When a lamb is born, the shepherd makes sure it gets off to a good, healthy start in life. Sheep have been a friend to people for over 10,000 years, providing both meat and clothing. There are many different breeds of sheep. Some are raised mainly for meat, and others primarily for their wool. Sheep are valuable because they often graze land that other livestock cannot.
Sheep eat grass and hay.
Sheep usually give birth once a year and have 1-3 lambs. They normally live to be about 8 years old. One year's growth of fleece is about 8 pounds of wool. Sheep are usually shorn once a year. The sheep shearer uses a machine that is like the clippers used to trim a dog's fur.