Northern Ag Network: By now, most of you have seen the graphic anti-wool campaign put out this year by PETA showing a man holding a cut up baby lamb that reads “Here's the rest of your wool coat”. Of all the articles we've read that explain just how wrong PETA is, the following blog post by Kacey, The Rustic Ranch Wife is one of our favorites. Kacey, a sheep producer from Colorado, has done an outstanding job not only explaining why they shear their sheep, but how it actually benefits the sheep. Our favorite analogy is the picture at the end of her post of a crying baby getting his first hair cut, and comparing it to a lamb struggling during it's first shearing. It was just perfect. You can check out the rest of her great blog HERE.
WARNING!This post contains Graphic Images of Abused Sheep…It's Spring in the Rockies!! That means it gets really busy in the ranching world.Babies are being born, grass is getting green, irrigation water is on…and its time to shear the sheep.That is my topic today.Lets discuss the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in the world of sheep shearing. (Only I will be talking these points in reverse order.)
The Ugly (Truth)?For today's discussion, I am calling this part the “ugly”. There are lies and rumors being spread by so-called animal “welfare” groups. Lately, our industry has been getting a lot of attacks about the cruelty of wool and shearing. There has been videos, graphic photos and hateful language spewed to advance a cause.I won't give these groups the satisfaction of re-posting any of this propaganda, but if you do a simple internet search, and you are likely to be horrified. One particular photo shows a man holding a bloody young lamb with pieces of flesh missing…If I did not know the truth, I would stop wearing wool too!(I will explain later why this image is completely false).This is the UGLY, but it is NOT the truth.
I challenge individuals in these groups to talk to those of us in the industry and ask questions., rather than blindy re-posting lies and propaganda.Most of us would be happy to answer your questions and address your concerns. I will try to use today's article as a teaching moment for those of you who have reservations. The Bad…When you talk to ranchers and farmers, you will probably learn a lot about us and our values.You don't get into this industry for the money or the glory or the fame. Most of these hard-working men and women have an appreciation and love for land and animals.We like the smell of dirt, we like to sweat and work hard both day and night.Most importantly, we take very good care of the animals and land that we rely on for our modest income.
Unfortunately, there are bad apples. There are bad apples in every profession that give the rest of us a bad name.I bet there are lawyers and car salesmen out there who get very irritated about the assumptions made about their professions (those are just a couple examples that come to mind).Not to sound cliche, but do you throw away the whole barrel of apples because of a few bad ones? Or do you sort through them and save the good?There are ranchers who over-graze, ruin habitat and are abusive to their animals.There are farmers who do not adhere to the best land management practices. BUT, I am going to go out on a limb here (well, not really) and say that these are the type of people who will not be in the agriculture industry for very long. I would be remiss if I did not mention the infamous shearing video that shows sheep being beaten and abused while being sheared.This is horrendous.If that were my sheep, that shearer would have probably gotten the same treatment and been promptly booted off the property.Keep in mind, cases like this are a rarity and a tragedy. So, let's set the record straight.P.S. (If there are mistakes in my writing today, I apologize.I am running on about 4 hours of sleep because I have been outside with my new babies all night making sure they were born safely and are up and nursing properly – Ya, I really “hate” my sheep…) The Good…And that brings me to the good.The reasons we shear have less to do with profit and WAY more to do with TRUE animal welfare. Let me explain…and again be warned that there are some graphic images coming.
When you see a pair of wool socks, a wool sweater or even a wool rug at the store, you probably have sticker shock!They are really expensive!Those darn, dirty, animal-abusing ranchers MUST be getting rich, right?Um… think again. The price we get paid for wool straight off the sheep barely pays for the labor to get the shearing done.Talk to the textile industry for that discussion.So what is the point of shearing, you ask? Well, it goes back to taking care of our animals.There are several reasons we NEED to get that wool off! Heat:We shear in the spring-time, because who would want to head into summer wearing this?? 
As a human, you have the luxury of deciding what you want to wear according to the weather.Sheep do not.Here is a challenge to you wool haters… Slip on your heaviest winter coat and walk around for a few days in 90 degree weather. How does it feel? I bet you are happy to be able to shed that coat!
