The exciting creation of sheep husbandry is a great one to get into – but it brings with it all kinds of sheep vocabulary that you necessitate to sleep with about . If you ’re look for a glossary of sheep terms , you ’ve come to the right place .
This ready guide should recount you everything you need to know when it derive to prove sheep – at least when it comes to the lingo , that is !
Different Names for Sheep
1. Bellwether
A bellwether is a sheep that conduce a flock . The name comes from the bell that the sheep wear out around its neck .
2. Cull Yow
A cull yow is a female sheep that is too previous for breeding .
3. Draft Ewe
A draught ewe is an onetime sheep that was call down on a hill farm and then sold to a farmer who has lower , less challenging conditions for the sheep to argue with . This phrase is not used often in the US .
4. Ewes
What do you call a female sheep ? A ewe , of line ! Young females are denote to as ewe lambs .
5. Flock
A flock is a group of sheep . It can refer to a group of any size , although larger ones we often call mobs or set .
6. Gelt
A gelt is an grownup ewe that does not Charles Lamb whenothers are lambing , broadly because she was set apart from the ram due to prior lambing trouble . Gelts can eventually be bred again , but most are fatten up up and sold for sum by and by on .
7. Gimmer
A gimmer is simply a female sheep . you could use the name interchangeably with “ ewe . ”
8. Gummer
This is one of my favored sheep terms – it ’s the word for a sheep that has lost all of its teeth due to old old age ! How accurate .
9. Hogg Sheep
A hogg sheep is a male or distaff sheep at the clip from when it is wean to when it is first shear .
10. Lambs
Lamb has multiple meanings as it relates to sheep husbandry . It can be any sheep that is less than a year of age ( unremarkably one that has not yet produced offspring ) . Lamb can also touch to the kernel of a young sheep eaten as food . As long as the sheep is less than a yr one-time , we denote to the meat as lamb and not mouton .
11. Mule
A mule is a crabby - bred sheep . The most vulgar eccentric of mule sheep is a northerly scuff , which is a cross between a Swaledale yow and a Bluefaced Leicester Tup .
12. Rams
Male sheep are universally touch to as random access memory . Occasionally , you will hear the word “ buck ” used for a Aries the Ram , although this is slang and not entirely accurate . In Britain , they refer to random access memory as confidential information .
13. Shearling
A shearling , also known as a hogget , is a young sheep or lamb that has been wean but has not yet had itsfirst shearing . It is usually nine to 18 months of eld , although it can be slightly onetime or vernal depending on the breed too .
14. Store
A store is aweaned lambthat is generally sold off to another farm to be fat for heart production .
15. Wethers
A wether is a castrate male sheep , usually one being raised for meat , though not always .
16. Yearling
Yearlings are sheep between one or two geezerhood of age . This is a term used for other type of livestock , too . With sheep , you may also pick up yearlings come to to as hogg , gimmers , shearlings , thieves , or teg , too .
17. Yoe
Yoe is simply a slang full term for an ewe .
18. Yow
Yow is a Scots terminus for ewe , usually a female sheep that have already devote birth .
Sheep Farming Terminology
1. Abattoir
An abattoir is an area where they mow down animals and process into substance .
2. Accelerated Lambing
This is a system in which ewes lamb more than once per class . It is not unwashed , with most ewes lambing seasonally or only once each yr .
3. Bottle Lamb
Also referred to as a favorite lamb , a nursing bottle lamb is an orphan Charles Lamb that is being raised by nursing bottle feeding . Usually , bottle lambs end up being quite small because of this .
4. Colostrum
Colostrumis the first milk that a ewe produces directly after she gives birth . This is a substance all mothering mammalian bring on and contains a high number of antibodies and food the newborn needs .
5. Creep Feeding
weirdy feeding is the process of provide supplemental provender to a group of lamb .
6. Crutching
Crutching , also known as crochet , is the act of shearing wool from between the rear leg and around the fanny of a sheep . It ’s often done at lambing as an choice to a full - physical structure shearing .
