# Circle-Forming Sheep **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005 "2008-01-25T20:15:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Poor\_College\_Student](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Poor\_College\_Student](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poor_College_Student)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/1 "2008-01-25T20:15:27Z")
I just saw this article: > **[Forget crop circles - now we've got a mysterious SHEEP circle](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-510372/Forget-crop-circles--weve-got-mysterious-SHEEP-circle.html)** > > There were strange goings on at the farm today when a flock of sheep made their own version of a crop circle. About 100 of the woolly creatures formed an orderly ring - baffling the farmer and passers-by. Photographer Russell Bird, who captured the... with no answer to why it happened. I’ve tried a few other news sites, and they all have no explanation. So I figured this is the perfect thing to ask you guys! What’s up with this? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/2 "2008-01-25T21:44:13Z")
It may be the result of poor education. The sheep may not have the basic knowledge to form, say, a dodecagon. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/3 "2008-01-25T21:53:39Z")
The article speculates that some prankster sprinkled some dry sheep chow on the ground in the form of a circle. Works for me. Easier way to form a circle than tromping down crops for half the night. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/4 "2008-01-25T21:56:06Z")
Duh, it’s the annual meeting. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/5 "2008-01-25T21:59:55Z")
It’s the way the pipe band left them. Groups of bagpipers compete in a circle facing inward. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/6 "2008-01-25T22:01:58Z")
Sheep were one of the first domesticated animals because of how easy it was for a shepherd to lead the flock; they’d all follow the leader. If one were to get a line of sheep formed, and then get the first one to follow the “last” one, you’d have a ring. Perhaps that’s what the broken part is in the top right of the circle? ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/7 "2008-01-25T22:32:00Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Sheep were one of the first domesticated animals because of how easy it was for a shepherd to lead the flock; they’d all follow the leader. If one were to get a line of sheep formed, and then get the first one to follow the “last” one, you’d have a ring. Perhaps that’s what the broken part is in the top right of the circle? [/QUOTE] Nah, they follow each other in a clump, not single file. And sheep only follow other sheep, not people. The way a shepherd moves a flock is to stand behind it and prod the animals forward. Completely different from ducklings. Drum circle. Gotta be. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/8 "2008-01-25T22:40:19Z")
Paging **Hal**. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/9 "2008-01-25T23:24:01Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] Nah, they follow each other in a clump, not single file. [/QUOTE] Perhaps they are [ducks in disguise.](http://blutakgirl.wordpress.com/2007/03/09/get-your-ducks-in-a-line/) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/10 "2008-01-25T23:52:03Z")
Well, how do _you_ celebrate the solstice? ---
**Author:** ![J\_Cubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@J\_Cubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_Cubed)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/11 "2008-01-26T02:23:03Z")
Chairface Chippendale strikes again! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/12 "2008-01-26T02:27:35Z")
All I know is if it involves a sheep, there’s usually a horny Kiwi around. So I guess it’s a way of watching each other’s backs in case any are in the vicinity. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/13 "2008-01-26T03:14:41Z")
They’re making a daisy chain for a porno. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/14 "2008-01-26T04:03:49Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Paging **Hal**. [/QUOTE] It never fails. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/15 "2008-01-26T04:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Photographer Russell Bird, who captured the amazing scene, said:“I was quite taken aback. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he said. “I did see a dog worrying sheep nearby beforehand and the dog ran off round the hedge in a different field, so I don’t know if they were discussing that.” Bizarrely, he then spotted another circle three fields away, but was unable to take a picture with both “formations” lasting around 10 minutes before dispersing. Competing herds to see who gets to form the Olympic Rings at the London Games in 2012. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/16 "2008-01-26T05:04:36Z")
Can anyone spot a small pig in the photo? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/17 "2008-01-26T05:11:59Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] Can anyone spot a small pig in the photo? [/QUOTE] “That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.” ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circle-forming-sheep/435005/18 "2008-01-26T14:40:11Z")
One possible explanation is a “[fairy ring](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring)”. The fungus may be something the sheep like, or perhaps it enhances the growth (or flavor?) of the nearby grass.