ASIAN
ANIMAL PROTECTION NETWORK
A Fact Sheet from the Vegan Society (UK) Web site (no longer available on that site). http://www.vegansociety.com
Wool
Fleecing the Public
Sheep were domesticated about 10,000 years ago. They have been bred to suit
human requirements and most sheep today bear little resemblance to their wild
ancestors. Neither have they followed the same scale of intensification as other
livestock and the farming of sheep has escaped major public criticism (save for
the live export trade) because this limited concept of 'behavioural freedom' is
deemed to equal good welfare.
Wool is not taken from sheep that live a gentle existence on a lush grassy
knoll. Sheep are raised for financial gain (for meat). Wool provides extra
income to perpetuate that industry. It is a misconception that wool is simply a
by-product of the meat industry and that one might even be providing a service
by 'using it up'.
There is no industry in any country where animals have not suffered to produce
fibre. It is an erroneous decision to buy British because the British treat
their farm animals 'properly'. No animal, raised for profit, is going to live a
life free from suffering. Indeed one cannot purchase fibre from an animal (alive
or dead) without admitting some responsibility for the industry that produced
that fibre. At the end of the day, concern over the wool's country of origin
matters little to the animal abused or slaughtered for it.
Sheep are by nature nervous, shy animals and are often actually frozen with
terror. They are roughly treated - grabbed for injections, up-ended for
shearing, artificially inseminated, dipped, tagged, castrated and tail-docked.
They die of cold, heat or thirst and suffer appalling ill-health, which itself
often goes unnoticed.
World Scene in the early '90s
The total world sheep population numbered 918.8 million in 1961. In 1990 this
rose to 1175.2 million. In 1990 Australia's sheep population numbered 173.3
million, New Zealand numbered 57.9 million and UK were way down on the list at
around 44 million. Australia is the world's largest producer.
Australia
It is estimated that there are now around 123.2 million sheep in Australia
producing 688 million kilos of wool. Flocks consist of thousands of sheep and
individual attention to the animals' needs is considered uneconomical. 20-40% of
lambs die at birth or before the age of eight weeks from exposure to extreme
weather conditions or starvation. Lambs undergo ear punching for identification,
tail-docking, castration, dipping, spraying and mulesing. Rams are regarded as
too difficult to handle, so the vast majority of male sheep are wethers
(castrated rams). After these procedures, lambs may suffer shock, profuse
bleeding, blood poisoning, tetanus, dislocated joints and arthritis.
The Merino, is the most commonly used breed in Australia. It is bred
specifically for its wrinkly skin and fine white wool. Wrinkly skin means more
wool per sheep and thus more money for the farmer. This unnatural overload of
wool causes animals to die of heat exhaustion during hot spells, and the
wrinkles collect urine and moisture. Attracted to the moisture, flies lay eggs
in the folds of skin, and the hatched maggots may actually eat sheep alive (flystrike
also occurs in the UK). The sheep will suffer agonising pain.
To counter flystrike a procedure called mulesing is carried out most of the
lambs and sheep. This is where farmers carve huge strips of flesh (not wool)
from around the anal and vaginal area of sheep without anaesthetic or any
requirement of skill. This to leave a smooth scar that won't harbour fly eggs.
However the dreadful wounds often get flystrike before they heal; and despite
the suspicion that mulesing may kill more sheep than it saves, the mutilation
continues. After mulesing, lambs can be seen writhing and scuttling sideways
like crabs, trying to escape the pain. Mulesing can also go wrong and lead to
infection in the tail joints as well as twisted tails. Mulesing is a bloody
business and the wound will take 3-5 weeks to heal. Mulesed lambs suffer a
setback in body weight gains for 10 days after the operation. Another dreadful
procedure carried out in Australia (now illegal in Britain) is tooth grinding.
Teeth are ground down exposing the pulpy nerve which causes excrutiating pain
and suffering to millions of animals.
Shearing in Australia - a Nightmare
An estimated one million Australian sheep die every year of exposure after
shearing. Shearing is on a piece rate contract (shearers get paid more money the
more sheep they shear) so there is no incentive to handle sheep carefully.
Stories of mistreatment and cruelty are common. One person who worked as a wool
classer in Australia for many years is on record as saying "the shearing shed
must be one of the worst places in the world for cruelty to animals ... I have
seen shearers punch sheep with their shears or their fists until the sheep's
nose bled. I have seen sheep with half their faces shorn off, no stitches ever
being applied, not even as much as an antiseptic. Wethers have had their pizzles
shorn straight off".
