Pairodox Jill
I was checking today on a round bale of hay that I had put out for the sheep last week. The level of feed was low enough such that I needed to remove the feeder from around the bale to allow the animals easier access. After doing so they gathered around to see what was up and to begin consuming what had been out of reach just a few moments before. This allowed an opportunity to get some good pictures. Folks have been known to ask What do you see when you look into the eyes of a sheep? And then answer … the inside of the back of its skull. Sheep are flock animals and the behavior of an individual is influenced by the behavior of others in its immediate vicinity. It is difficult to approach an individual sheep; when you do so the behavior of that animal will influence that of the individual near it, which will influence the behavior of the animal near it, and so on … until the entire flock becomes stirred into a chain reaction. A positive feedback loop ensues which manifests as an explosion of hooves running away from whatever it was that started the reaction. This is, understandably, a defensive response. Getting to know, understand, and to appreciate sheep takes a very, very, long time.
