Why the long face? Scots scientists shed new light on sheepish facial expressions
● One sad animal can change mood of the whole flock
CONCLUSION “In terms of animal welfare, it is essential to be able to understand how emotions are perceived between animals reared in groups”
DR LUCILLE BELLEGARDE
Most people would struggle to tell the difference between a happy or a sad sheep just by looking at their faces, but scientists have discovered that the woolly animals actually have a wide range of expressions.
Despite having few facial muscles, sheep can convey how they are feeling to the rest of their flock, especially by using their ears. And, researchers have found, one happy – or sad – sheep can change the mood of the whole group.
Scientists at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) made the discovery by showing sheep lifesized photographs of their fellow animals’ heads with happy or sad expressions.
The study, which was carried out in association with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), is being hailed as an important discovery in terms of animal welfare.
The scientists now say that facial expressions are a key social signal that can affect the temperament of small ruminants, such as sheep, goats and deer.
It is thought that if animals can perceive emotions in others then it is likely to affect their own emotional state.
The findings of the experiment, led by Dr Lucille Bellegarde, have been published in the academic journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Dr Bellegarde said: “This study showed for the first time that sheep are not only able to discriminate between facial expressions, but they are also able to perceive the valence – in other words, negative or neutral – of the expressions displayed.
“In terms of animal welfare, it is essential to be able to understand how emotions are perceived between animals reared in groups.
“Because this emotional perception is likely to affect their own emotional state, it might take just one happy – or unhappy – sheep to make an entire flock happy, or unhappy.”
As part of the study, sheep were photographed in different situations.
To obtain happy, or neutral, expressions, they were photographed in their home pens and, for negative expressions, they were either photographed during social isolation, or during aggressive social interactions.
The sheep were then shown photographs of the “Photo Sheep” in the test pen. The photos were displayed on computer screens so that they were of the same size than the heads of real sheep. The tested sheep then had to learn to choose the correct type of face – either the happy or the negative – to gain a small food reward which was placed behind the picture.
They had to choose the correct image 22 out of 30 times before the researchers could consider that they had learned the task.
The results also showed that sheep learned to link an image of a negative facial expression with a reward faster.
Dr Bellegarde said: “We have linked this difference to the attention bias that exists in mammals towards negative stimuli.
“For instance, humans pay more attention to potential threat such as images of spiders, than to images of buildings.
“This increased attention towards images of negative faces is most likely what ‘helped’ the animals to learn the discrimination task more quickly.”
Another busy and successful Livescot event at Lanark on Saturday saw Crieff’s Wilson Peters lead a strong prime cattle section.
Overall champion for Mr Peters, of Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff, was a 22-month-old 644kg British Blue cross heifer which he had bought at Middleton in Teesdale last November. Named Mis Tees, this daughter of Valdes Van De Sluizenweg, out of a Limousin cross dam, had a successful show season, taking seven champion titles.
At the sale following the show, Mis Tees fetched £3,500 to Anthony Kitson Butchers, Yorkshire.
In his quest for the champion, judge Harry Brown, of Peterhead said he was looking for a balance between “finesse for the show ring, and something that will kill well – because eating quality is really what is most important.”
He felt he had found that in his champion and was also impressed with his choice of reserve, another Limousin cross heifer, this time from Andrew Ewing, Drumbretton, Annan, who was showing at the event for the first time.
His topper was the 18-month-old Lakeland Lady, a 595kg daughter of Hollows Finn, out of a Limousin cross dam. This one had been bought at a sale in Cockermouth, which Andrew had been judging and placed her champion. Bred by RW and JH Emmott, Wythop Hall, Embleton, she was champion and reserve interbreed at Dumfries Show in August. She went on to make the top price at the sale, selling at £3900, also to Anthony Kitson Butchers.
In the steer classes, best overall was No Frills Frazer, a 608kg Limousin cross from James Nisbet, Sorn Mains, Sorn. Sired by Lodge Hamlet and out of a British Blue cross dam, he was bought at Brechin in February this year and stood reserve steer champion at the Royal Highland.
Reserve to that one in the steer championship was a home-bred 510kg Limousin cross from Iain Lammie, Longhouse, Cumnock. On its first outing, this one is by Powerhouse Elite and out of the show heifer, Bonnie Lass.
Over in the sheep ring, it was the best of the butcher’s lambs that most impressed judge Jimmy Stark, a sheep buyer from Alton Farm, Milton of Campsie.
“They are outstanding, lean lambs, with great gigots and loins – perfect for my market, which is mainly quality Asian butchers in Edinburgh and Glasgow.”
His top two were Aprilborn Beltex crosses weighing a combined 85kg, from John and Joanne Hall, Inglewood Edge, Dalston, Carlisle. Sired by a Northcop ram, they provided a sixth overall lamb championship at the event for the father and daughter team. They went on to sell for £620 to the judge.
Standing in reserve overall position were the hill champions, two Blackface wedder lambs which Mr Stark described as having “tremendous lean carcases – just what the market is looking for.”
Bred and shown by Hugh Hamilton, Glenmanna, Thornhill, Dumfries, they weighed a combined 79kg. At the sale, this pair fetched £350, to Ballard Butchers, Castle Douglas.
Second best in the hill championship were the North Country Cheviot winners from Innes Graham, Carruthers, Waterbeck, Lockerbie, wedder lambs by a Nuncote Nook sire, which sold at £190.
Meanwhile, reserve in the butcher’s section were the champions from the Young Breeders’ classes, 39kg pure Beltex ewe lambs by Airyolland Alonzo, from Robert Rennie, Sydenham, Ednam. This pair made £300, again to the judge.