From Australia to the Middle East - a Catalogue of Suffering
Once ewes grow old and unproductive, they are shipped to the Middle East for
slaughter. It is normal for sheep to be without feed and water during mustering,
loading/unloading and transporting to assembly depots on the coast. Here they
are held in feedlots where many die. These animals have spent their life grazing
for food. They are now expected to eat pelleted feed. Only 17% successfully make
the change.
For every sheep that dies very many others are ill, injured or near to death.
Mortalities are attributed to lack of food and water, delays in berthing and
unloading, disorganisation and inadequate road transport. Once the sheep arrive
in the Middle East they are transported to feedlots to await slaughter. They may
stay in these feedlots for up to 6 weeks. Animals are then loaded onto the
ships. In modern carriers the sheep pens are usually above deck so newly shorn
sheep are exposed to the elements and to rolling and pitching. They are packed
so tightly that ventilation is a major problem. Over 5 million live sheep are
exported each year from Australia to the Middle East. Each year around 100,000
of the sheep die during these long sea journeys. Younger animals or lambs born
en route to the Middle East are often trampled to death. The most common causes
are heat stroke, starvation and disease. They die by being ritually slaughtered
i.e. having their throats slit whilst fully conscious.
In August 1996, the livestock carrier The Uniceb caught fire while carrying
sheep from Australia to Jordan. All 67,488 sheep on board died by burning or
drowning
In July 1985, 15,000 sheep died (presumably from heat exhaustion) when their
carrier was in the Persian Gulf, with temperatures around 35 degrees to 36
degrees and humidity around 84% to 87%
In 1983, 15,000 sheep died in Portland (Victoria) feedlot due to cold and
exposure during a cold spell
In 1981, 8764 sheep (17.7%) died when ventilation broke down on The Persia
In 1980, over 40,000 sheep were lost when the Farid Fares caught fire and sank
In 1980, 2713 sheep (13.4%) died from disease on the Kahleej Express
The Industry in the UK
Wool used to be a major industry in rural Britain. In fact mediaeval cathedrals
and churches stand as a monument to the success of the wool trade. Today,
however, only 7% of the income of a lowland flock comes from this fibre.
The UK has a very diverse industry involving sheep being raised on lowland,
upland and hill areas. Upland and hill areas are rough grazing (representing a
third of the total agricultural land in the UK) and combines severe climate,
difficult topography, low soil fertility and inaccessibility.
While the UK sheep industry is geared primarily to the production of meat, it is
the largest wool-producing country in Europe. The number of sheep in the UK in
1994 totalled 43,295. In 1995 this had dropped slightly to 42,771. Nearly half
this amount are slaughtered and replaced each year.
Too Many Sheep - Not Enough Shepherds
Over the last 10-15 years the sheep-to-shepherd ratio has changed from 350 ewes
per shepherd in 1980 to 700 ewes per shepherd in 1992. In some areas, up to 1000
ewes per shepherd is now common. An increase in the number of stock per shepherd
will inevitably lead to a deterioration in the level of care of individual
sheep. It is impossible for one person to cope adequately with over 1000 ewes.
The government's own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council, noted in
their report on the Welfare of Sheep in 1994 that " ... with very large
sheep/shepherd ratios, there may be a high incidence of foot problems and dirty
wool around the tails which were the first signs of developing problems
associated with understaffing".
FAWC Report on the Welfare of Sheep, 1994
Sheep farming is a major industry in this country yet FAWC found very little
detailed analysis of the animal welfare implications. FAWC made 69
recommendations in this report but the government has taken little notice of any
of them.
Shearing
Wool insulates sheep from the cold (in the winter) and the heat (in the summer
although specialist breeding ensures more wool than is actually natural or
necessary. Whilst in full fleece, they find it difficult to cope with local
irritations and usually week a post or rail (sheep rarely groom each other). In
the absence of a suitable object to rub against they will roll on to their
backs. When in full fleece or heavily pregnant they may fail to get up, and if
not seen, will die. Not all the lambs recognise their mother without her coat
and the ewe may not be able to count her lambs correctly. If shearing is to be
done before lambing, the handling of the ewe close to her due date may cause
birthing difficulties.
Wool is normally removed from sheep during the early summer. However, this can
be during very early in spring or in winter soon after housing. The majority are
shorn for the first time at 14-15 months old, and then annually. Wet, windy and
cold conditions can result in severe chilling, and in some cases, death. It
takes 7-8 weeks for the coat to grow sufficiently to protect the animal. Winter
shearing has been widely adopted in some areas, particularly south west England,
as a consequence of winter housing. Initially, the main benefit was the
reduction in pen and trough space requirement. Shearing before taking them
indoors for the winter may cause wool slip where sheep go partly bald. Vets at
the University of Bristol believe this is partly due to hormonal changes
associated with the stress of shearing. The incidence of assisted lambings may
be higher in shorn ewes. It has also been established that the gestation period
is 1 day longer in shorn ewes.
