Mulesing - A PETA het up? Or genuine concern...

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slim6y

slim6y

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Yep... I'm going back to the land of the long white sheep.... I mean cloud... But there's a cloud over the Australian wool industry - mulesing. This is the surgical removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the breech (buttocks) of a sheep to prevent flystrike (myiasis) in regions where it is common (Wiki).

Unfortunately PETA have hit out at Australian sheep farmers and want them to stop the practice.

I assume there are a few Aussie sheep farmers here - and I'd like to hear your point of view.

I'd also like to hear the point of view of the wool wearers or general populous. Plus it would be good to get the non-biased view of a PETA representative - that's about the only faction of people that are poorly represented on this site!

Here's the PETA scare campaign video and a little story that goes with it.

PETA ad shows graphic sheep footage - Yahoo!Xtra News

They plan on targeting the Aussie tourist in the US in the hope they'll boycott ya ug boots???

All comments welcome :)
 
Personally- Mulesing is better than having flystruck sheep! (and yes, I mean for the sheep sake) However, I still think the industry needs to try and make a move towards sheep (particularly Merino's) with less skin wrinkles, particularly in the breech area, to minimise the incidence of fly strike. I've seen some mobs where the farmers have been working on these genetics, and they report that the flystrike rates without mulesing are much, much lower.

Just my opinion, based on what I've seen of the sheep industry so far and my veterinary teaching :)
 
Fly strike is a nasty disease but I think that given sheep aren't native to Australia (thus we have put them in an environment where they're susceptible to fly strike) they could at least be afforded some pain relief before the farmers go chopping pieces of skin away.
 
Using the term "surgical", while possibly technically correct, is probably being a little bit generous.
 
peta are more bark than bite, lets all run around calling fish sea kittens
 
slim6y said:
. Plus it would be good to get the non-biased view of a PETA representative
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Unbiased? PETA AHAHAHAHAH that made me giggle. Seriously PETA had Pink speak out about this a few years ago and they since retracted that statement upon learning that Australian sheep farmers are phasing out the process/starting to use pain killers.
 
I just watched the video and it made me quite sick . . But on the other hand i've heard of flystrike so I guess its the lesser of two evils . .But I assume infection from mulesing would be another factor to take into consideration . . not sure . . I would like to see pain relief but i imagine the cost to farmers would be to high and time consuming . .

I heard/saw a joke the other day, it was an image of a large bear with the words "I ate a peta representative and almost choked on the irony" . . made me laugh . . from what i've read PETA puts more money into celebrity ad campaings then actual care of animals . . apparently their shelters have ridiculously high rate of animals being put down . . they have also had celebs who wear and advocate fur in ad campaings (not ads against fur, but still if they are that much for the cause they wouldn't use those celebs)
 
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It is true that sheep are not native to our country and we have put them in an environment that makes them susceptible to flystrike... So - you're right, we should do more for them - this is a very valid point! But - just like toads, they're here to stay... And prevention is the best cure....

GMO sheep.... interesting... :) But merely another can of worms not worth opening today! I assume they're more hybridising than GMOing - would that be right Kitah?
 
The thing that got me about her video campain was the whole maggots eating them alive thing. I thought it was common knowledge that they only eat dead flesh. (Correct me if I am wrong there please would love to know)
 
Im avidly into animal rights, a real dork for it all. even in being vegan, I must say...PETA are USELESS. Just an example: they pick on "kill shelters"...yet they ARE a kill shelter.
They over hype a lot of things, and make animal rights into such a complete joke, and ruin it for people who actually care.

I'm sure this does happen, probably because it's just what's been taught to the farmers and I guess it works despite the pain.
But I'm also sure PETA make it sound a lot more common than it likely is. I mean, not that it doesn't still deserve attention and to be fixed...but it also lacks to value the farmers who do the "right" thing by their animals.
I know you're not asking about animal rights in general, but good down to earth examples on topics like this are "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran-Foer ; it's titled about how we're animals who eat for more than just food but for enjoyment- it's not actually saying eating meat is bad. it's also not really just about meat, but about farming practice (why I brought it up in this thread)

anyway back to my point, PETA suck.

