Is sheep sheerers cruel to sheep?

The Paws

I was just watching Nationwide and didnt like what I saw - the boys who rushed sheering the sheep at record time.:mad:

I love sheep

johngalway

Shearing the wool off sheep is to increase their own comfort due to rising temperatures in Summer time. The removal of the fleece greatly reduces the possibility of flystrike.

Wool from upland breeds is practically worthless, there was no payment for it last year at all. Wool from lowland breeds, I am not sure whether that would even cover the cost of paying the shearer.

So, no, it's not cruel.

Graces7

The Paws wrote: »

I was just watching Nationwide and didnt like what I saw - the boys who rushed sheering the sheep at record time.:mad:

I love sheep

I did not see it; what happened that upset you so much, please? They do have to turn the sheep over etc and sheep are not easy animals to handle...Most shearers are pretty skilled and the faster the better often then for the animal.

homerhop

http://www.sheep101.info/shearing.html

Hermit07

You know what I think I was watching the same programe as you and it had me thinking the same thing. Especially when I seen lots of sheep with lumps taken out of their skin and also piles of wool with blood. Maybe someone will answer that knows a bit about shearing sheep.

I was thinking I'm glad I wasnt born a sheep:eek:

Feargal as Luimneach

The Paws wrote: »

I was just watching Nationwide and didnt like what I saw - the boys who rushed sheering the sheep at record time.:mad:

I love sheep

The quicker they are, the less stress put on the sheep. Sheep don't like being handled, so if you take ages to shear it's stresses them.

doctor evil

Hermit07 wrote: »

You know what I think I was watching the same programe as you and it had me thinking the same thing. Especially when I seen lots of sheep with lumps taken out of their skin and also piles of wool with blood. Maybe someone will answer that knows a bit about shearing sheep.

I was thinking I'm glad I wasnt born a sheep:eek:

I watched this episode on the rte website, not once was there any blood, these are shearers are the top class ones in the world!

What there was was wool soiled with sheep crap that would lead to fly strike if not sheared.

Graces7

Hermit07 wrote: »

You know what I think I was watching the same programe as you and it had me thinking the same thing. Especially when I seen lots of sheep with lumps taken out of their skin and also piles of wool with blood. Maybe someone will answer that knows a bit about shearing sheep.

I was thinking I'm glad I wasnt born a sheep:eek:

They can get nicked, but a tiny amount of blood goes a very long way an their hides are after all very thick.

So it is not like a cut on us, and they do put tar or an equivalent on any bad nicks.

Often it happens when the sheep suddenly struggles.

And as a fleece can weigh several pounds, it is a huge relief to the sheep to be sheared and so much cooler too.

Look at it from a sheepish not human viewpoint. And ewe will see the benefits.

johngalway

Hermit07 wrote: »

You know what I think I was watching the same programe as you and it had me thinking the same thing. Especially when I seen lots of sheep with lumps taken out of their skin and also piles of wool with blood. Maybe someone will answer that knows a bit about shearing sheep.

I was thinking I'm glad I wasnt born a sheep:eek:

You weren't watching the same programme.

morganafay

A lot of dogs don't like being clipped but if you did it quickly that would make it more stressful for them. I know nothing about sheep shearing, so I'm not saying it's cruel, just with dogs and other animals it would be easier for them to shear/clip them slowly and be gentle. That's just my opinion. The stress would last a longer time, but it'd be less stress at once.

Graces7

morganafay wrote: »

A lot of dogs don't like being clipped but if you did it quickly that would make it more stressful for them. I know nothing about sheep shearing, so I'm not saying it's cruel, just with dogs and other animals it would be easier for them to shear/clip them slowly and be gentle. That's just my opinion. The stress would last a longer time, but it'd be less stress at once.

Sheep are not like dogs in any way.

They are not pets or handled like dogs are so their stress levels when caught are very high indeed.

They are in effect wild animals and of very low intelligence as animals go.

Also they have to be turned on their backs to immobilise them to shear them. Else they will not stay still.

if you tried being gentle? No more sheep with you.. Away they would be.

Speed thus is vital for them. Least handling, least stress.

And add to that that often hundreds have to be rounded up and sheared at a time and that speed for the entire flock is thus vital for their health.

ngoyvaerts

Graces7 wrote: »

Sheep are not like dogs in any way.