Contract shearing is now well-established throughout the UK and such teams are
usually well equipped, bringing with them their own equipment. Contract shearers
clip between 120-150 sheep per day. Sheep shearers work at breakneck pace and
rarely fail to nick or cut the animals, which are manhandled and pinned to the
ground like rodeo steers on a bad day. Some animals have their pizzles cut
straight off.
Dipping & Spraying
Dipping sheep for external parasites and as a prevention against fly strike has
been an accepted practice for many years. Before dips were developed, sheep were
infected with lice, keds, ticks and suffered from mycotic dermatitis. Fly strike
was, to some extent avoided by crutching and dagging and the sheep were
frequently washed in dammed up streams and rivers to keep them clean. The first
dips were made of arsenic and sulphur and were sent abroad to the huge
wool-producing countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South America
throughout the nineteenth century, and continued to be used until the 1930s when
DDT and BHC (benzene hexachloride), the so-called organo chlorines, were
introduced.
With the coming of dieldrin, which has a creeping effect and carries the dip
chemicals down the wool fibres and on to the skin surface of the sheep, dips
became more effective and longer acting. Unfortunately dieldrin, along with DDT
and BHC belong to a group of chemicals that are capable of being absorbed into
the body fat of the animal and remain there for quite long periods being
excreted in the milk. These so-called organo-chlorines can build up to toxic
levels all the way up the food chain of both man and animal and their use for
sheep dipping is now forbidden except under licence. They were superseded by the
organo-phosphates which are perhaps somewhat less efficient, but were introduced
after the ban on the more efficient organo-chlorines. These methods are used for
the control of external parasites which can cause prolonged stress and
discomfort and, if infestation remains undetected, can lead to serious losses.
Both dipping and spraying involve stress to the animal. If carried out during
very hot weather, poisoning may occur due to absorption. Spraying is less
upsetting and there is less risk of injury but it is not as thorough and the
period of protection is shorter.
Intensification of Sheep
Extensively farmed sheep are simply not well cared for. However, while
intensification should also be condemned, under this system sheep might at least
have any welfare problems identified and dealt with.
There are many health problems associated with being housed indoors. However,
this may be a slightly better prospect than struggling against the harsh winter
weather, especially for those living on the hills. In order to provide optimum
welfare for sheep housed indoors, the level of stockmanship with lambing needs
to be as high as, if not higher, than that of outdoor lambing. Competition for
space when feeding, as well as during lambing, can cause stress on the ewes.
Mismothering is much more likely to occur with higher stocking densities unless
there is proper supervision, and ewe and lamb/s are often separately penned for
one or two days before moving outside.
All forms of enclosed housing increase the danger of joint ill, E. coli, heat
stress, pneumonia and Maedi Visna (the latter two are respiratory droplet borne
diseases). Ewes have to be shorn six to eight weeks before lambing which may be
a risk to her and the health of her offspring. There is also a danger of disease
build-up of coccidiosis and all enteric parasites (worms). There is also a
necessity for clean bedding and dung clearing. Mastitis may be caused
(particularly to milk producing animals) from accumulated contaminated bedding.
In the UK there are trends in lowland sheep farming towards increasing stocking
density and flock size plus housing for prolonged periods during winter. It is
well-established that stocking rate is a major factor affecting the
profitability of lowland sheep enterprises.
Hill Farming & Public Money = Suffering
Income from the sale of lambs and wool is insufficient to sustain hill sheep
farming so it is supported by subsidy (tax payers' money). Today there is no
subsidy on finished lambs but all subsidy is paid on the basis of the number of
ewes on the farm up to an agreed quota. Previous subsidies were paid on the
basis of productive ewes (i.e. to produce more lambs) so they needed to be fed
and well cared for. The present subsidy requires little more than the ewes
remain alive. Little attention, therefore, need be paid to their welfare.
Cruel Procedures
If incorrectly carried out, some procedures have the potential to cause injury
and suffering to sheep. For example, abscesses may develop after vaccination, a
dosing gun can injure a mouth, feet may be damaged during trimming or
haemorraghing caused by tail docking.
