Sheep have 32 teeth when fully grown, just like humans!
Sheep - Facts for Kids
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Facts About Sheep For Kids
A sheep’s wool grows about 6 mm (0.24 inches) every month, depending on the sheep’s breed, nutrition, and health!
A sheep’s brain weighs about 4.5 ounces (140 grams), which is about as heavy as a small apple!
Unique Breeds
The smallest sheep breed is the Ouessant, weighing only 28 pounds (13 kg)!
The Suffolk is the biggest sheep breed — some rams can weigh up to 400 pounds (181 kg)!
The rare Valais Blacknose sheep looks like a stuffed animal with its black face and white fluffy wool!
Jacob sheep can have up to six horns!
The Romanov sheep can have up to seven lambs at once!
The Barbados Blackbelly sheep has no wool but hair instead — no shearing required!
The Racka sheep has unusual spiral-shaped horns that can grow up to 20 inches (50 cm) long!
The East Friesian sheep produces more milk than any other sheep breed!
The Navajo-Churro sheep can survive on desert plants that other sheep won’t eat!
Fun & Unique Facts
The term (saying) “counting sheep” to fall asleep dates back to the 12th century (over 900 years ago)!
A sheep’s wool never stops growing, just like human hair!
The world record (best ever) for sheep shearing (cutting wool off) is 731 sheep in nine hours!
Some sheep have been trained (taught) to be therapy animals (animals that help people feel better)!
Sheep can dream while sleeping, just like humans and dogs!
Long ago in Spain, huge flocks of sheep traveled together — sometimes more than 5 million sheep in one season!
Some sheep have learned to cross cattle grids (metal bars over ditches) by rolling over them!
Sheep have better night vision (ability to see in the dark) than humans!
Some sheep breeds can live at altitudes of up to 19,000 feet (5,800 meters)!
Sheep can see almost all around them — even behind their backs — without moving their heads!
Sheep can run 25–30 mph (40–48 km/h) when they’re scared — some rams even hit 35 mph (56 km/h) during rapid charges, like before head-butting!
The oldest sheep ever recorded was a Merino ewe named Lucky — she lived to be 23 years old, which is super old for a sheep!
Sheep have been to space (outer space beyond Earth) as part of scientific research!
A sheep’s wool can be used to make over 100 different products!
Sheep can learn to respond to different colored buckets for different types of food!
Some sheep breeds can survive on seaweed (ocean plants) during winter months!
Sheep’s milk contains more vitamins and minerals (healthy nutrients) than cow’s or goat’s milk!
A sheep’s wool can absorb (soak up) noise and is used in recording studios (places where music is made) for soundproofing (keeping sound from traveling)!
