Shepherd

==By country==
[[File:Transhumance ways of the Vlachs.jpeg|thumb|[[Transhumance]] ways of the [[Vlachs|Vlach]] shepherds in the past]]

===Eurasia===
====Cyprus====
The first Shepherd's Fair was announced to take place in the Cyprus Village of Pachna, on August 31, 2014, in the printed editions of ''[[Cyprus Weekly]]'' and in the Greek-language daily, ''[[Phileleftheros]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014 |title=Κύπρος Ειδήσεις Πολιτική Κοινωνία Ψυχαγωγία |url=http://www.philenews.com |website=[[Phileleftheros]] |publisher=Philenews |language=el}}</ref>

====China====
[[File:Herding sheep353.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of a flock of sheep in [[China]] with shepherd and motorbike ]]
Shepherding in China dates back thousands of years. Traditional Chinese shepherds played a vital role in the country's agrarian society, tending to flocks of sheep and goats in various regions. These herders were responsible for not only ensuring the well-being of their animals but also safeguarding them from natural predators such as wolves and protecting them from theft.

Shepherding in ancient China was often a communal effort, with families or communities collectively managing their herds. These communities developed techniques and methods to graze their flocks in the vast and varied landscapes of China, from the high plateaus of Tibet to the fertile plains of the central and eastern regions. The shepherds employed their knowledge of the land and the behavior of their animals to select optimal grazing grounds and water sources.

Traditional Chinese shepherds used tools and equipment suited to their specific regions and needs. In the north, where winters could be harsh, they often relied on yurts or portable shelters to protect themselves and their livestock from the cold. In the more temperate and arable southern regions, shepherds utilized different strategies for grazing and protection.

Shepherding practices in China have evolved over the centuries, adapting to changes in agricultural and pastoral systems. With the modernization of agriculture and the growth of urbanization, the traditional role of shepherds has declined significantly in many parts of China. However, there are still regions, particularly in remote and mountainous areas, where shepherds continue to maintain their traditional way of life, preserving the ancient practices and knowledge that have been passed down through generations.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture in China, leading to efforts to preserve and revitalize traditional shepherding practices. Some initiatives aim to support and empower local shepherds, recognizing the cultural and environmental importance of their role in maintaining China's pastoral landscapes.

===Australia and New Zealand===
[[File:Shepherds watch box.JPG|thumb|Shepherd's watch box, [[New South Wales]]]]

European exploration led to the spread of sheep around the world, and shepherding became especially important in Australia and New Zealand where there was great pastoral expansion. In Australia [[Squatting (pastoral)|squatters]] spread beyond the [[Nineteen Counties]] of New South Wales to elsewhere, taking over vast holdings called properties and now [[Station (Australian agriculture)|stations]].{{cn|date=September 2018}}

Once driven overland to these properties, sheep were pastured in large unfenced runs. There, they required constant supervision.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Frontier Country |publisher=Weldon Russell, Willoughby |year=1989 |isbn=1-875202-00-5 |editor-last=Coupe |editor-first=Sheena |volume=I}}</ref> Shepherds were employed to keep the sheep from straying too far, to keep the mobs as healthy as possible and to prevent attacks from [[dingo]]es and introduced predators such as feral dogs and foxes. Lambing time further increased the shepherd's responsibilities.{{cn|date=September 2018}}

Shepherding was an isolated, lonely job that was firstly given to [[Convict assignment|assigned]] [[Convicts in Australia|convict]] servants. The accommodation was usually poor and the food was lacking in nutrition, leading to [[dysentery]] and [[scurvy]]. When free labour was more readily available others took up this occupation. Some shepherds were additionally brought to Australia on the ships that carried sheep and were contracted to caring for them on their arrival in the colony. Sheep owners complained about the inefficiency of shepherds and the shepherds' fears of getting lost in [[the bush]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pemberton |first=P. A. |title=Pure Merinos and Others |work=ANU Archives of Business & Labour |year=1986 |isbn=0-86784-796-4 |location=Canberra}}</ref>

Typically sheep were watched by shepherds during the day, and by a hut-keeper during the night. Shepherds took the sheep out to graze before sunrise and returned them to brush-timber yards at sunset. The hut-keeper usually slept in a movable shepherd's watch box placed near the yard in order to deter attacks on the sheep. Dogs were also often chained close by to warn of any impending danger to the sheep or shepherd by dingoes or natives.{{cn|date=September 2018}}

In 1839 the usual wage for a shepherd was about AU£50 per year, plus weekly rations of {{Convert|12|lb|kg}} meat, {{Convert|10|lb|kg}} flour, {{Convert|2|lb|kg}} sugar and {{Convert|4|oz|g}} tea. The wage during the depression of the 1840s dropped to £20 a year.{{cn|date=September 2018}}

During the 1850s many shepherds left to try their luck on the goldfields causing acute labour shortages in the pastoral industry. This labour shortage leads to the widespread practice of fencing properties, which in turn reduced the demand for shepherds.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chisholm |first=Alec H. |title=The Australian Encyclopaedia |publisher=Halstead Press |year=1963 |volume=8 |location=Sydney |page=103}}</ref> Over 95% of [[New South Wales]] sheep were grazing in paddocks by the mid-1880s. An 1890s census of fencing in New South Wales recorded that 2.6 million kilometres of fencing had been erected there with a contemporary cost of A$3 billion. [[Boundary rider]]s and [[Stockman (Australia)|stockmen]] replaced shepherds working on foot, who have not been employed in Australia and New Zealand since the start of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.outbackmag.com.au/still-on-the-sheeps-back |title=Still on the Sheep's Back |date=January 29, 2009 |work=Outback Story |publisher=Outback magazine |issue=63}}</ref>