Many farmers with lowland flocks find it convenient to castrate and tail soon
after birth but may means lambs become more susceptible to hypothermia or watery
mouth, both problems associated with insufficient colostrum intake. Current
legislation which limits the use of the rubber ring (to castrate) to the first
week of life appears to be based on the probably erroneous impression that lambs
of this age feel less pain than older lambs. Available evidence suggests that
all methods of castration and tailing cause pain and distress which may be
detected by alterations in behaviour such as posture and activity, and by
alterations in cortisol concentrations in the blood.
Castration
Around 8 million lambs are castrated each year and scientific research shows
that castration inflicts severe pain on lambs. Farmers say they castrate their
lambs to help fatten them up or because once they become sexually mature, they
become agressive and breed indiscriminately. Many lambs, however, are
slaughtered before reaching the age of sexual maturity so this rather
invalidates their argument. In 1994 FAWC urged farmers to stop castrating their
lambs but this has been largely ignored. Castration is usually carried out by
the following methods:
the application of a tight rubber ring carried out without anaesthetic under one
week of age
the application of a bloodless castrator such as the Burdizzo
surgical castration involving cutting the skin carried out without anaesthetic
up to three months of age
Haemorrhage and local infections are always a risk and may lead to death
A report in the British Veterinary Journal showed eight out of the nine farmers
interviewed were using the wrong size of castrator which probably applied
excessive crushing pressure over an unnecessarily large part of the lamb's
scrotum. In six out of fifteen flocks, cases of injury and even death
attributable to castration were reported. It is generally agreed that it is just
as painful on the day of birth as several weeks of age. Castration is more of a
tradition that sound management.
Tail Docking
Tail docking is carried out to reduce the risk of sheep contracting maggots
through flystrike. However, it is carried out without anaesthetic and is an
extremely painful and traumatic experience for young lambs.
It is carried out by the following methods:
the application of a rubber ring
cutting with a sharp knife which may cause haemorrhaging, the risk of infection
of the exposed stump or death
the application of a hot iron.
Identification
Sheep are identified by the following methods:
ear notching which is carried out from a few days of age up to about 8 weeks
causing bleeding
ear tattooing at a few months which may cause the formation of haematoma
ear tagging at any age may cause infection and fly strike around the tag hole
particularly in the summer
horn branding when sufficient horn has grown at about 12 months of age which may
cause pain if not carried out on the insensitive part of the horn
Stomach Tube or Slow Cooking?
Lambs that are too weak to feed directly from the ewe are usually given
colostrum via a stomach tube which is an extremely traumatic procedure for the
lamb. This may be made even worse by uncaring rough handling by the farmer or
shepherd. When a lamb is unable to hold up its head, stomach tubing can be
dangerous, so instead a glucose or dextrose solution is often injected into the
peritoneal cavity. A recovering lamb can be warmed under an infra-red lamp.
There are many sad cases of lambs being "cooked" in warming boxes.
Internal Examination & Manipulation
Many sheep farmers use cervical artificial insemination as an aid to genetic
improvement. There has, however, been a recent development whereby semen is
deposited directly into the uterus beyond the cervix. The use of laparoscopy for
inserting semen or embryos directly into the uterus rather than the cervix is
designed purely for commercial gain. By referring to the human experience of
laparoscopy or women's experiences of cervical manipulation e.g. insertion or
removal of IUDs, it suggests recurrent or lasting pain.
Money Short? - Increase the Suffering
FAWC states that in recent years when money is short, some farmers have cut back
by deliberately omitting treatments which others would see as essential e.g.
vaccination against clostridial diseases. FAWC also claims many cases of
incorrect or inappropriate treatments being applied e.g. wormers or flukicides
being given at inappropriate times or to unsuitable groups of stock.
Lameness
Lameness is a major health and welfare problem in all sheep producing countries
and it is unlikely that lameness could ever be totally eradicated. It is
generally regarded as the greatest cause of pain and discomfort in sheep.
One of main causes of lameness are foot-rot and research has shown that foot rot
in sheep can result in higher death rate and increased susceptibility to fly
strike. It is spread from sheep to sheep via pasture or bedding contaminated
with bacteria from the feet of infected animals (which may be symptomless
carriers).
Farmers Weekly writes in February 1997 that lame sheep were found in 92% of
flocks covered by a Royal Veterinary College survey relating to 758,252 ewes and
427,277 lambs. This indicates that there were 3.9m lame sheep in the UK national
flock when the survey was conducted between October 1993 and September 1994.
