Is it Antisocial if ..........?

Here is the dilemma. It is a cool cloudy dark morning -- not very inviting for me. The chicken coop needs to be opened but the sheep are resting. I don't want to let the sheep out to graze yet but I don't want to give them hay because I am going to let them out in a couple of hours to graze. This saves on hay and they aren't acting hungry-- they are laying down for the most part.

I go down to let the chickens out but I purposefully don't talk to the sheep or even look at them because I don't want them to all run to the gate wanting to come out yet. Beau comes to the gate but I barely make eye contact with him. Then I go around the corner of the garage barn, on my way out, and look back at Beau and mouth to him "I will be back later to let them out".

It feels so strange to not talk to them but here it is an hour later and they are still resting. If I had talked to them and they got up, I would feel guilty for not letting them out or feeding them. Now I feel guilty for not greeting them. I know this is all human stuff but animals must have some kind of social etiquette.

Perhaps, on the other hand, they are asking themselves (right now) if it was rude not to get up to greet me when I came down to the barnyard this morning. 'humans must have some kind of social etiquette'. Who Knows.

I think I will keep observing from the house, and when they get up, I will go down and let them out. Then I will ask them if they thought I was being antisocial this morning.