Oves
Things to know about sheep
What are sheep good for?
Besides the dog and the goat, sheep (zool.: Ovis aries) might
have been the first animals that were domesticated by men. Their
history as useful animals can be traced back for
about 11,000 years1.
Sheep serve men in many different ways:
- The first utilization of sheep was probably as meat source.
- In cold climates, sheep coats were used as clothing for a long time.
- During the 18th and 19th
century, wool was a sought-after renewable product from sheep. This was
brought to an abrupt halt by the introduction of cotton from overseas
and, later, by the invention of synthetic fiber. Today, however, people
are one more time getting aware of the value of natural clothing. This
is, among other reasons, due to the fact that more and more people are
developing allergies against additives that are used during manufacturing
of synthetic fibers.
- Our guts are used to manufacture strings for musical instruments.
- Milk from sheep has always been appreciated, either as is, or in processed
form as cheese.
- In recent times, sheep proove useful as outstanding conservators of the
countryside by grazing pastures that are inaccessible (at justifiable
costs) by machines. That way, sheep ensure the protection of ancient
man-made landscapes, e. g. the Lüneburger Heide.
1Dexter Perkins: Prehistoric Fauna From
Shanidar, Iraq, Science 1964; 144:1565-6