible otherwise.

 

And did you know if a sheep in a herd gets it's head caught in a fence and starts screaming the herd will ram it until it dies? Interesting animals.

 

I have a few pet ewes, they are all different with different personalities. Sheep are cool and it's easier to keep them than to mow a few acres of grass in the back. They also eat the wild blackberry shrubs and love to eat poison ivy. We have hair sheep, so no sheering required, besides wool is pretty much worthless nowadays.

Animals are more complex than we give them credit for. When we had the ram we were getting lambs, ate a few, but the missues isn't too hot on lamb, so we got rid of the ram. Now we just have pet sheep.

 

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I'm surrounded by them as I live in a field, on a Welsh hill-farm.

They certainly have individual character and one can even recognise some of them by their distinct vocal tone/style.

We're just about to start lambing season. Always a joy - spring is on its way for one thing.

I spent hours sitting in my garden one stormy night last Spring amongst several mothers and their lambs, who were just sat around waiting for dawn. It was really stormy and there was this weird, ghostly light. It was a strange honour to be sat amongst their family, calm and serene.

We maltreat animals (and all of nature) so disgracefully. The sooner humanity disappears the better.

Never heard of it. In fact they show concern.

What Welsh sheep sometimes do (because they have a taste for magic mushrooms) is run off the cliffs and fall into the sea.

What did you call it? DDR4?

I like singing songs to the sheep. Always entertains me.

Don't Ewe want me baby, don't you want me.....oh......

 

Last edited: Jan 26, 2017

@G String .. while in Amsterdam with my brother one wild and smoke filled New Years Eve about 10 years ago, my brother ate waaaay too many fresh mushrooms against my well informed and extremely experienced advice. I was busy the whole night keeping him on a very short leash from jumping into the canals to "get away from all the people who are following me". It isn't just sheep who would run off the cliff and fall into the sea!

 

Sheeple..

 

I've never heard of that species. Are they dangerous?

 

Nah...........mostly harmless

 

Linus Pauling.

No joke.

I guess that says something about me.

 

Coincidence? I had my first kebab in what must be 10 years today.
Only cost nz$9.50, so they didn't fleece me, and it didn't taste half baaad.

 

No matter how much I ram it home there's no pulling the wool over the eyes for ewe

 

Seriously.... to respect the wildlife is good but every time I read an article about scientists who share some infos... I feel myself in needs to buy a baseball bat and use it the wrong way (use your imagination).

 

Last edited: Jan 26, 2017

Oh guys, please don't go wrong. Our friend, dear @Von_Steyr does not like the general people for whatever reason and uses this term alot for calling anyone sheep that does not meet his own standards. We're just musicians not judges to let our preferences be forcefully injected to their minds. I don't want to define the smartness here but please let's not lose our patience in dealing with the reality. Everyone is changing so please give some time to the people ...

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jan 26, 2017