Save a Sheep’s a*se - say no to wool!
April 30, 2008 by katesaltfleet
As I assess my current wardrobe, I am choosing to phase out animal fibres. So when I replace shoes, I’m opting for fabric or synthetic materials, choosing fake silk since the thought of the real thing squicks me. Then I came to the question of wool. I like knitting, so I’m quite aware of the lovely fibres available, including animal fibres. Wool (especially alpaca wool) is beautifully warm and soft to the touch.
However, if I am to follow through with the vegan ideal of avoiding animal products, then surely I should avoid wearing wool? Hmm. What’s wrong with wool? It’s just a sheep getting a haircut, right?
So, knowing I probably wouldn’t like the answers, I set out to find out…
1. In the UK, approximately 1/3 of the wool produced is from dead sheep, so it is a slaughterhouse product. By buying wool, I would be supporting the meat industry by buying one of their by-products.
2. Sheep aren’t naturally that woolly. As with most farmed animals, they have been selectively bred to produce heavy fleeces and therefore be more profitable. In the wild, they wouldn’t need shearing, kind of obvious really. They have to get all hot and bothered under their fleece just so we can have woolly jumpers.
3. As a result of their heavy fleece, sheep encounter all sorts of problems with hygiene. In Australia, Merino sheep are subjected to a process called mulesing, which is basically the removal of most of the skin around the rump, without anaesthetic. The reason for this is to try and reduce the incidences of “Fly Strike” where flies lay eggs in wrinkly skin and fleece around the sheep’s backside. The incidence of such an affliction which is caused by people breeding an animal who has an unnatural amount of fleece, and in a part of the world that is not naturally sheep country (although 30% of the world’s wool comes from Australian sheep).
4. One of the central reasons for being vegan is the refusal to participate in any exploitation of animals, and the belief that animals are not merely wandering the earth in order to be used by humans in some way.
Click here to see the PETA video about mulesing (grim viewing).
I did come across an article from the Australian Wool Industry, justifying mulesing. None of their arguments hold any water though, when you look at the huge pyramid of exploitation surrounding the industry. Basic hygeine measures are available, but these are time and resource consuming, and as we all know, time is money. Check out a Farmer’s view of Mulesing, more nasty pictures, I’m afraid 
There are many synthetic fibres, not to mention plant fibres (especially hemp, cotton and bamboo), which are just as stylish as wool, without the cruelty. I’ll be looking for alternatives when it comes to buying a coat this winter. It’s weird, every time I find out the truth of something like this, I feel saddened, but liberated as I will no longer be blindly colluding with such outrageous treatment of living beings. Ignorance is not bliss.
Stumble It!
As a sheep breeder, specifically Merino, I would like to present another viewpoint. I raise my sheep for their wool and for breeding stock, mostly sold to other folks who wish to raise their own fiber. I do not practice mulesing and I believe it is being phased out in other parts of the world. My flock helps me to keep my land open which provides a diverse habitat for bear, deer, fox, woodchucks, owls and many other critters. I would rather wear a natural product, including,wool, hair, down and leather then materials made from petroleum based synthetics.
Merinos can run into hygiene issues if not cared for properly, as can any living creature. But the comment that merinos have all sorts of health problems because of their heavy fleece is simply wrong. I think with any industry there are folks who practice it well and others that practice it poorly. If you are ever in Vermont, please get in touch with me and I will give your a tour of my farm and you can meet my flock.
I would ask that you take a look at the American Sheep Industry website for more correct information about the sheep industry. Some of the information you have is simply wrong.
respectfully,
Alexandra
Black Ram Farm
Morrisville Vt.
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you for your comment. The hygiene problems I referred to are specific to merinos being kept in Australia, whose climate I believe to be unsuitable for sheep with a heavy fleece, hence the problem with fly strike.
As a layperson, it appears to me that sheep would not need to be sheared, clipped, mulesed, etc if it were not for the fact that they have been selectively bred for profit in the first place. That is what I meant by the fleece causing them problems - in the wild they would only have the amount of fleece needed to keep warm.
I do appreciate that some breeders take better care of their livestock that others. However, the focus of the article is why, as a vegan, one should not wear animal fibres, specifically wool in this case.
Kind regards
Kate