Come to rescue The Rolling Sheep

Hans Faber
Nov 14, 2021
13 min read

Updated: Apr 13

Hiking requires careful preparation, including personal safety. What do you put in your First Aid Kit? Do you possess basic first aid skills to manage an accident? Unless you go walkabout on your own on the Wadden Sea mudflats, being on the Frisia Coast Trail means help is never far away. Provided you have a swim certificate and the occasional wolf in sheep's clothing, health risks will be limited to blisters, twisted ankles, and upset stomachs after consuming too much dairy. But there are creatures who might regularly need your immediate rescuing skills, namely rolled-over sheep. This blog post provides you with the right rescue instructions. And sheep you will encounter along this trail. In overwhelming numbers. Try not to count them, because that would pose another safety risk.

Before providing the instructions on how to rescue rolled-over sheep, first, some basic knowledge about these animals that you will encounter on the trail. You owe a lot more to them than you might think at first glance.

Sheep have been key in human civilization. Worldwide there are about a thousand different breeds. Also, the wider North Sea area has been home to sheep husbandry since the earliest of times—centuries, maybe even millennia, before the Romans arrived. Sheep prosper on the salty fringes of the southern coast of the North Sea, precisely the area where the Frisia Coast Trail follows its route. On top of that, local coastal varieties are insensitive to weather conditions on the barren, flat lands. Heavy rains, strong winds, and freezing cold are nothing but imaginary emotions to sheep. North Sea sheep can withstand it all for weeks on end. In fact, it is a well-known secret that sheep are extra-terrestrial. Just look at their eyes.

Sheep thrive in the wider North Sea area. Its wet climate causes the extensive grass pastures that sheep feed on to stay green and grow longer than elsewhere. Sheep need lots of grass and graze for about eight hours daily. After that, they search for a spot to lay down and stoically start chewing the cud, up to fifty times. If they ever considered going to college or starting a business, sheep simply would not have the time for it.

In the past, because of the vastness of pastures needed to feed sheep, sheep literally had to be sulla strada ('on the road'), moving from one pasture to another. This was the work of shepherds and their dogs. The coastal area from the region of Flanders to Jutland provides an infinite supply of grass-covered dykes, polders ('embanked land'), and tidal marshlands. So-called schaapsdriften ('sheep drovers') were dykes and roadsides along which sheep grazed. Shepherds, or drovers, could make a living from the Early Middle Ages until more or less the eighteenth century, although few traditional shepherds were still active in the area of 't Zwin in the region of Flanders until just after the Second World War. Today, dykes and adjacent roads are partitioned with fences and cattle grids, and sheep are moved from one section to another and back again. You will be climbing many, many of those dyke fences when hiking the trail.

Different dogs were used to herd the sheep, like the Vlaamse koehond or Bouvier des Flandres (which is a cross between the Irish Wolfhound, the Belgian Mastiff, and a variety of the Belgian Shepherd, namely the Laekense herder), the Belgische herder or Belgian Sheepdog, the Hollandse herder or Dutch Shepherd, the Duitse herder or German Shepherd, the Schapendoes or Dutch Sheepdog, although more inland, and, of course, the famous Border Collie can also be spotted here too (see the short movie above). Luckily, dogs not as fierce as the ones you will encounter when hiking the Lycian Way in Turkey, namely the Kangal.

Sheep, a power base throughout the Middle Ages — The Speaker of the House of Lords in London sits on a red-coloured sack of wool, called the Woolsack. It contains samples of wool from all over the kingdom, a testimony to the importance of wool for Britain. Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, especially, enormous amounts of money were earned with wool production. Wool had become the primary source of wealth by the end of the twelfth century (Chamson 2014). Ecclesia, foemina, lana (‘churches, women, wool’), were the three miracles of England, according to Bishop Joseph Hall (1574-1656). Therefore, it's not an exaggeration to say that Great Britain was built on wool.

