Treatment of lambs is not so adorable
At this time of year, the British countryside is filled with lambs. These beautiful animals gambol in the fields, playing with their brothers and sisters yet stay close to their mothers for security.
I am sure many people do not even stop to consider why the lambs are there or where they will end up. Unfortunately, the seemingly idyllic scene covers some nasty truths. Most sheep suffer throughout their short lives and are slaughtered while still young. Millions of lambs freeze to death every year in Britain.
Many lambs are subjected to tail docking; the most commonly used method is to place a rubber band around the tail, to cut off the blood supply until eventually it falls off.
Male lambs endure a similar method of castration. Both of these procedures are carried out with no anaesthetic and the lambs suffer great pain and distress as a result.
Metal clippers used for shearing the wool often hurt the sheep; it is common for the animals to be clipped by the blades. Shearers are paid per sheep (not per hour) and often pay little attention to animal welfare; this can cause the sheep great amounts of stress.
To avoid wool loss, many farmers shear the sheep too early and many sheep die from exposure to extreme weather. People mistakenly believe that the wool in their jumper comes from live sheep, whereas in fact some wool is stripped from dead sheep at the slaughterhouse.
If you enjoy seeing the adorable lambs playing in the field each spring, please spare a thought for them and boycott wool. Viva! has recently launched a campaign against the exploitation of animals for the fashion trade, to find out about how you can be cruelty- free and fashionable.
Please visit www.thebigcoverup.org.uk.
Fiona Galbraith
Youth Campaigner, Viva!
Wilder Street , Bristol
(by email)
6 Comments
by Anon, Exeter
Friday, April 17 2009, 9:18PM
“I had lamb for tea tonight - it was deeeeeeeeeelishus. Mint sauce is criminal though.”
by David, Exeter
Friday, April 17 2009, 4:27PM
“How successful do you think you will be at a job interview, wearing a shiny polyester suit?”
by Peter, Exeter
Friday, April 17 2009, 4:12PM
“shepherds were the first to be told of Jesus birth. if God is alright with shepherds, they are alright with me.”
by Sally, Devon
Friday, April 17 2009, 2:43PM
“Fiona - shearing a sheep is no more cruel and barbaric than clipping a poodle or spaniel as many people do in the hot weather. Far worse to leave them in their thick coats through the summer and have them cook or dehydrate.
If sheep were not bred for wool and dare I say it, meat, there would be no point in them being here. Sheep have a short natural life and their teeth wear out quickler than their bodies, meaning they would starve in old age if just 'left to it'.
Would you rather see no sheep at all, or those dying of starvation in their old age - or shall we just stick to letting the farmers manage them?”
by Sarah, London
Friday, April 17 2009, 1:14PM
“Oh right, so now we must all clothe ourselves in synthetic materials which are produced by massively polluting industrial processes then? You kind of wonder at the motivations of animal rightists, on the one hand they like to project an image of themselves as at one with the natural environment, on a higher plane than the rest of us Muggles; but on the other you get the suspicion that really they think anything outside the ring road of a big city is a bit icky-poo and we should have nothing to do with it.”
by FWK, Crediton
Friday, April 17 2009, 9:42AM
“Sheep would suffer a lot more discomfort if they were not sheared and had to spend the summer trying to rub off their coats. Sheep have been bred for centuries to produce wool - although this is not valued so much nowadays - so need shearing.
Viva would like us all to be vegetarian. Campaign against cruel methods by all means, but remember that our landscape and wildlife are largely fashioned by the grazing animal, without which there would not only be no grasslands, except in wildlife parks, but no hedges, country stone walls, stone barns and byres etc etc - and no gamboling lambs. There would be a lot of featureless arable landscape entirely dependent upon artificial fertilizers to maintain soil fertility and more pesticides to control pests normally kept at bay by carnivorous insects, birds and mammals dependent upon hedges, grass fields etc for habitat. Take your pick.”