[Carmen]

Sheep are just as intelligent as any other animal. The perception has been one of dumb sheep following each other. Animals are miserable when they are not honoured, and they are used and abused. I find them extremely intelligent. I had a pet lamb a few years back that had been put back in the mob and didnt really exhibit much petness anymore. Anyway she got flystrike, (flies lay their eggs on the back end of sheep and the maggots eat through the flesh, horrible!) She knew she was in trouble and she came to the gate and baaed and camped there till we noticed and rescued her. She knew the humans would help.

Another aspect of herd animals I find interesting is that they put their babies into nurseries. All the young animals stay in one place at the time when the herd needs to go off grazing. Two or three female nannies will be looking after the nursery. All herd animals do this.

Another thing is that behaviour in a herd is matriachial. The senior females teach the young ones the rules of the herd. A mare, on giving birth starts training the foal before she even gets to her feet sometimes. That foal has to be ready to run with the herd and follow orders, or else he may be in trouble.

Monty Roberts described this disciplining very well. He was observing a wild herd of horses at night. When a youngster played up, say attacked another young one, the mamas would tolerate it a little while, but if the behaviour persisted. She would hit that colt full on and force him out of the herd. He would be banished, and to be banished was to be vulnerable to predators. The dominant mare would keep an eye on him, facing him. That meant he was out, not allowed back. After a certain time, she would turn side on to him which was the indicator that he could come back in. When he did come back she would make a big fuss of him and groom him with her teeth. The punishment was over and hopefully he had learned his lesson.

Cheers

Carmen