Mastitis
Mastitis is an ancient disease causing inflammation of the udder by bacteria
which usually gain access via the teat canal. There are several types of
infection, the most common being caused by staphylococci, pasteurella,
haemolytica, streptococci and E. coli. Clinical mastitis is indicated by hard
and distended udders which are hot to the touch with lumps that can be felt in
the udder and a beery liquid being extracted from the teat. Sometimes there are
clots of blood or a thick yellow pus-like substance that is difficult to milk
out. In really acute cases the ewe will have a raised temperature and the udder
may start to turn a very dark colour as gangrene sets in and. If this occurs,
the whole or part of the udder can eventually slough off. In extreme cases, the
ewe will rapidly die of septicaemia. Mild mastitis in sheep will result in
permanent damage to the udder, usually in the form of abscesses, and ewes are
often culled as a result.
Treating mastitis in ewes is rarely successful and a three-year survey of over
30,000 lowland ewes found about 5% were affected. Subclinical mastitis is almost
impossible to detect but with up to 12% of ewes affected at some stage in
lactation. This infection causes the new born to be growth retarded and lambs
sucking mastitic ewes are often 30% lighter than their contemporaries at
weaning.
Acute mastitis in ewes is increasing year on year as producers breed ewes for
higher milk production and gear feeding regimes to maximise this potential.
Improved feeding regimes and the selection of milkier ewes means that milk
levels exceed the lambs' requirements, allowing milk to go stale in the udder.
This then becomes infected - often with a staphylococcus bacterium - and
mastitis occurs. The danger periods are when ewes are housed on dirty, wet
bedding which allows the bug to multiply and, more significantly, at weaning.
Sheep Scab
Sheep scab is one of the most serious welfare problems producers may encounter
in their flocks and it is currently widespread. Confirmation of this comes from
the leather industry which has reported a 70% increase in damaged sheep skins.
Human health concerns over the use of organo-phosphate dips have seen many
producers switch to using non-OP, so-called 'safer' alternatives, such as the
synthetic pyrethroids, to control the mite. It is now apparent that pyrethroid
dips such as Bayticol are 100 times more toxic to insect life in water courses
than OPs.
Some Other Health Problems
Abortion - Caused by malnutrition, dog worrying, chlamydia (enzootic abortion).
Copper deficiency (swayback) - Symptoms are usually seen in young lambs as loss
of coordination in the hind limbs. The condition can also manifest itself as
poor growth rate in lambs, and as dullness of the fleece in adults.
Enzootic abortion - Caused by Chlamydia psittaci. Infected animals usually
aborts the lamb. Fluids and membranes are highly infectious for at least 2
weeks. Personnel can develop flu-like symptoms and several cases of human
abortion have been attributed to close contact with infected sheep.
Flystrike - Caused by blow flies laying eggs on the fleece which hatch into
maggots and eat the animal alive. Tell-tale signs include dark patches and odd
behaviour of so-called 'struck' sheep. A 'struck' sheep of any age is in great
pain and appears almost in a state of shock, not unlike a person with severe
burns.
Foot rot - This can become so bad that sheep graze on their knees. Acute pain
can be caused by dung fly maggots hatching in a poorly trimmed foot.
Orf - A nasty skin complaint caused by a virus which primarily affects the lips
of lambs and the teats and udders of ewes. It may also affect the genitalia and
area adjoining the hooves in older animals.
Hypocalcaemia (lambing sickness) - The symptoms include listlessness,
incoordination and recumbency on the chest with the head resting on the ground.
If it is not identified and treated, it usually leads to death in 6-12 hours.
Hypomagnesaemia (staggers) - Caused mainly by stress on the lactating ewe at
grass in the first few weeks after lambing. The main symptoms include
excitability, nervous twitching, staggering and convulsions. It is common in
ewes grazing heavily fertilized improved pasture. The condition is a dietary
deficiency which can be prevented by supplementation with magnesium.
Milk fever or lambing sickness - Caused by failure of the ewe to mobilize
calcium at or shortly after lambing. Death can be fast unless an injection of
calcium borogluconate can be administered at the first signs.
Navel ill - Caused by infection E.coli which enters the body of the new-born
lamb through the wet navel.
Pasteurella - Commonly kills one in ten ewes and a massive one in seven lambs.
Some farms suffer even worse losses.
Pneumonia - This is common in some breeds and in Israel has been found a great
problem in the Friesland breed. It can be either microbial or viral or can be
caused by poor drenching.
Sore umbilical cords in lambs - Although the umbilicus soon dries, it hangs as
hard dry thread for many days. It is not uncommon for it to get trodden or
knocked before it is healed sufficiently to drop off and if not treated promptly
the sore can become infected.
Toxoplasmosis - A widespread cause of abortion in sheep. Infection is very
common in humans.