The statesman shears the sheep; the politician skins them (Austin O’Malley, 1858-1932)

But the demand for wool that Britain fulfilled came from Flanders, where wool was needed to produce the famous Flemish broadcloth. From 1100, Flanders started importing wool from Britain because their own—already massive—production of wool was no longer sufficient. An interdependence between Flanders and England on wool, also called the 'Flemish Connection,' developed. England exported wool to Flanders, and Flanders exported broadcloth to England.

Already before the year 1000, the counts of Flanders invested in sheep husbandry. Sheep dwelled on the tidal marshlands of Flanders and Frisia, already from the start of the Early Middle Ages. Due to the embankment of the marshlands, more and more land became available for sheep farming, thus generating more wool. All this wool and the production of broadcloth became a major source of income for the Flemish counts, enabling them to sustain militias or hire armies (De Maesschalck 2012). Wool production was at the basis of the rise of the cities of Flanders, like Ieper, Ghent, and notably Bruges with its network of port towns in the area of 't Zwin (Sincfala).

Before the region of Flanders built its power on wool during the High Middle Ages, the Frisians did during the Early Middle Ages. The Frisians produced the valued broadcloth known as pallia Fresonica ('Frisian cloth'). A textile valued by Charlemagne (747-814) himself. Read our blog post Haute couture from the salt marshes.

The multi-functionality of sheep made them successful in the history of mankind. They provide meat, milk, leather, lanolin, and wool. Along the coasts of Flanders, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, the fleecy animals have another bonus function: maintaining dykes and cultivating tidal marshlands. Grazing sheep herds create a solid grass surface, and the continuous tramping ensures the surface of dykes and salt marshes becomes solid and compact as well. In Germany, this sheep trampling has a beautiful name: Trippelwalze (Siegmüller 2022). Assisting the dyke constructors, and the reason for its German nickname Deichschwein (‘dyke hog’). Historically, the humid North Sea region is ideal and famous for its wool production. Think of the pallia Fresonica (‘Frisian cloth’) in the Early Middle Ages, the Flemish laken (‘cloth’) in the High Middle Ages, and the English and Scottish tweed to this very day. Read our blog post Haute Couture from the Salt Marshes to learn more about the long-standing wool production in the humid North Sea region.

Of course, with the introduction of cotton and later cheap synthetic fibers, but also mechanical lawn mowers, and the sorry fact mutton is not really part of the Dutch, Flemish, and German diet, sheep had to give up their prominent position in society. On the other side of the English Channel, however, people still love their little lambchops. It's unfortunate for the Continentals, because meat of lambs living in the salty environment is valued for its taste: Salzlamm ('salty lamb'). So too is its cheese, by the way. In Germany known as Frische Friese (‘fresh Frisian’). Do, with Frische Friese, focus your thoughts on dairy, not on humanoids. On the Wadden Sea island of Texel, excellent sheep cheese is produced, too—Echte Texelse.

Nevertheless, when hiking the endless river and sea dykes along the trail, sheep are a very common sight. In Flanders, there are about 150,000 sheep, which is a low number in European context. In the Netherlands, about 550,000. In Denmark, about 140,000. In Germany, about 2.5 million. Within Germany, in Landkreis ('district') Nordfriesland, there are about 150,000 sheep, which almost equals the number of inhabitants. Anyway, with 3.4 million in these four countries that the trail passes through, sheep can last for a while.

We hope you didn't fall asleep while we were counting the sheep above.

Several categories can be distinguished among the many varieties.

coast or interior

A first distinction can be made based on where the beasts dwell. In north-western Europe, this is the difference between grassland sheep on the one hand, and heather or moorland sheep on the other.

Grassland sheep are relevant when walking the trail and are known in the Dutch language as kustweide- en polderschapen (‘coastal-meadow and polder sheep’). Varieties belonging to the coastal-meadow sheep include the Flandrine or the Vlaming from Flanders, the Vlaams Kuddeschaap ('Flemish flock-sheep') from the ancient area of Waasland in Flanders too, the Fries-Zeeuwse melkschaap (‘Frisian-Zeelandic milk sheep’) from the provinces of Zeeland and Friesland, and the Ostfriesisches Milchschaf (‘East-Frisian milk sheep’) from the region of Ostfriesland. The province of Groningen had its own breed too, but it is now extinct. All these varieties are specialized in milk yield and produce a very fat and nutritious milk. The Ostfriesisches Milchschaf is considered the world's highest-producing dairy sheep.

