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Do you know that certain body movements and the sounds of animals always have a meaning? Since they can not speak, they have to express and warn through body movements and particular sounds.
All these gestures and sounds are made only when they have to convey a message. These animals avoid making these sounds and moving their body this way purposelessly.
As we said, all sounds that animals make have a meaning. If an animal makes a unique sound once in a while, it can be said that the animal is trying to convey a message.
However, if the animal makes a certain sound quite often, would there be a meaning?
There is one animal who makes a unique sound all the time, it makes us wonder whether it has a meaning as well. That animal is a sheep and the sound is “baa”. Why do the sheep baa? What’s the need that keeps the sheep baaing?
So, Why Go Sheep Baa?
Though sheep baa all the time; day and night, it still has a meaning. They do not make this sound purposeless at all. To be more specific, sheep baa for the following reasons;
- When they unfamiliar with the field
- When they get separated from the flock
- When they are trying to find a mate
- When they have to warn about the predators
- When they have to inform about the food source the flock
- When they are hungry
- When they have to soothe the anxious young
- When they have to express pain or distress
- Sheep baa sometimes for no reason at all as well
When they are unfamiliar with the field
Just as we are terrified of the unknown, these animals are trying to predict what will happen. If not all the time, they fear the unknown especially when they are in a foreign environment. So, when they are left in an unfamiliar field whether alone or with the flock, the sheep will baa out of fear.
When they get separated from the flock
Sheep are highly social animals, they usually prefer staying and grazing in the flock. If sheep get separated from the flock, they get agitated.
So, out of fear and nervousness, the sheep baa to inform that they have been separated from the flock. The separated sheep baa to inform that he/she wants to get back to the flock.
When they are trying to find a mate
Since sheep live in a flock, one Ewe can have several candidates. So, the lambs have to fight hard to win the mating right. In the breeding season when lambs and ewes are out on the hunt, they baa to find a suitable mate.
When they have to warn about the predators
Coyotes, wolves, foxes, bears, dogs, eagles, bobcats, and mountain lions are all the biggest sheep predators.
Whenever they see predators aiming nearby, they baa out of fear and keep horns warning the flock about the predator’s arrival.
When they have to inform about the food source of the flock
Sheep are categorized as grazing animals, they roam around to find a food source to graze on. Whenever one or more sheep find a food source they baa to call and inform the flock.
When they are hungry
Whenever a sheep is hungry, he/she would baa. If in the said state, the sheep find the livestock keeper nearby, he/she would start following the livestock keeping making this unique sound. It is to inform him to arrange some food.
When they have to soothe the anxious young
The baby sheep get afraid, anxious for any reason. Since sheep are protective moms, they try to soothe the anxious young in every way possible. Sometimes they baa to tell the anxious young that they are here.
When they have to express pain or distress
Sheep expresses their pain or distress in many ways; reducing feed intake, licking, rubbing, or scratching the painful area, grinding their teeth, curling their lips, and making the baa sound.
Most of the time when they saw their favorite human passing by, the sheep that are in pain express it by making the baa sound. Learn How Many Sheep Per Acre?
Sheep baa sometimes for no reason at all as well
Rare Sheep baa all the time, sometimes they baa for no reason at all as well. Whenever go silent baaing once or twice, they are usually not conveying a message, or expressing any feeling.
So, we can say that the sheep’s baa does not have a specific meaning. They baa all the time trying to express their emotions to you and the flock.
Conclusion
In brief, sheep baa all the time for several reasons. Sheep baa mainly when they are anxious, hungry, see their favorite human, trying to find a mate, soothe the anxious young, get separated from the flock, or express pain or distress.