Worms & fluke - It is almost impossible to keep sheep for any length of time
without them being affected by worms.
Breeding
Ewes are increasingly bred to produce twins or triplets although they only have
two teats and can only feed one or two lambs. During lambing "spare" lambs are
forced to be adopted by ewes with a spare teat. One way that this is done is to
skin a dead infant and put the skin over the "spare" lamb - it is hoped that
this will persuade the ewe that the new lamb is infact her own. The ewe may also
be held by her neck in 'stocks' for up to three days to prevent her from
rejecting the newly born lamb.
The oestrus of each ewe may be manipulated so that they give birth at the same
time. A much more convenient option for farmers. Progestagen sponges are
inserted into the vagina and around two weeks later ewes are artificially
inseminated. Damage may be caused by insertion of the sponge. Sponges are left
in for two weeks and then pregnant mares' serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) is injected
into each ewe.
Teaser rams are often also introduced into the flock to help the whole process
along. Semen is collected from rams using an artificial vagina. Breeding rams
have their semen extracted by giving them painful electrical shocks via a probe
that's driven deep into their anus. Each ejaculation will give 2 ml of semen and
can be used to impregnate 40 ewes.
Lambing
Statistics show that one in five lambs born do not survive and the reasons are
simply bad welfare. Many surveys have been carried out on lamb mortality rates
in this country and it is generally found that a lamb loss of around 10-15% a
year (4 million) occurs, although severe weather may lead to sporadic extremely
high losses. The Ministry of Agriculture states the causes of lamb deaths as
abortions & Stillbirths (40%), exposure and starvation (30%), infectious disease
(20%), congenital defects (5%), predators or misadventure (5%). It is estimated
that 75% of ewe mortalities occur during the time around lambing.
Cervical prolapses are becoming more common as lambing approaches writes Farmers
Weekly in March 1997. When the lining is damaged it must be stitched in and the
ewe watched closely for the stitches must be removed at lambing. Prolapses
usually occur in older ewes which have more relaxed pelvic floor muscles and
ligaments holding the vagina and uterus. Cervical prolapses are caused by a
combination of factors including lack of room inside the body and high roughage,
high volume diets.
Lamb Embryotomy
Embryotomy involving the removal of head of limbs is a technique carried out
mainly by veterinary surgeons when dead or putrefying lambs remain within the
ewe and a caesarean operation would be neither economic nor in the best
interests of the animal. Recently, concern has been expressed about the
procedure being carried out on live lambs in order to save the cost of a
caesarean operation.
Weaning
Ewes' colostrum transfers temporary immunity to disease to the lamb, provides a
highly concentrated source of energy and acts as a laxative to ensure the
digestive system works properly. Feeding colostrum using a stomach tube should
not be carried out on very weak or moribund lambs because there is a risk of the
tube entering the wind-pipe. If the lamb does not receive colostrum during the
first two to three hours after birth, it is prone to hyperthermia. Scour
(diarrhoea) outbreaks are on the increase in young lambs and adequate colostrum
is a vital factor in its prevention.
The practice of placing newly-weaned ewes on minimal rations and restricted
water supplies to dry off milk production has been carried out for many years,
supposedly to reduce both discomfort and the potential development of mastitis,
there is no scientific basis for this.
Ram Care
Although rams are an important part of the flock, they are often neglected at
times other than in the mating period. Rams are particularly prone to abscesses
and other foot disorders and may suffer from congenital defects which may be
passed on to the offspring.
Dogs
Every year more than 20,000 sheep are attacked by uncontrolled dogs. Sheep
(often pregnant) have no defence whatsoever and suffer severe bites to all parts
of their body, they have their ears severed and die of heart attacks. Entire
flocks are savaged. Badly trained sheep dogs can cause stress in the flock, and
in extreme cases can injure animals.
Transportation
CIWF and RSPCA have obtained clear evidence that many hauliers are ignoring
British law (The Welfare of Animals during Transport Order, 1992). Problems
associated with transportation include fear and pain associated with handling
and mixing sheep; thermal and motion stress; hunger, thirst and exhaustion; and
risks of infection. Lambs are able to avoid death from hyperthermia but become
progressively dehydrated (imagine the worst hangover and you may feel like a
lamb on a lorry).
In September 1996 240 sheep were killed in a crash travelling from Britain to
Spain via France. The remaining 520 were slaughtered in French abattoirs.
Two days later a further 300 sheep died in another crash.