Predators:Another reason for shearing sheep is for predators.FREE RANGE means that there are critters out there who would LOVE to have lamb for dinner.Sheep have very poor eyesight.When they have full wool, some of them have an even more difficult time seeing.This makes the sheep and their babes easy prey for coyotes, eagles, bears, mountain lions and other carnivores.There is a reason we say “pull the wool over your eyes” when we want to trick or confuse someone. Check out this gal, and see if you think she can see wiley coyote coming? 
When sheep are threatened, they tend to band together for protection.But when they are wool blind, they get confused and tend to run away from the protection of the flock.This attack may have been avoided if the sheep could see properly… there's UGLY TRUTH for you!
Health of the Lambs: A third reason we shear is for the health and welfare of those bouncing babies which are coming soon.It is very difficult for lambs to find a teat to nurse when they are young, weak and sorting through a mass of wool.Can you find the nipple here?The lamb can't either and they risk starving to death.
If the lambs do nurse properly and get off to a good start, there is still the risk of the mother laying on them and suffocating them.Yes, it happens.When the ewe (female mother sheep) has a full, heavy coat of wool on, she sometimes lays on her lambs.She can't feel them under all that fluff, and the baby will die – more UGLY TRUTH. When her wool is off, this is NOT a problem.
Hygiene:That bring me to my final point.Cleanliness = healthy animals.Again, when our animals have the opportunity to explore nature, they run across unseemly critters.That includes bugs.When a sheep is covered with wool, so is their derriere.The wool is really good at collecting feces, urine and fluids from birth which makes a happy, warm home for flies to lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae rely on the skin for food. When you see (and smell) flesh being eaten by maggots, you will understand how cruel it really is to leave the wool on through the summer months – and this is another great example of UGLY TRUTH for you.
Happy, Unreasonable Sheep…To dispel the myths, shearing is no more than a buzz cut. The animals are not skinned or harmed in the process.Shearing helps to guarantee the health and welfare of these animals.I recently read an article that talked about how frightened the animals become while being sheared.OF COURSE THEY ARE!!!Have you ever been the parent of a toddler getting a first haircut?A human child will kick, scream, cry, wiggle, run and do anything possible to avoid getting their first haircut because they are scared and don't know what is about to happen.They are completely UNREASONABLE! You are likely to look at this picture and think… “awe, how cute!”
And after the cut is done, the child has the memory of the harmless experience, so the second time is much easier.Well, sheep are much the same as toddlers.They were not given the gift of reasoning, only survival instinct and memory.So, like a nervous irrational toddler, you would expect them to be a little nervous too.So why is this NEXT image so disturbing?If you think the kid picture is cute, but the sheep picture is horrible… then you, my friend, might be a hypocrite.
MOST sheep are not sheared until they are a year old (note: this is why the bloody lamb image is COMPLETELY FALSE.Lambs that are that young do not have enough wool to shear, and no flesh is removed when shearing!).But, back to the sheep. It always amazes me how wound up those first timers (or yearlings) get compared to the older ewes who tromp into the shearing trailer like its old-hat.And when they come out with their “new-do”, they jump and play like its recess time!
The REAL truth…When done correctly, the shearing process is safe, effective and humane.Sheep are treated gently, restrained properly for the safety of themselves and their handler, and the wool is removed with electric clippers.Most ewes are pregnant while being sheared, so it only makes sense that they are handled with utmost care.
Sheep headed up the alley into the shearing wagon.(Looks like my hubby needs a hair-cut too!)
Freshly shorn sheep.(No flesh is missing…)
Nipple is clearly available for suckling lambs…
Sheep's face is clean, and her vision is maximized…
A family event…
  
Choices…I am a firm believer that everyone has choices every day. Not all sheep producers choose to shear.If that works for their operation, GREAT!But for our family, in our situation and for the health and welfare of our sheep, we choose to shear.The consequences of NOT shearing are not worth the devastation and risk.There have been yearsthat we pay more for the shearing than the wool is worth to us.We lose money on those years.But we shear anyway, because the health of our animals comes first.
When you make your choices, just make sure they are based on truth.When you read articles on the internet, question their reliability.Are they based on truth from experience?Or are they based on agenda for profit?Don't let anyone pull the wool over YOUR eyes, and don't spread lies. Proverbs 12:10 |
Reposted with permission from The Rustic Ranch Wife
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