They are not pets or handled like dogs are so their stress levels when caught are very high indeed.

They are in effect wild animals and of very low intelligence as animals go.

Also they have to be turned on their backs to immobilise them to shear them. Else they will not stay still.

if you tried being gentle? No more sheep with you.. Away they would be.

Speed thus is vital for them. Least handling, least stress.

And add to that that often hundreds have to be rounded up and sheared at a time and that speed for the entire flock is thus vital for their health.

To back up your point on the fact that sheep aren't the most intelligent of animals. Don't farmers near the coast put goats with the sheep cause of the amount of them that end up falling off cliffs?

Feargal as Luimneach

Sheep flocks who are grazing in a mountaineous areas learn to identify dangers and avoid them ie cliffs. If too many sheep are replaced at one time (ie cull ewes) and replaced with sheep who don't know area you will get casualties. The knowledge is lost. If you replace a low amount of ewes you don't seem to have a problem. The sheep can't be too thick!

Graces7

ngoyvaerts wrote: »

To back up your point on the fact that sheep aren't the most intelligent of animals. Don't farmers near the coast put goats with the sheep cause of the amount of them that end up falling off cliffs?

Never heard that! I know some farmers put a goat in with sheep as a leader; or a "bell-wether" ie old experienced ewe, with a flock of youngsters.

even a llama as protection.

But they are stupid; they will follow the leader without any thought. So if one falls over a cliff, the rest are very likely to follow.

They cannot act on their own initiative.

Cherry Blossom

Some of you cause are those town people they mention in surveys aren't you :rolleyes: You know the percentage that don't know where eggs come from or the difference between a carrot and an onion growing in a field

Jinxi

They are herd animal ans rely on the "more is safer" ruke. Intelligence isn't as important as social rules and sticking together. They did a test on "lambing live" in spring around how sheep can read human emotions on faces... thats pretty smart!

On the origional topic, I once helped a farmer catch a sheep. I thought it was because it had a rope tied around its body(thats what it looked like from afar).
When we caught it, maggots wer eating into its flesh... this is prevented by shearing... its not cruel.

Graces7

Jinxi wrote: »

They are herd animal ans rely on the "more is safer" ruke. Intelligence isn't as important as social rules and sticking together. They did a test on "lambing live" in spring around how sheep can read human emotions on faces... thats pretty smart!

On the origional topic, I once helped a farmer catch a sheep. I thought it was because it had a rope tied around its body(thats what it looked like from afar).
When we caught it, maggots wer eating into its flesh... this is prevented by shearing... its not cruel.

Think the OP meant that it was the way it was done, not the act of shearing itself. It looks harsh to those who don't know sheep, but it is really the most efficient and thus kind way.

Sheep need also to be "dagged" in between shearings; ie the back end clipped to avoid blow fly which causes maggots. Bad care for this to happen.

Zapperzy

ngoyvaerts wrote: »

To back up your point on the fact that sheep aren't the most intelligent of animals. Don't farmers near the coast put goats with the sheep cause of the amount of them that end up falling off cliffs?

I read in a book (Animals in translation, brilliant book so far and only halfway there) that sheep have a sense of depth when standing still, so they can see a cliff edge while standing still but they have no sense of depth while moving so if they are running they may not see the cliff. So I don't think it's that they are stupid, I think it's just that they don't see the cliff so therefore run off of it. :eek:

Graces7

Zapperzy wrote: »

I read in a book (Animals in translation, brilliant book so far and only halfway there) that sheep have a sense of depth when standing still, so they can see a cliff edge while standing still but they have no sense of depth while moving so if they are running they may not see the cliff. So I don't think it's that they are stupid, I think it's just that they don't see the cliff so therefore run off of it. :eek:

Nice idea; cats are the same... hence the many who fall from windows.

but sheep ARE stupid, period. They have to have a leader and they will follow that leader "blindly" and without question.

Or they will go wherever a dog herds them; remember the Thomas Hardy scene where a young dog chases a whole flock off a cliff. Where one goes the rest follow.

Pet lambs are like this too.... if you think dogs bond, try raising a lamb! Without a shepherd they are incomplete.