Stress
Gathering and loading sheep was found to cause stress due to strange people,
sheep, vehicles and dogs. Trials show an 8% loss in body weight when food and
water is withheld for 24 hours. This is likely to be due to urinary, respiratory
and gut fill/faecal losses rather than fluid loss. It presents no evidence of
dehydration in either transported or untransported lambs and says the weight
loss could be associated with increasing hunger rather than any physical
deterioration of the lambs.
Markets
A report in Farmers Weekly in 1994 claims lambs sold through auction markets are
more likely to show bruising than those coming from farms. The study published
in the Veterinary Record, shows carcase bruising was low overall at 1.25%. But
graders found a 27% higher overall frequency of bruising in lambs from auctions
than in lambs from farms. Vets claim this is a reflection of the extra, and
possibly poorer, handling for animals at markets.
Lambs arriving for slaughter from a livestock auction are four times more likely
to die in lairage or during transit than those sent direct from the farm,
according to a study carried out at a slaughterhouse in southern England and
reported in the Veterinary Record in 1994.
FAWC claims in their 1994 report on the Welfare of Sheep that considerable
number of 'unsound' ewes are re-sold at markets as breeding stock which may
result in welfare problems as many ewes in this category are not fit to survive
a further pregnancy or produce enough milk to rear a lamb.
Slaughter
Sheep are very vunerable to stress during drawing out (selecting) for slaughter,
loading and transporting to the abattoir. In fact most of the stress on the day
of slaughter is often associated with handling, transport and lairage. These
problems become more intense for animals that are unadapted to handling e.g.
sheep. There has been a steady decline in recent years in the number of
slaughterhouses in this country and concern is expressed over the long distances
stock may have to be transported prior to slaughter. In 1994 a report in the
Veterinary Record claimed that sheep bought direct from local farms travelled
62.4 miles on average. Those bought at auction travelled on average 199 miles.
A Meat & Livestock Commission survey in 1982 showed tooth loss was the main
reason for culling, at (35%). Other main reasons were empty ewes (24%); poor
condition (13%); faulty udders (9%); and age (7%). The gums of all sheep show
signs of inflammation soon after the adult teeth start to wear. In some flocks
the inflammation is much worse than in others. The gums recede from around the
teeth and the supporting ligaments become damaged. The teeth become loose and
are finally lost.
Not all sheep reach the abattoir. It is illegal to transport unfit lambs and
sheep so they may be killed on the farm. The term 'unfit' is difficult to define
but in legislation it includes 'inform, diseased, ill, injured and fatigued
animals. Unfit sheep should not be transported and farmers do leave them on the
farm to die which FAWC strongly condemned. FAWC recommend shooting sheep older
than 2-3 weeks. Lambs younger than 2-3 weeks of age to be held by the back legs
and killed by stunning with a heavy stick to the back of the head, then bled by
cutting a large blood vessel in the neck.
Possibly because of the sheep quota (more money for more sheep) failure to cull
ageing ewes has resulted in a problem of suffering because they are unable to
survive a further pregnancy in harsh conditions in harsh conditions.
Sheep are usually slaughtered by electrical stunning followed by throat cutting.
Stunning, however, may not be very effective and sheep might regain
consciousness when they have their throats slit or while blood is being drained
from their body. Many are also ritually slaughtered i.e. they have their throats
slit whilst fully conscious.
Environment
The Wildlife Trusts report Crisis in the Hills demonstrates that biodiversity in
the uplands is literally being eaten away. About 70% of heather moorland in
England and Wales is at risk and half of upland breeding birds in decline. Case
studies have been gathered from major upland areas in the UK highlighting that
the loss of biodiversity has reached national unacceptable levels. Areas that
have been specifically identified in the report include the Peak District
National Park, Dartmoor, Scottish Borders, Mixed farming in the Western Isles of
Scotland, Gradbach Hill, Peak District National Park, Crosby, Ravensworth Fell,
Cumbria, Plynlimon, Carneddau, Coed Bryn Meurig, Northern Ireland.
The uplands are characterised by very poor soils, low productivity and a harsh
climate. These factors have led to the designation of Less Favoured Areas (LFAs)
which account for more than half of the total agricultural area in the UK. More
than 60% of ewes occur in LFAs. More upland farms rear lambs for cross-breeding
or fattening in the lowlands. The moors are heavily stocked all year round.
Sheep are often kept on the hill in numbers far greater than the moorland
vegetation can support and supplementary feeding is required. A decline in
shepherding has meant that sheep congregate around feeding areas. This leads to
heavily poached ground and loss of vegetation. To support ever greater numbers
of sheep, many upland pastures have been agriculturally improved. Without public
subsidy hill would not be viable. Together these amounted to approximately £30
per breeding ewe. Livestock support has resulted in large-scale overgrazing in
the uplands. High stocking levels are the primary cause, but the timing of
grazing, supplementary feeding and the lack of shepherding are also important
factors.
