Shearing Rescued Sheep

by Susie

Each year, I am asked why we shear the sheep at Farm Sanctuary when the practice involves so much cruelty worldwide. This is a very good question and I thought I would respond here.

In the wild, sheep naturally shed their wool and do not require the intervention of humans to shear them. There are a few wild breeds left in North America and they have more hair (like a dog) than wool. Those who were domesticated long ago, however, were selectively bred through the years by humans seeking higher wool yields. Sadly, the resultant excess skin and wool only benefits producers who profit at the great expense of the sheep.

One example of how wool excess harms sheep can be seen with the Merino breed. In Australia, where the majority of the world’s wool is produced, more than 100 million sheep (mostly Merinos) are raised for fiber. One of the biggest problems that comes up with increased wool yield for Merinos is the accompanying wrinkles found on their bodies. These wrinkles collect urine and retain moisture, creating the perfect conditions for flies to lay eggs and putting the sheep at risk for fly strike (a potentially deadly condition where fly eggs hatch into flesh-eating maggots).

Fly strike can be prevented with minimal individualized care on the farm, but for many producers in Australia the quick fix for extra wrinkles is brutally cutting off large pieces of skin from the animals’ tails and backsides without any anesthetic. The animals normally undergo this painful procedure, called mulesing, when they are very young – in addition to ear tagging, tail docking and castration. Add to mulesing the fact that shearers, working at an average of two minutes per animal, often cut and injure terrified animals, and that most of the sheep typically end up being slaughtered, and the lives of these wool-bearers look even bleaker. It is for these and other reasons that we advocate for compassionate alternatives to products of such cruelty.

Here at Farm Sanctuary we have many breeds of sheep, including Merino crosses, Scottish Black Faces, Romanovs, and Suffolks. Each has different types of wool, and some grow much longer and thicker than others. We perform extensive health checks on our sheep every month, so even when the wool is thick, we feel for lumps and bumps, weight loss and any other indicators that an animal is having a health issue that needs to be addressed. An annual part of this regular healthcare routine is shearing, which we do for many reasons.

Without shearing, sheep can get urine scald, wool keds (parasites that look like ticks), maggots, and lice. The wool also becomes heavy, especially when it gets wet, and is very uncomfortable since it fills with dirt, hay seeds and other debris. In the summer, sheep can easily overheat – even more so when they have wool, so we remove it to keep them safe and comfortable during the hot months. We also shear wool around the rump and belly (if necessary) on the males throughout the winter so that urine does not get trapped and burn the skin. By shaving rumps, we avoid build up of fecal matter on sheep with health issues as well, such as our elderly flock members, who often have trouble processing food as they age and therefore have loose stool.

When we shear the sheep, we do so in the spring according to the temperature outside and the size, age and health of each animal. Since it takes about three days to get everyone done, we shear the elderly and very young sheep last, as they usually have little body fat and chill easily. We watch all of the sheep carefully after they are shorn and can provide jackets if there is an unexpected cold spell and they get chilled; so far, however, this has not been necessary.

We have a wonderful man come out and shear our sheep and he takes great care to ensure that they are not overly-stressed during the process. He is extremely careful not to cut them and really takes his time with each of our sheep to keep them safe and at ease. We also always have caregivers working with the shearer to ensure the process goes off without a hitch. When they are first shorn, the sheep leap out of the barn and the younger ones frolic and bounce around the fields. They look a little funny without their thick coats, but they are obviously more comfortable.

Lastly, people often ask us what we do with the wool. We do not use any eggs or wool from the sanctuary animals for human purposes. We do not sell or donate wool, because the sheep did not produce it for us, and to use it for any financial or other human gain would be contrary to our mission. Instead we take the wool to the top of a pasture hill and spread it around so that small animals can use it for bedding, nests, etc… It is amazing how quickly it is picked up!

Comments

[F Horn]

I look forward to seeing your excellent articles more because they are so true, easy to understand. I hope you continue doing what you do best.

[Farm Sanctuary]

Another good question, Mallie! We hard boil the eggs laid by the chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese and we feed them to the chickens (shell and all). Egg laying chickens have been bred to lay more eggs than their bodies can handle. Often calcium is drawn from their skeletons to form eggshells, which weakens their skeletons and can cause an osteoporosis like condition. Eating the eggshells helps to replenish the calcium in their bodies.

[Farm Sanctuary]

Thanks, Emma! We do not breed the animals at Farm Sanctuary, and we do not encourage breeding farm animals for any purpose. Given their history of subjugation, we cannot guarantee that they would end up in compassionate hands. Also, given our resources, we are limited by the number of animals we can rescue and our shelters must be made available to those animals who are in most urgent need of our care. And that is why we do not encourage others to breed these animals as well.

[Mallie]

Hee Hee! Nekkid sheep!

So whadda ya do with eggs? Got me curious, now.

[Susan:)]

Great information to know! I know some places that knit the fiber up into sweaters for the sheep to keep them warm after they have been trimmed. It is nice to know the fiber from the Sanctuary's sheep is given back to nature. What cozy nests it must make!

[Emma]

Thank you for this very interesting and detailed post! (I love Farm Sanctuary!)

I have some questions:

Do animals at the sanctuary mate and birth?

What do you think is the most ethical response to breeds which have been breed for production (wool, meat, etc.) and which suffer because of how their bodies are now structured? Should we prevent more of these breeds from being born? Should we allow them to mate with more wild breeds?

I'm just very curious about these points. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you!