"When Sparks Flew" Memoirs of my Flock.

Static electricity in sheep is one of the least known problems involved in raising the wooly creatures. I will attempt to relate the difficulties it can cause.

Firstly, let me make it clear that sheep do build up a significant amount of electrical charge in their wool coats. When you think back on all the films you have seen this will begin to be evident.

I submit the following to prove my point.

You will notice that sheepdogs never make actual contact with their, shall we say...charges. They know the resultant shock can often be fatal. They will threaten from a few feet away with their wolflike posturing eg. stalking with heads low, tails flat, ears back, lips curled back over canines and such, but they never nip when herding.

Interestingly, the Ancient Greeks coined the romantic description "sparks flew" from mating sheep.

You rarely see them out of the fold at night because the flashes from incidental contact can be seen for miles alerting predators to their location.

You never see a shepherd pick up any large creatures...only the lambs are safe to handle.

They are herded through a 'dip' prior to shearing to neutralize the buildup of static electricty, not to cleanse their wool. The sheep dip timetable is designed to allow the animals to start over, as a full coat can generate enough power to harm others in the flock.

After shearing, the collected outer coats are treated with an anti-static spray as an extra precaution.

In New Zealand, an average 112 deaths per year are reported from restless sleepers on poorly treated woolen blankets.

A properly regulated wool, when knitted into a sweater, can act as a kind of pacemaker for the heart.

Roast leg of lamb was first popularized by accidental contact between the young and the odd fully matured unshorn who managed to escape the shearing process.

To quote my favourite savant...
"And that's all I have to say about that."