Sheep originate from wild sheep, and are grazing animals, who form hierarchies. Scotland has more sheep, than people. Their natural life span is 12-15 years. They are highly social, gentle and sensitive animals, have good memories, and can remember 50 faces of other sheep, up to 2 years. Contrary to popular belief, sheep are intelligent animals, capable of problem solving. Sheep are known to self-medicate when they are ill, and eat specific plants that can cure them. They have excellent peripheral vision, and can see behind themselves, without turning round. Ewes form strong bonds with their lambs, and recognise them by their bleat. Lambs are very independent at birth and enjoy group play.
Sheep are largely defenceless against predators, naturally nervous and easily frightened, so they will follow each other, and flock together for safety. Like a cat or a dog, a sheep will respond to his/her name. Ewes live 4-8 years and are culled when they become lame and infertile. Lamb’s lives are short, between 10 weeks and 15 months, unless they are required for breeding. The UK has one of the largest sheep flocks in Europe (over 70 different breeds) and the majority are kept for breeding and the production of lambs. Sheep farming represents 85% of the sheep meat eaten in Britain. Apart from providing lamb and mutton, they also produce some milk and wool. British wool is mainly used for carpet manufacture.
There is a variety of farming systems. Most sheep live in open conditions, so have been less affected by intensive farming practices, compared to other farm animals. However, several million are permanently confined indoors. They go from the lambing shed, to on-farm fattening units, then straight to slaughter. Intensive rearing methods for sheep are already prolific on the continent, and animal-right protestors argue that in the UK the trend is heading the same way. Organic farmed sheep graze on pasture throughout the grazing season. Sheep rearing can still involve considerable suffering and welfare problems.
Ewes become sexually mature around 7-9 months. Under natural conditions sheep will give birth every Spring, after a 5 month pregnancy. Coming into season in the Winter ensures that lambs are born during the Spring months, when the weather is warmer. Ewes are designed to produce a single lamb each gestation.
Genetic selection has now created a situation where twins and triplets are the normal, with 85% of sheep pregnancies resulting in multiple lambs. Some ewes even lamb twice a year. Farmers attracted by the high prices of having the first lambs of the season, when lamb is in short supply, manipulate the breeding cycle so lambs are born earlier, by using drugs and hormone implants. This puts lambs born in winter at greater risk.
Traditionally ewes were impregnated by rams, but increasingly artificial insemination is used, a process that is much more insensitive and invasive, and very distressing for both the ram and the ewe. Embryo transfer takes interference in the reproductive process one stage further. Fertilised embryos are ‘flushed’ out of a ‘quality donor’ animal, and inserted into a lower ‘recipient,’ another popular but painful procedure.
Mutilations: lambs are routinely subjected to castration and tail docking, usually carried out at the same time. If these are done when lambs are less than 7 days old, there is no legal requirement for anaesthetic. When performed soon after birth, the suffering by lambs is so great, they stop suckling for a few hours. This contributes to high rates of early mortality.
A report by the FAWC found in the absence of effective pain relief, lambs experience considerable pain for up to a month, and state that these shouldn’t be done without strong justification, are often unnecessary and not carried out in higher welfare systems. Castration is done in many male lambs even though many are slaughtered before they reach sexual maturity. Lambs can also be disbudded (agonising and unnecessary).
Lameness: is a major welfare problem in all sheep. Scald and foot rot are the common causes. Scald is a painful bacterial infection between the toes of the hoof and can lead to foot rot which if not treated, is highly contagious and can spread amongst the flock. Wet ground conditions (muddy grass) or damp housing can allow bacteria to flourish which can lead to infections. It is present in over 97% of flocks (FAWC 2011). There are various treatments including chemical foot baths and antibiotics.
Ewes and lambing: many ewes die during Winter and Spring, because of poor body reserves to cope with harsh weather conditions, sickness, injury or pregnancy complications. In UK more than 15% of lambs don’t survive. They are aborted, stillborn or die through disease, exposure, starvation or from predators. Pneumonia and hypothermia are prevalent. Infectious diseases cause a lot of lamb deaths in indoor housing. The big difference between organic and non-organic are the methods used to prevent and control diseases. Organic manage their flocks carefully, to reduce the disease risk to new born lambs.
Transport: when they are marketed each little creature which has only known the quiet of the countryside, will be transported from market place to holding pen, from live stock dealer to exportation. Sheep and lambs are the most transported animals in Britain. They travel long stressful journeys (days) in overcrowded trucks unventilated, unheated with insufficient headroom. In cold weather they can freeze to death and in hot weather they can collapse from thirst and heat exhaustion. EU journeys legislation is often ignored with animals not given the rest, food and water required, and many die.
Christians Caring For Gods Creatures 