They feed almost entirely by grazing, and wander, under the charge of shepherds, over considerable areas in search of food, frequently in company with goats. They are valued chiefly for their milk and meat; their wool, though of moderate quality, is small in quantity. (See also under "Dairy Produce," p. 23.)
Large numbers of sheep are killed annually for local consumption, and there is a regular export to Egypt, as shown by the following pre-war figures:
| Year. | Number. | Value. |
| £ | ||
| 1904 | 13,923 | 10,544 |
| 1905 | 8,816 | 7,572 |
| 1906 | 5,427 | 5,470 |
| 1907 | 2,859 | 2,699 |
| 1908 | 849 | 835 |
| 1909 | 976 | 716 |
| 1910 | 3,905 | 3,064 |
| 1911 | 18,143 | 12,311 |
| 1912 | 17,611 | 13,731 |
| 1913 | 7,920 | 6,724 |
Sheep-folding is practically unknown, and no crops are specially grown as food for sheep. Occasionally they may get a little rovi (vetch), rovi straw, lentil straw, favetta, pea-haulm or (in the hills) mavrachero (tares). They suffer in years of drought, but on the whole thrive wonderfully well on very scanty pasturage.
Good work has been done of late years in the improvement of Cyprus sheep at the Government Athalassa Farm, and ewes and rams from the farm flock are much sought after by sheep-owners, many of whom are making efforts to ameliorate the breed. The question of providing suitable forage also is not being lost sight of.
Goats
The goat has been a cause of much controversy for many years and a source of discord between farmer and shepherd. Owing to the absence of farm boundaries the herds of goats (and sheep) continually trespass on the cultivated areas, and the shepherds are at little pains to restrain them when there is a chance of the animals getting a good meal. Large sums in the aggregate are paid by way of fines and damages, but the shepherds evidently find that even so it is profitable to continue such practices.
In consequence of the serious harm done every year in the State forests by these animals, a law "For the gradual exclusion of goats from the Island" was passed in 1913 and came into operation on August 1 that year.
As the subjoined table shows, the number of goats has decreased, but it is doubtful how far this is due to the law, and how far to the losses from goat-pox, which is very prevalent, and to the shipments for military purposes during the war:
| Year. | Head. |
| 1880 | 210,736 |
| 1890 | 237,475 |
| 1900 | 243,397 |
| 1910 | 276,794 |
| 1913 (when the law was passed) | 242,524 |
| 1918 | 191,017 |