ANIMALS
SHEEP
Sheep spend most of their time outdoors. Farms have one or more barns where the sheep are kept when they have lambs or when they are sick. The shearing room is in the barn. It is where the sheep have their wool clipped off, or sheared, each spring.
Sheep spend most of their time grazing, or eating grasses and plants, in the pasture. A pasture is a large, open field where grasses and other small plants grow.
In some countries there is a drylot - an area of the farm that has no grass. The shepherd moves sheep there when they have eaten enough grass for the day. He or she does not want the sheep to eat too much grass. If they do, they could get bloat, an illness that can kill them. The shepherd puts other foods such as hay and grain in the drylot. He or she makes sure that the sheep get enough of these foods to stay healthy. There is also fresh water for the sheep to drink.
In other – usually more temperate areas like the UK– hardier sheep are left on moors or rough pastures without shepherds in constant attendance.