7. Dag
Dag is wool that is foul and tangle with faecal matter . It usually forms in teardrop frame and clings to the wool near the shadower and anus of a sheep ( another reason to crutch your sheep besides lambing ) . If you do n’t regularly murder dags , your sheep could suffer from flystrike .
8. Fleece
Fleece is a term that they use to distinguish the wool from a single sheep in the shorn soil state .
9. Graft
Grafting is when you transport a lamb to a ewe that is not its mother ( usually a ewe that has lost her own Charles Lamb ) to avail facilitate an “ acceptation . ” This can prevent the penury to bottle - provender a Elia in some cases but is very unmanageable to do .
10. Jug
A jug is also known as a lamb playpen . This is where ewes and their newborn lamb are sustain so they can bond and remain safe from threats and flock pressure sensation .
11. Lanolin
Lanolinis the natural oil and grease found in sheep ’s fleece .
12. Mob
A family is a radical of sheep that have been raise in exactly the same way and in the same conditions for the entire time of year .
13. Mutton
Mutton is meat from an older sheep .
14. Ovine
Ovine is just a fun term that mean “ tie in to sheep . ”
15. Parturition
Parturition is another Holy Scripture for lamb or birthing .
16. Raddle, Raddling and Raddled
Raddling is the process of set up a check off harness – ruddle – on a ram . Marking harness are used to help sheepman be cognisant of which ewes have been bred by which ram down during the breeding time of year , and which have not . Usually , marketing harness comprise of simple twist made of straps and a city block of rouge .
And ewe that has been ruddle , indicates that the ram has bred her .
17. Rigwelted
Rigwelted is one of my favorite sheep term ! It refers to an upturned sheep , usually , one that is heavily pregnant and get hold herself rolled over without the power to right herself .
18. Rise
upgrade is a icteric line on the wool of a sheep . It is ordinarily get by the anterior winter ’s greasy woolen being removed from the skin and replaced by fresh new wool that ’s easier to veer . go out rise is a good planetary house that your sheep are quick for shearing .
19. Shearing
Shearingis the process of removing woollen from sheep . It can be done for trade the wool or just as a matter of basic hygienics and flock upkeep .
20. Shepherd
That ’s you , my friend ! Anybody who promote sheep or cares for them in any capacity is a shepherd . You may also hear the term “ shepherd , ” which is somebody who is keeping sheep on an open range of mountains . Interestingly , when this term is used in the US , it is not broadly used to refer to the someone who in reality own the sheep ( but instead just somebody who manage them ) .
21. Tupping
Although the word “ tup ” can refer simply to ram or male sheep used primarily for breeding , the bit of “ tupping ” refers to the breeding or coupling process between a ewe and a ram .
22. Wool
Woolis the fibre that is removed from a sheep , ideally to be used for spinning or felting . They relate to it as fleece when it is still on the sheep , too .
Frequently Asked Questions About Sheep Terminology
1. What is the Singular/Plural for Sheep?
This is sluttish to call back – the singular form for sheep is sheep , and the plural for sheep is also sheep . It ’s just like the word “ European elk ” in that regard .
2. What is the Difference between a Sheep and a Lamb?
A sheep is over the age of 12 month , while a Elia is generally untested than that . ordinarily , the word lamb is used to refer to fauna that have not lambed or multiply yet , too .
3. What Do You Call a Newborn Sheep?
A new-sprung sheep is called a lamb .
4. What Is a Mature Female Sheep Called?
normally , they refer to mature distaff sheep as ewes , although this can vary look on the stage of life that they are in . For example , you may use terms like gummer , yoe , yow , or gelt , too .
5. What Is a Mule Gimmer?
A mule gimmer is a distaff cross - breed sheep that is desirable for meat .
There you have it ! All the sheep husbandry terms you need to be intimate about . Now that you make out all the right-hand lingo , you do n’t have to worry about sounding silly when you ’re test to impress your other sheep herd friends .
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