As early as 10,000 years ago, in Central Asia, man had discovered that the animal "sheep" could provide him with both covering and food. At first, man used the sheep's fleece as a kind of a tunic. Then, around 3,500 B.C., man discovered how to spin wool. Fragments of knitted fabric have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to the 5th Century B.C.

In the Middle Ages, European farmers discovered that sheep were the most productive of all livestock. In addition to producing meat, wool, and skins for making parchment paper, sheep were milked. It was estimated that 20 ewes would provide enough milk to make 5 pints of butter and 250 pounds of cheese. By the 14th Century, whole herds of sheep were being milked in England.

In America, the first sheep were originally from Spain and were introduced into southwestern United States in 1519 by Spanish troops under Cortez. It is thought that the flocks of sheep belonging to the Native American Navajos are descended from multi-colored sheep brought to North America by the Spanish.