Breeds
This popular meat sheep is easy to spot because it has a jet-black head and black legs, but white wool.
Suffolk
This is the common word for a mother sheep giving birth.
Lambing
Sheep belong to this group of animals that eat only plants, like grass and clover.
Herbivores
This is the primary food source for sheep, which they graze on in open fields.
Grass
A sheep's body makes this greasy, waterproof oil to keep its wool and skin healthy.
Lanolin
This famous breed from Spain is known for having the softest wool in the world, often used for expensive sweaters.
Merino
A sheep’s pregnancy lasts about this many months.
Five Months
Sheep spend several hours a day chewing this—a ball of partially digested food brought back up from the stomach.
Cud
When fresh grass isn't available in winter, farmers feed sheep this dried version of grass.
Hay
Farmers do this job to keep a sheep's feet from growing too long or getting painful infections.
Hoof Trimming
Most sheep need to be shaved, but this "hair sheep" from South Africa sheds its own coat naturally.
Dorper
Sheep naturally want to mate during this season when the days get shorter.
Autumn (or Fall)
This is the number of compartments found in a sheep's "complex" stomach.
Four
This word refers to seeds like corn, barley, or oats given to sheep for extra energy or weight gain.
Grains (or Cereals)
To keep them clean and stop flies from bothering them, lambs usually have this part of their body shortened or "docked."
Tail
This all-white breed is famous for its all-year breeding and can come in "Polled" (no horns) or "Horned" varieties.
Dorset
This is the correct name for a female sheep.
Ewe
Sheep lack these specific teeth in the front of their upper jaw, using a "dental pad" instead.
Incisors
Sheep need these two minerals often provided in a hard "block" to stay healthy; one is white and the other is usually reddish.
Salt and Minerals
Since they are prey animals, sheep are experts at doing this when they feel sick so that predators don't pick them out.
Hiding (or Masking) their Illness
Also called the "Finn," this breed is known for being a "super-mom" because it often gives birth to 3 or 4 lambs at once.
Finnsheep
This is the correct name for an adult male sheep.
Ram
This is the name of the largest stomach compartment where bacteria break down tough plant fibers.
Rumen
While essential for sheep, too much of this specific mineral can be toxic and even fatal to them.
Copper
These tiny bugs live inside a sheep's stomach and steal its nutrients; farmers use a color chart on the sheep's eye to check for them.
Worms (or Parasites)