Just as human beings need a haircut for their grooming, sheep must be sheared. But the primary question is, does shearing hurt the sheep? Before embarking on the shearing process, it’s essential to understand why it benefits the sheep.
This post seeks to answer the question of whether shearing hurts sheep or not. It will also dig deep into the history of shearing, the benefits, considerations for shearing, when to shear, and answer other questions related to shearing. Read on to find out more.
Does Shearing Hurt the Sheep? Explained Further
No. Shearing doesn’t hurt the sheep, nor is it a cruel process. The outerlayer of the skin is dead so shaving the wool off is not painful. When sheep are shorn, they feel like you when you get a haircut after a long time. A bit overexposed, cold but overall, relieve and clean.
However, the process must be done skillfully to avoid causing injury or cuts to the sheep. Injury to the sheep may occur when done by inexperienced shearers or when the sheep are frightened.
When shearing, one must pay attention to the buttock area as it’s a sensitive area, and it’s recommended that you use your hands to pull the skin before shearing smoothly.
Attention should also be paid to teats when shearing ewes.
Although shearing doesn’t physically cause pain to the sheep, the process can be pretty stressful for them sheep.
Because sheep are timid animals, the handling procedures during shearing can be stressful.
Handle the sheep with tenderness, love, and care to reduce stress during shearing. You can play some soothing background music or talk to them. Also, ensure that the environment has minimal noise and distractions.
Shearing is critical to the sheep. The sheep risk overheating and diseases if the wool is left to grow without shearing.
Additionally, there’s the potential risk of skin diseases and parasites like mites and ticks.
READ ALSO: How To Shear A Sheep With Hand Shears? (Practical Guide!)
History of Sheep Shearing
Since man knew how to weave and make products from wool, it became one of the oldest trade items.
In the early 16th century, wool provided a massive percentage of the total English wealth. Frederick York Wesley invented the first commercial shearing equipment.
He was an Irish-born inventor and wool grower whose invention transformed the wool industry.
Over the years, new inventions and techniques have been designed to collect wool. But shearing is still the most preferred method.
Most of the wool today is harvested from farms in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia.
Australian wool is first-class in terms of quality, and its sheep-shearing industry is the biggest in the world.
READ ALSO: How Do Wild Sheep Survive in The Wild Without Shearing?
Benefits of Sheep Shearing
Shearing is important to sheep because of the following benefits: –
Reduces Heat Stress
Unshorn sheep will experience heat stress and overheating due to excess wool.
Parasite Prevention
Wool collects waste, feces, urine, and dirt which are breeding grounds for parasites and skin infections.
These parasites cause itchiness and irritation to the sheep’s skin. Shearing helps in controlling these parasites and gives their skin relief from itchiness.
Thick fleece leaves the sheep prone to flystrike, where the parasite flies lay their eggs on soiled and excess wool.
After hatching, the larvae hide under the sheep’s skin eating their flesh. Flystrike can lead to death.
Aids with Mobility
Excess wool restrains the sheep’s movement. The extra weight makes it impossible for the sheep to walk.
It also hinders their visibility. The excess fleece causes wool blindness, reducing the sheep’s ability to see clearly.
Regulates Body Temperature
Excess fleece makes it impossible for the sheep to regulate its body temperature leading to overheating. And if this is the case during the summer heat, it can lead to death.
Aids in Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight
Unshorn sheep have difficulty moving around, making them lazy and stay down most of the time.
As such, the sheep will gain more weight. Shearing ensures that the sheep’s mobility isn’t hindered, thus helping them maintain healthy body weight.
Reduces Lambs Death
Unshorn ewes hinder lambs from finding the teats for nursing. Due to this, they are more likely to die of starvation. Shearing reduces the likelihood of lambs dying from starvation.
Considerations for Sheep Shearing
Before shearing sheep, consider the following: –
- Have the right and clean tools. After shearing, the shearer must disinfect the tools for hygiene reasons.
- Set up the sheep corral a day before shearing. A corral helps in minimizing stress during the shearing process.
- Have a clean environment. This ensures your sheep do not pick infections during the shearing process.
- Shearers must not feed the sheep for at least 8 hours before the shearing process. If the sheep is full during shearing, there’s the risk of gas building up in the stomach. This gas might get to the sheep’s lungs, and if this happens during shearing, it will lead to suffocation.
- Wet sheep shouldn’t be sheared. Wool is susceptible to collecting moisture, and will make the shearing process hard with higher chances of injury to the skin. Additionally, the smell of lanolin in the wool is poisonous to humans and it can harm the shearer.
When Should I Shear My Sheep?
Sheep are best sheared during spring and before lambing. Even though you can shear sheep any time of the year, specific weather conditions make this process easier and work better for the sheep.
Shearing on days with reduced humidity, like during springtime, is considered the best time to shear sheep. For one, the sheep will be dry, and the blades will stay sharper for extended periods.
Once the clipper blades become dull, they must be switched and sharpened before re-use. And the cutters become dull faster in increased humid conditions than in low humid conditions.
It’s vital to shear before lambing (30-60 days) because of the following reasons: –
- It provides a dry and clean environment for the lambs. Unshorn ewes are grounds for the fleece to absorb moisture which isn’t a healthy environment for the lambs.
- Statistics show that shearing before lambing increases the lamb’s birth weight.
- It improves the fleece quality.
- Lambs have access to the teat without any troubles, thus increasing their survival chances.
- It’s easier to shear ewes before lambing than during the lactation period. After lambing, the lanolin in the fleece becomes stickier, making it hard to run the blade during shearing.
- It’s easier to look out for uncommon behavior and body changes in a sheared ewe during pregnancy. Additionally, shearing helps with monitoring their nutritional status.
FAQs
Is sheep shearing cruel?
The shearing process in itself isn’t cruel to the sheep. The only ethical forms of restraint during shearing are the shearer’s two legs.
However, there have been instances where uncalled-for cruelty to the sheep has occurred. Most shearers are paid based on the number of sheep they shear. And as such, some businesses prioritize profits over the sheep’s well-being and handle them cruelly. In such instances, the sheep get injured physically during the process.
Are the sheep washed before shearing?
No. The wool processor will wash the wool. Also, wet sheep make the shearing process hard and more stressful for the sheep.
Final Thoughts
The shearing of sheep is essential for their health of the sheep. If done by a professional with the right tools and in the right environment, it does not harm the sheep. Hopefully, if you were asking yourself whether shearing hurts sheep, you’ve got answers.