Heather and moor sheep varieties often are on the verge of extinction because their habitats are too. The Drents Heideschaap or Drent Heath sheep is such a breed, and also said to be the oldest surviving breed of sheep in Europe. It was introduced about 6, 000 years ago (!) on the more sandy soils of the province of Drenthe in the northeast of the Netherlands.

meat, milk, leather, or wool

A second distinction can be made based on its primary economic function, namely, the production of meat, milk, leather, lanolin, or wool. Sheep which you will stumble upon and slalom through on the trail are mainly meat-type varieties. In other words, the ewes are used as dams for slaughter lambs. It can be the Texelaar, also named the Texel (origin Wadden Sea island of Texel); the Swifter (cross between the Flandrine and the Texel, origin area of Swifterband); the Flevolander (origin province of Flevoland); the Noordhollander (cross between the Texel and the Finnsheep, origin province of Noord Holland); and the Weißköpfiges Fleischschafe (cross between many varieties, including the Texel, origin north-west of Germany). The Texel is the dominant terminal-sire breed of Europe and has excellent muscle development.

All these meat sheep varieties are of the sturdy type and can stand year-round the windy, cold, and wet weather along the North Sea coast. If you fancy high quality sheep meat, try the Saeftinger breed, a sheep from the salt marshes of (Zeelandic) Flanders.

Lanolin is sheep's grease. No, do not stick your tongues out, because lanolin is marvellous, otherworldly stuff. English draper and outfitter Thomas Burberry (1835-1926) developed a woollen fabric suitable as outdoor coats, military gear and explorer's clothing. If wool is treated with lanolin, a warm, not too heavy and—especially—waterproof cloth is the result. Yes, these are criteria for not only a wretched trench soldier but for a happy hiker as well. Besides this economic success, lanolin softens and disinfects your skin. Already in the ancient world, these qualities were being valued. To this day, lanolin is an ingredient in all kinds of cosmetics.

If you wonder why sheep are mostly white, it's because white wool can be dyed easier than black or brown. The gene for black or brown coat is recessive, however. For this reason, you can still see an occasional black sheep. Basically, black sheep were and are a financial loss regarding wool production. Hence the expression of being a black sheep (Coulthard 2020). Since ancient times, white wool has been preferred, as one can read in the Book of Genesis 30:25-43. It explains how the speckled and spotted animals were selected and how the strength and productivity of sheep were stimulated by laying peeled sticks of various trees in troughs.

moulting or shearing

A third distinction can be made based on whether sheep lose their fleece by themselves every season or whether it needs to be sheared off. Be the good shepherd and make sure none strays from the flock and cannot be sheared. You do not want Australian Baaracks and New Zealand Shreks everywhere wandering around on dykes with a 35-kilogram fleece, now do you? Moult sheep are gaining popularity in breeding programs these days since wool yields not much money anymore, and shearing the animals, which is laborious, becomes too costly. The costs of shearing exceed already the value of the fleece. That is even the case with merino sheep.

In the second half of the eighteenth century, the quality of wool from sheep in the province of Friesland became poorer. According to none other than wool comber, astronomer, and builder of the world-famous orrery (UNESCO world heritage) in the town of Franeker, Eise Eisinga (1744-1828), the poorer wool quality was due to inferior sheep breeds that had been introduced. The new breed was admittedly tougher and could withstand worse weather conditions, but it no longer produced the greasy wool. It had a negative impact on the business, which frustrated Eise Eisinga (Dijkstra 2021).

As hikers, we must say more about merino sheep. These varieties produce a very fine, high-quality wool. Hiking shirts made of merino are excellent for both keeping warm and staying cool at the same time, and for not starting to smell bad for a week or so. By the way, the world record shearing merino sheep in eight hours, stands at 497 sheep. That is almost 1,700 kilogram of fleece.

