Homing sheep

[Agrivator]

A local story described how a bought-in Shetland ewe disappeared and was presumed to be returning home.

I'd forgotten about similar stories years ago about individual ewes travelling great distances to get back to their old stamping ground ( just like dogs, homing pigeons, garden snails, Lancastrians and many migratory birds).

But has it ever been shown that sheep do in fact have an in-built navigation system? Or are these stories just made up?

 

[spin cycle]

i sold some sheep to a neighbour....they got out and came home

a lot of mine are 'homed' to the feed store

seriously though if sheep can be kept on a hefted basis...they can learn range.....thus navigate so poss possible

 

[Sheep92]

I remember a good few years ago my father bought an artic load of old horned ewes, we let them off at the bottom of the lane and two got out on the road, when we went looking for them they were heading back the way the lorry came

 

[PSQ]

I know of a Clydesdale gelding, an absolute giant at 19 hands high, who kept returning to the chap that bred him.
Every time he was sold (3 times, and counting) the buyers took delivery of the stunning example of the breed, and 3 times the breeder received a phone call pleading for him to buy the big unruly 'brute' back (at a substantial discount!) as he would never settle ?

 

[abitdaft]

Our hill sheep are all hefted. We have had gimmers return from 12 miles away. Best of it is the Hogg's come off the hill at speaning.

 

[spark_28]

Our hill is massive and one winter I moved my sheep to the opposite side as grazing was better there. 3 days later they were back on their normal patch. Probably only about 2 miles for them.

 

[puppet]

On the opposite side there were 4 Blackies who made their way round all the local farms with fences treated like steeplechase jumps. Eventually I suggested to the owner that he remove the tags and simply spray them with a postcode

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We have a homing goat, if that's any use.
She's been returned home twice, I gave up as she knows where we live, now, and is soon back.

"Home" is across the next valley and about 18 miles, as the crow flies.
She still knows Nick and Liv, and will come up for a scratch, but clears any fence