In 1996, a sheep named Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from a somatic cell.

Sheep’s milk is ideal for making cheese. It contains higher levels of calcium, vitamins A, B and E and other nutritional elements than cow’s milk. Famous types of sheep’s milk cheese include Greek feta, French Roquefort, Spanish manchego and sheep’s milk ricotta and pecorino romano from Italy.

Sheep have excellent peripheral vision. Theirlarge, rectangular pupils allow them to see almost 360 degrees. In fact, they can see behind themselves without turning their heads!

In the 15th century, Spain’s thriving wool trade financed the expeditions of its conquistadors, including the voyage Christopher Columbus made to the New World. Indeed, Columbus came from a family of wool traders.

Spain so valued its Merino sheep (which produced highly prized Merino wool) that until the 18th century, exporting sheep was an offense punishable by death.

Sheep have very good memories. They can remember at least 50 individual sheep and humans for years. They do this by using a similar neural process and part of the brain that humans use to remember.

President Woodrow Wilson grazed sheep on the White House lawn.

The ancient Sumerians (4000 – 2000 BCE), who are thought to have developed the first form of writing (Cuneiform script), immortalised sheep in the form of gods in their religion.

Egyptians believed that sheep were sacred. They even had them mummified when they died, just like humans.

Wool, fiber made from the fleece of the sheep, is durable, insulating, wrinkle-resisting, fire-resistant and moisture-absorbing. It makes an ideal fabric for sweaters, coats, rugs, blankets and much more.

A sheep, depending on its type, can produce anywhere from two to 30 pounds of wool per year. In 2010, the average price paid for a pound of wool was $1.15 in the United States.

Wool that comes directly from the sheep is called “raw wool.” Raw wool may go through 70 processing steps to make sure it is the highest quality.

Like goats, sheep are also seasonal breeders. The best time to breed is between early fall to late winter. However, there are some breeds that can be bred year-round (Dorset).

One pound of wool can make ten miles of yarn.

There are 150 yards (450 feet) of wool yarn in a baseball.