I just think they should value the good farmers. why would anyone bother to change their ways if they're going to be labeled for doing the wrong thing regardless.
 
slim6y said:
GMO sheep.... interesting... :) But merely another can of worms not worth opening today! I assume they're more hybridising than GMOing - would that be right Kitah?
Click to expand...

Basically - for example- select Merino sheep with less skin and wrinkles, and breed these. then select the lambs with the least wrinkles, keep these and breed these... as time goes on you'll get sheep with less skin and wrinkles in the critical areas, including the breech area. It seems to be quite effective, and I think more farmers should be working towards this! It is time consuming, and may cost more to start with- but it will save time and money in the long run when the goal is achieved (i.e. having sheep that do not require mulesing, and still have relatively low flystrike rates) and it'll improve the welfare of the sheep.
 
Ahhh yes all those that live in concrete jungles pass judgement on the most effecient primary producers in the world!
The wool industry is developing new technologies/practices to deal with flystrike
problem in the nations flock.

For those of you that dont undrstand how flystrike works, Sheep have a naturally greasy wool/skin, it picks up dirt/dust and becomes dirty, the blowfly lays its eggs in this greasy mix in the folds of skin around the sheeps butt and under the legs as well, the eggs hatch and start to feed on the animal and if left unchecked they will kill their host. It can be a quick death or a very slow drawn out one but either way it is painful.
 
Having worked as a rouseabout on a few sheep STATIONS,where a days worth of shearing is anywhere up to 5000 sheep sheared per day by a dozen shearers.I have helped mules several hundred lambs,and had to put down half eaten sheep.Fly blown sheep are not a pretty thing nor do they smell nice.Mulesing and drenching are usually done at the same time,its not nice but the lambs are far more concened with finding mum than a burning butt,a quick feed and they usually get back to the business of being lambs.
Gotta be cruel to be kind.......and as for a painkiller........for a couple 1000 lambs every year.......yeh right.
 
wiz-fiz said:
Next they will be advocating against putting rings around balls.


Will
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I had something to say about that - but it'd get me banned...

But Michael - surely we can eat tasty animals and treat them with a bit of respect and dignity? In this case, using their wool as a fibre - it's a big big business with a lot of money in it - surely the minimal thing we can do is provide these animals with a decent bit of pain relief or do as others have done by breeding characteristics suitable for the environment - do PETA actually have a point this time?

Yes, their scare campaigns are ridiculous - and yes, they are motivated with poor knowledge on any occasions.... And yes the video is a little bit damning I am sure... But in this case there could be some help for these poor weee lambies....
 
slim6y said:
I had something to say about that - but it'd get me banned...

But Michael - surely we can eat tasty animals and treat them with a bit of respect and dignity? In this case, using their wool as a fibre - it's a big big business with a lot of money in it - surely the minimal thing we can do is provide these animals with a decent bit of pain relief or do as others have done by breeding characteristics suitable for the environment - do PETA actually have a point this time?

Yes, their scare campaigns are ridiculous - and yes, they are motivated with poor knowledge on any occasions.... And yes the video is a little bit damning I am sure... But in this case there could be some help for these poor weee lambies....
Click to expand...


Based on this reply you would really enjoy the book I mentioned :)
like I said, it's not about being a vego, but about what you said; enjoying meat, but with respect
 
vampstorso said:
Based on this reply you would really enjoy the book I mentioned :)
like I said, it's not about being a vego, but about what you said; enjoying meat, but with respect
Click to expand...

I would - absolutely enjoy that book - it's on my list of books I want when I get to NZ... I need to read far more than I do - but since I've been here I've never had the time - while marking assignments (like now) or running from cyclones (and consequently calling insurance companies to get my stuff replaced).... Of course that's not all that's limited my supply of reading.

On top of that I will be teaching agriculture in NZ (again) so I also like to impart my personal opinions from time to time (hehe - the only perk of teaching). Maybe I can get our future farmers to be a bit more respectful??? Knowing my luck I've just pushed the price of meat up by 40% and a decent woollen jersey by 60%!
 
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