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Quiz about So You Want to be a Sheepherder

So You Want to be a Sheepherder Quiz

Are you unafraid of wolves? Does the smell of wet wool seem pleasant? Is standing alone on a hill in the dark of night surrounded by animals your idea of a fun time? Take this quiz to see if you have what it takes to herd sheep.

A multiple-choice quiz by deputygary. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
deputygary

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
264,408

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
3524

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Let's see if you can identify what a sheep looks like. What color are sheep? Hint

Sheep come in many colors

Yellow

Green

A kind of mauvy-puce

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Question 2 of 10

2. A dog would be helpful to have when herding sheep. Which of the following dogs are or have been used to herd sheep? Hint

Australian Shepherd

All of these

Border Collie

German Shepherd

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Question 3 of 10

3. Sheep need to have their wool removed about once a year, otherwise they can become uncomfortable as the wool grows continually. What do you use to shear a sheep? Hint

A blade only

A stacked poker deck and some beer.

Electric shears only

Either a blade or electric shears

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Question 4 of 10

4. What are orphan lambs called? Hint

Dogies

Late to dinner

Baa baas

Bummers

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Question 5 of 10

5. This is an important consideration for someone who wants to be a sheepherder. What is a difference between sheep and goats? Hint

Sheep have hair, goats have wool.

Sheep say "baa", goats say "maa".

Sheep do not have milk, goats do.

Sheep can talk, goats only mumble.

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Question 6 of 10

6. How many ewes can a healthy ram service in one breeding season? Hint

Only one if she is the jealous type.

An amazing 24-30.

Two at the most (it is hard to juggle two females in a small pasture where everyone knows everyone else).

None, unless he gets a commitment.

7. It is usually a good idea to cut off a lamb's tail to prevent feces from building up on it and causing health and parasite problems. What is the process of cutting off a lamb's tail called? Hint

Detailing

Docking

Castration

Lopping

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Question 8 of 10

8. Sheep have to eat. Which of the following provides the most protein for a sheep? Hint

Timothy

Alfalfa hay

Corn silage

Shepherd's pie

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Question 9 of 10

9. What kind of sheep should you raise if you are interested in the finest wool? (Hint: the name is similar to the Hall of Fame quarterback from the Miami Dolphins of the United States National Football League.) Hint

Montana

Merino

Elway

Favre

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Question 10 of 10

10. When it is time to sell your wool you need to go to a special sale. The name of these sales is interesting in that the two words in the name are almost spelled the same. What are these wool sales events called? Hint

Hair fair

Flock stock market

Baa baazaar

Wool pool

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Let's see if you can identify what a sheep looks like. What color are sheep?

Answer: Sheep come in many colors

Although most people think of sheep as only being white, there are breeds that are black, brown, grey, and blue.

2. A dog would be helpful to have when herding sheep. Which of the following dogs are or have been used to herd sheep?

Answer: All of these

There are several dozen breeds of dogs used around the world to herd sheep. Among them are the Alpine Shepherd Dog, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, German Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Catalan Sheepdog, Belgian Sheepdog, Icelandic Sheepdog, Shetland Sheepdog, Pyrenean Shepherd, Shiloh Shepherd, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Croatian Sheepdog, English Shepherd, Picardy Shepherd and Central Asian Shepherd Dog.

Not to mention the Collie and Puli (which I just did mention).

3. Sheep need to have their wool removed about once a year, otherwise they can become uncomfortable as the wool grows continually. What do you use to shear a sheep?

Answer: Either a blade or electric shears

An expert in shearing can shear a sheep in under two minutes. The world record for sheep shearing is 720 ewes in nine hours, the equivalent of 80 ewes every hour or one ewe every 45 seconds. My barber takes about 15 minutes to cut my hair, but she takes a little more care than the guy who was shearing a sheep every 45 seconds.

4. What are orphan lambs called?

Answer: Bummers

An orphan lamb is one whose mother died, did not take to the lamb, or, in the case of twins or triplets, could not feed one of the lambs. Bummers can be hand-raised, adopted by another ewe, or sold to someone who wants to start their own herd or who is only interested in raising one sheep.

5. This is an important consideration for someone who wants to be a sheepherder. What is a difference between sheep and goats?

Answer: Sheep say "baa", goats say "maa".

Here are some other differences. Goats will nibble at some grass or plant then move on to something else while sheep will graze on the whole plant or all the grass. Sheep are more likely to have worms. Sheep are more panicky. Sheep milk is higher in fat. Most sheep are hornless; most goats have horns.

6. How many ewes can a healthy ram service in one breeding season?

Answer: An amazing 24-30.

While some breeds and strains may breed year round, most sheep breed from March to the end of May -- about 92 days.

7. It is usually a good idea to cut off a lamb's tail to prevent feces from building up on it and causing health and parasite problems. What is the process of cutting off a lamb's tail called?

Answer: Docking

If you thought the answer was castration, you are really not cut out to be a sheepherder. Castration involves a totally different appendage.

8. Sheep have to eat. Which of the following provides the most protein for a sheep?

Answer: Alfalfa hay

Alfalfa hay consists of 16 percent protein, while timothy-grass is 7.5 percent and corn silage only 3 percent. You do not feed Shepherd's pie (either minced lamb or mince ground beef covered with mashed potatoes and cheese) to sheep. You feed it to shepherds.

Answer: Merino

There are basically three types of sheep breeds. Sheep like Merinos and Rambouillets are classified as fine wool breeds. They generally have the best wool for making nice clothes. Long wool breeds like the Romney and Lincoln are sometimes preferred because long wool is easier to work with. Medium wool sheep like the Dorset, Cheviot and Oxford are sometimes known as mutton breeds because they are more often raised for their meat. Medium wool is not as good as fine wool and is therefore used more for carpets and blankets.

Answer: Wool pool

In the US, the average price paid to producers per pound of fleece was $.71 in 2005. Clean wool is more valuable than dirty wool. White wool is more valuable than colored wool because of its dyeability. White wool from sheep with white faces is more valuable than white wool from sheep with black faces because wool from the latter contain some black fibers.

Source: Author deputygary

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor DakotaNorth before going online.
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