Sheep Logic

These are baby-doll Southdowns, and yes, they’re exactly as cute as they look in this picture. We only have four today on our “farm”, as sheep have a knack for killing themselves in what would almost be comical fashion if it weren’t so sad. We keep them for their so-so wool, which we clean and card and spin and knit. It’s so-so wool because the Southdowns were bred for their meat, not their fleece, and I can’t bring myself to raise an animal for its meat. Well, I could definitely raise birds for meat. Or fish. But not a charismatic mammal like a baby-doll Southdown.

Here’s the thing I’ve learned about sheep over the years. They are never out of sight of each other, and their decision making is entirely driven by what they see happening to others, not to themselves. They are extremely intelligent in this other-regarding way. My sheep roam freely on the farm, and I never worry about them so long as they stay together, which they always do. But if I only count three in the flock, then I immediately go see what’s wrong. Because something is definitely wrong.


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Comments

  1. Hi Ben - great story, and loved the illustrations, wolves vs. sheep. This country (world?) needs more shame, and a real Code. Loved the humor mixed in. One of our elders owns a farm here in Nebraska & previously kept sheep. He, too, has ‘interesting’ stories. He once had a sheep find an unimaginably small hole in a rusted car on his property. It took him about an hour to prey a rusted door open & retrieve the bleating sheep. He carried it back to the flock, sat it down, and it immediately ran back into the car. I know there is a story in there, but I’ll leave that story to you or Rusty. Blessings.

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