Yes, Wiggly Goat Farm is named after our goats…but I have a confession: I’m completely, irreversibly, head-over-hooves hooked on sheep.

I’ve raised several breeds over the past 34 years, and let me tell you, there’s nothing better than starting your morning with a woolly welcome committee at the barn door. 

One of the things that surprises visitors during our Barn Visits is how friendly our sheep are. People expect them to be shy or aloof, but ours come walking over like we’ve just offered them coffee and gossip. The truth is, sheep can be friendly—but a lot depends on how they’re raised, and just like people, they each have their own quirks and personalities.

We raise our sheep for fiber (not food), and they live out their natural lives here on the farm. So, a warm, fuzzy friendship just makes sense. Some breeds, like our affectionate Finnsheep, are naturally snuggly, while others take a little more coaxing. But with patience, kindness, and the occasional under-the-chin scratch, most will come around.

Despite their reputation for being, well, not the sharpest tools in the shed, sheep are actually impressively smart. They can remember up to 50 individual faces—sheep and human—for over two years! They also have excellent spatial memory and can even learn by watching other sheep (a woolly little game of monkey-see, monkey-do).

Here are some signs of friendly sheep:

• They come closer to you out of curiosity.
• They lean into scratches or rubs—especially under the chin or behind the ears.
• They look relaxed, chew their cud, and have a soft, sleepy gaze.
• They follow you around while you do chores.

On the flip side, less-friendly sheep may:

• Look tense or on edge.
• Run away when they see you coming.
• Pin their ears back (think: “don’t mess with me” mode).
• Charge or head-butt—especially the rams. 

Of course there a many reasons a farmer may not want to have overly friendly sheep—I totally respect that decision, and sometimes I think chores might be easier without friendly sheep in my way! 

If you do want to make your sheep friendlier, try this:

• Be patient and calm. 
• Let them come to you, (no matter how long it takes). 
• Avoid patting the top of their head—not only does it make them nervous, they may perceive the pressure of your hand as head-butting, and learn to butt you back. Once learned, this is almost impossible to undo!
• Take the time to learn each one’s unique personality and tailor your interaction to their preferences. .
• Refrain from hand-feeding.

Yes, food is the easiest way to win over a sheep. But we do not practice hand-feeding. That’s the quickest way to get trampled by sheep! Instead, we feed them grain and hay at mealtimes—in their feeders. The rest of the time? We sit at their level, offer gentle scratches, and build trust without any food bribery. It creates the kind of companionship that’s not based on food—but on true connection.

So, as you can see, while we may have goats in our name, there’s also plenty of room for sheep in my heart!