Sheep
By Christy Lowman
Burke County
In honor of Jesus’s birthday, I wanted to talk about an animal that visited Jesus after he was born. Can you guess which animal it is? If you guessed a sheep, then you are right!
Sheep are fascinating creatures, and they got to visit baby Jesus after He was born in a manger in Bethlehem. The shepherds took their flocks of sheep with them on a journey as they followed a super large shining star that led them to the stable where Jesus was born. Shepherds are people who raise and take care of sheep.
Sheep have been around many years before the birth of Jesus and there are 1200 different breeds. They were among the first animals to be domesticated by man. Sheep are used for meat, their wool is used for clothes, and their milk is used to drink and make fancy cheeses. The fat from sheep is used to make candles and soap. Sheep are also the only animals that make a special grease called lanolin. This grease comes from their wool before the wool has been washed. It is used in a variety of lotions and make-up and has many benefits.
A sheep’s wool never quits growing. Sheep are usually sheared (removing their wool) once a year in the spring. If the wool is not sheared it will keep growing and will become very uncomfortable for the sheep. Wool is very heavy. One sheep can produce 8 pounds of wool a year which will be enough to make a man’s suit. One pound of wool makes 10 meters of yarn. Wool is very warm and is also water and flame-resistant. It will protect you from the cold weather and it lasts for a very long time. Did you know the center of a baseball is wrapped with 150 yards of wool yarn?
Sheep have rectangular pupils which give them a wide range of views without having to move their heads. This helps them stay alert and spot predators, so they have time to escape. Their view is almost 360 degrees. They can see everywhere except directly behind them.
Sheep can recognize others in their flocks even if they have been separated from them for a long time. They can recognize and remember up to 50 other sheep’s faces for up to 2 years. They also remember the faces of their favorite and least favorite caregivers. Sheep pick up on people’s emotions and prefer seeing smiles instead of frowns. They also recognize emotions on the faces of fellow sheep in their flock. This helps keep the flocks safe. They can also remember how to make it through hard mazes and puzzles.
Sheep have lots of predators. Some predators are coyotes, wolves, and dogs. Each sheep has its own “flight zone.” This zone is a length of space the sheep feels it needs to escape a predator. They will not let a predator enter their “flight zone.”
Sheep are herbivores. They like to eat seeds, grass, hay, and plants. Sheep eat certain plants to help them. For example, if they’re sick on their stomach they will eat certain plants to help them feel better.
Sheep do not have upper teeth. Instead, they have a hard plate and have a groove in the middle of their upper lip. The lip allows them to pick and choose their favorite grasses to eat while the hard plate allows them to eat plants without pulling them out by the roots. Sheep do have teeth on their jaw. They grow teeth each year until they have a total of 32 teeth.
A sheep’s stomach is made up of 4 different sections. This allows the sheep to ferment the plants they ate and absorb their nutrients before digesting them.
A sheep can live up to 8 years. Once they are born, sheep can walk within minutes. They depend on their mothers until they are 6 months old.
A mother sheep is called an ewe. The dad is called a ram, and the baby is called a lamb.
Sheep are very social and live in a flock (group) with other sheep. The babies even form strong bonds in their play groups. Each sheep has a different personality and can experience many different emotions.
Bleating is what the sound is called when the sheep call out and communicate with one another. Sheep are also able to communicate with their strong sense of smell. They have scent glands in front of their eyes and between their hooves. These glands secrete a scent that the sheep use to communicate with one another.
Did you know that in the Bible people are referred to as sheep and Jesus as our shepherd? Don’t you think it’s cool that shepherds visited Jesus when he was a baby, and when He became a man, became the shepherd for all of us, His flock of sheep?
Sheep are followers that follow their shepherd just like people need Jesus’s help to navigate through life.
Have you ever heard of the black sheep? The term usually is used to describe a person in a group or family who acts differently than the others or has done something in their past that others look down on or a person who doesn’t fit in.
I often feel like the black sheep in several areas of my life. Fun fact: that is why you will usually find a black sheep in my books that have sheep in them. A lot of times, I feel like I don’t fit in, or I’m treated differently than others. Just like everyone else, there are things I have done in my past that I am not proud of. If you feel like you are a black sheep as well, let me tell you some comforting news. Jesus was born in a manger to save everyone not just some. Jesus loves you unconditionally and will forgive you for whatever sin you have committed if you just ask. Jesus died on the cross for every person, even the ones that are considered black sheep. When I’m sad because I’m feeling like the black sheep, I think of the parable in the Bible of the lost sheep and it comforts me because no matter how you are treated by others, you are just as important as everyone else is to Jesus. Here is the parable: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18: 12-14.
Dear Lord, when we feel like a black sheep help us remember that you love us just as much as all the others. Help us remember that You are our shepherd and are here to take care of us and guide us through life, especially the hard parts. Dear Lord, we thank you for letting Jesus be born in a manger and for letting sheep be one of the first animals to get to see Him. We thank You for Jesus, who is the best shepherd of all! Amen.
Bibliography
https://www.raisingsheep.net/sheep-teeth
https://spca.bc.ca/news/fun-facts-about-sheep/
https://www.durvet.com/10-head-turning-facts-about-sheep/
https://oklahoma.agclassroom.org/resources_facts/agfacts_sheep/
https://www.four-paws.org/campaigns-topics/topics/farm-animals/10-facts-about-sheep
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Christy Lowman is a Christian author and illustrator that lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and two children. She enjoys writing and illustrating books for all ages. Some of her short stories are published with Guideposts and HCI. Christy gives all the glory to God in everything she does. A portion of every book sold from the Small Bible Character Series will be donated to battle human trafficking. If you enjoy her books, “like’ her author page on Facebook and let her know! You can buy her books at //www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChristy+Lowman&s=relevancerank&text=Christy+Lowman&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1. You can reach her at //www.facebook.com/authorChristyLowman/
or christyssoaps@yahoo.com
You can read more Christian news from Christy here.
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