Going to the Sheep Rescue

With that many sheep on your path, first of all, avoid counting them. You will be sleepy most of the day and make little progress hiking the trail. Moreover, you can expect to find yourself in a situation where you see a sheep lying on its back. In the Dutch language, these sheep are called a verwenteld schaap, a 'revolved sheep'. Its skinny legs are up in the air. This might particularly be the case during the first two to three months of the year when ewes are pregnant for several months.

The problem is, sheep are unable to get on their feet once rolled over. Most sheep varieties you will come across are barrel-shaped, especially during winter when their fleece is thickest, and ewes are carrying unborn lambs too. Once it lies on its back, its organs and unborn lambs sink to the back below, making it even more impossible to get upright.

But it does not stop here. Laying on its back is a life-threatening and thus stressful situation for a sheep. The animal might die within an hour even. The reason is that its stomach is shut off from the intestine. However, the stomach will continue to produce gas that cannot escape, and therefore the stomach swells. This causes pressure on the lungs, and the sheep can suffocate after a while. Furthermore, the animal, once on its back, cannot pee anymore either. This, too, becomes very urgent. It can still poop, though.

So, how to handle the situation?

Do not be afraid for the animal.
Stop making photo's, movies and selfies.
Do not rush at the animal. Approach slowly, because you might be mistaken, and the sheep can still get on its feet by itself, and is only gazing at the stars after using too much grass. Ask the sheep "Is everything OK?" Any bleating response can be considered a negative.
Check the amount of poop laying next to the animal. It gives you an idea for how long the animal is laying on its back already. If there is (a lot of) shiny poo, do not push the sheep on its flank to get it on its feet. This might go too abrupt for the animal and can cause serious damage to its internal organs. It must be done gradually.
Stand or kneel at its head-end. Grab the sheep by its neck, shoulders or under its armpits, and lift its head and upper back upright. Like the sheep is seated on its bottom on a chair. Keep it in this position for two or more minutes. Its organs can re-adjust, and its blood circulation can get up to speed again. Also, the lungs can breathe normal again. In the meantime, you can caress its cheeks, because all sheep like that. Even when in a hazardous position like this.
Now give it a kiss on the head and push it forward on its feet.
Stay with it for a while to check if the sheep is recovering. At first, it will zigzag a bit. Maybe even fall over again. The reason to stay put, is also to make sure it does not zigzag into a ditch and drowns.
Pretty soon after, the sheep starts to pee. A lot. Now you can continue hiking the Frisia Coast Trail looking out for more recue.

Instruction developed by Dierenbescherming, the Netherlands

If you browse the web, you will notice the technique of pushing a rolled-over sheep in the flank, is instructed in Germany, called Schafe schubsen ('sheep pushing'). In the Netherlands the sitting-upright method is instructed as the preferred option. We think too, the Dutch treat is the safer option. If you still want to use the schubsen method, please do try to check whether the animal is not laying on its back for a long time already, among other by means of checking the amount of shiny poop. In case it's laying on its back for long, do not push the animal.

In case nothing seems to work, and the sheep is in need, try to contact the following organizations: for Germany, Notrufzentrale Tierschutz emergency number +49 800 1111515 (hopefully dialing this many digits is not fatal); for the Netherlands Dierenbescherming emergency number 144; for Flanders (Belgium) Inspectiedienst Dierenwelzijn emergency number 1700, or consult the Yellow Pages (advice of the Vlaanderen government, sorry).

Check also this movie to see how it is done in real life.

Note 1 — Sheep have to face additional dangers these last years, namely the return of the wolf at the southern coast of the North Sea. For more on this threat, consult our blog post Who’s afraid of Voracious Woolf?—the Dread Beast is Back.

Note 2 — As explained at the beginning of this blog post, help is never far away along the Frisia Coast Trail. However, the other skill you need to practice, is how to communicate with the sturdy locals, if you want to receive any help at all after an injury. Study our post Grassland conversation. Where less is more carefully to learn how.

Note 3 — For more blog posts about animals of the Frisia Coast Trail area, tap the tag 'animals'.