To maintain incomes farmers must keep as many sheep as possible. This practice
has led to the loss of heather and other dwarf shrubs which can take up to 15
years to recover even when stock are removed. Large areas of moorland and in-bye
land have also been agriculturally improved, at the expense of the semi-natural
vegetation, to support ever greater numbers of livestock.
Pesticide Residues on Wool
Pesticide residues on British wool, and in effluent discharged in wool
processing, are to be measured in a research project jointly funded by the
British Wool Marketing Board and the textile industry. The aim will be to
minimise residue levels, particularly from OP sheep dips. The results are due in
May 1998.
The Final Word
The final word goes to Lorri Bauston, President of the Farm Sanctuary (USA) who
writes in Animals Agenda:
".... Farm Sanctuary found living sheep dumped on stockyard deadpiles, newborn
lambs left to die from starvation in fields, and sheep trembling in fear at
slaughterhouses. Wool should be recognized for what it really is: a product
derived from the pain, misery and death of animals. Don't pull the wool over
your eyes - or anywhere else!"
Glossary
AEP - Annual Ewe Premium. The sheep subsidy that comes from the European
Community on a per head basis for all ewes
Anthelmintic - a drug used to treat helminth worm parasites
Biodiversity - signifying a diverse range of life
Burdizzo - a bloodless castrator used on male lambs
Carding - the first process in yarn manufacture in which fibres are brushed into
a parallel web or sliver
Carpet wool - coarse wool used in the production of carpets
CIWF - Compassion in World Farming
Classing - grading wool according to fibre diameter, colour and quality
Clip - the total amount of wool
Combing - the process of laying all wool fibres (except noils) parallel before
spinning
Condition scoring - an established technique used for handling the sheep over
the loin to assess the subcutaneous fat reserves. A score of 0 is very thin and
a score of 5 is very fat
Crutching - removal of wool from the crutch of a sheep as a preventative measure
against fly strike
Cull ewes - ewes that are no longer fit for breeding and are sent for slaughter
Dip - to immerse or spray animals with insecticide to control external parasites
such as blowfly and lice
Draft ewes - older ewes that have been taken from the open hill where conditions
are particularly tough
Drenching - an oral control measure used for internal parasites especially
stomach worms
Enclosed ground - Sometimes called in-bye ground. Land that is surrounded by
permanent hedges, fences or walls and subdivided by these into fields
Embryotomy - the dismemberment of a dead lamb inside the birth canal of a ewe
Ewe - a mature female sheep
FAWC - Farm Animal Welfare Council. A body that advises the government on animal
welfare. Most recommendations are not enforced.
Flushing - The practice of giving ewes extra nutrition in the period before
mating in the autumn to raise body condition, stimulate the shedding of eggs and
hence increase the number of lambs born
Flystrike - a condition of sheep caused when blowfly maggots attack moist
skin/wool, causing distress and ultimately death (often within days) unless
treated
Folding - technique of using temporary fences to give grazing sheep small areas
of forage crops such as swedes, turnips, rape or kale
Gimmer - young female sheep between approximately 9-18 months of age
Greasy wool - unwashed wool in its natural state
HLCA - Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance. Subsidy for farmers in the hills
and uplands
In-bye - Land that is surrounded by permanent hedges, fences or walls and
subdivided by these into fields. As opposed to open ground which could be hills,
marshes, military ranges or commons
Jetting - high pressure spraying used to apply insecticide for blowfly control
used in Australia
Ked or kade - wingless fly that infests sheep
Lamb - a young sheep up to 8-9 months of age, or until weaned from its mother
Merino - the predominant sheep breed found in Australia renowned for its fine
white wool
Micron - measurement of the diameter of wool fibre
Noils - short fibres removed during combing
Ram - a mature male sheep
Raw wool - wool shorn from sheep
RSPCA - Royal Society for the Protection of Animals
Scoured wool - wool that has been washed to remove all impurities especially
soluble dirt, dust and natural wool grease (lanolin)
Shearing - removing the wool from sheep
Skirtings - inferior quality wool removed from a fleece, normally around the
edges
Tops - a continuous band of combed fibres laid parallel in an untwisted
condition with all noils and short fibres removed
Woolclasser - a person that grades wool after shearing
Woollen - fabric woven or knitted from yarns spun from carded sliver
Worsted - fabric spun from tops with all fibres combed in the same direction
giving a smooth appearance
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Last revised: 08 November 2003