SHREK

Before you purchase a wool product from a store, the wool passes through many hands.  Some of these hands include farmers, veterinarians, shearers, weavers, and feed producers.  One of the most important set of hands are the sheep shearers’ hands.  Today I would like to focus on their role because if their job is not done correctly, the whole batch of fleece, or even the life of the sheep is in jeopardy.

It is smart to hire a professional shearer for this task because sheep’s wool can become damaged if they are not sheared correctly (Sheep 201).  Shearers need to be trained and experienced in using the correct tools.  The training includes basic shearing technique and other tips such as the proper hand positioning and gentle handling. 

 (Sheep Shearing Day)

A typical day for a sheep shearer includes seeing several hundred sheep. They use special mechanical tools which need to be sharp to increase safety.  Sheep must be dry to be shorn and it is a good idea to fast the sheep before shearing (Sheep 201).  An article in 2015 states that Australia has a minimum wage requirement that all sheep shearers must make at least $2.85 a sheep (Murphy, Susan).  Professional shearers can finish a sheep in just a few minutes while a novice might take up to half an hour.  The sheep are first penned and then sent in one by one to the shearers.  They are rolled onto their back and sheared in a specific direction.  Shearers must be strong enough to handle the sheep and able to stand and shear all day.  Approximately five kilograms of wool is cut off each shearing!  When they are finished, the fleece should look like the picture below. Sheep should be shorn every year so shearers are always busy. 

(Cinquecento Paper)

As I have spent time researching this topic I have seen a lot of backlash come to shearers.  Many people are worried that sheep are harmed or even killed in the process.  It is a delicate procedure but as long and the shearer is experienced, the sheep should not be hurt.  In fact, shearing a sheep is done for its own good because their wool never stops growing.  A lovely New Zealand sheep named Shrek experienced this problem first hand.

 (Wool World Record)

Shrek had not been shorn in five whole years and poor Shrek had just been waddling around with 40 kilograms of wool on him!    When he was found they called in a four-time Australian Shearing Champion to help do the job.  The shearing took him approximately 45 minutes.  Shrek himself only weighed about 44 kilograms (Wool World Record).  If he had carried this wool for much longer he would have died.

 (Wool World Record)

This story shows how necessary it is to have trained professionals as part of your regular sheep shearing team.  They are what keep sheep healthy and make it possible for us to utilize their quality byproducts.

“Sheep 201: meat, milk, or wool?” The purpose of Sheep 101 is to teach students, teachers, 4-H and FFA members, and the general public about sheep, how they are raised, and the contributions to mankind., http://www.sheep101.info/201/shearing.html. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“'Wool world record': 40kg from overgrown sheep.” ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sept. 2015, www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-03/wool-world-record-set-after-42kg-fleece-shorn-off-canberra-sheep/6746200.

Murphy, Susan. "Shearer's story: Around the world with wool clippers." The Sydney Morning Herald. September 13, 2015. Accessed October 14, 2017. http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/shearing-cover-20150913-gjlgan.html.

"Cinquecento Paper." Magnolia Paper. Accessed October 14, 2017. https://www.magnoliapaper.com/cinquecento-paper/.

"Sheep Shearing Day." Hardys Animal Farm. Accessed October 14, 2017. http://www.hardysanimalfarm.co.uk/events/sheep-shearing-day/.

The Loving One

I grew up on a small town in Idaho.  Farming was the way of life and all my friends either grew up on farms or had worked on.  We knew where our food came from and learning firsthand about the natural ways of life.  I remember when my brother got married and how his wife had never lived outside of Salt Lake City.  After they were married, their first home was in the middle of our small farming town with a total population of 1,000 people.  She was shocked and excited when she first saw a tractor that she called us to tell us the good news.  It was funny to me but made me realize how not everyone knows the things I know about farming.

This realization became even more clear the more I researched this topic.  There is not a lot of mainstream social media posted about farming wool.  The posts I found were mostly negative.  PETA and environmental groups supplied most of the negative posts.  It shows how separated we have become from the source of our food, clothes, and other goods.  We are so far from the process that we are becoming ignorant about how important agriculture is in our lives and susceptible to the propaganda coming from mainstream media.   

One picture that was particularly amusing to me asked the question, “Which sheep should die for your sweater?  The daring one, the loving one, the hopeful one?”  It is promoting a vegan plays very strongly to the pathos (emotions) of the viewer.  It triggers a soft spot in our hearts and causes us to think twice about our actions.  It even got me thinking about how bad I felt for the sheep before I snapped back to my understanding that sheep are not harmed during the process and in fact taken very good care of.

 (1)

Another side of the advertising I noticed was the color schemes of the pictures.  The negative pictures tended to have dark, powerful colors such as black and red with a contrasting white lettering.  This grabs the attention of the reader and sets a serious mood.  In the positive images, the scene was light and airy with natural happy colors.  This sets the scene for the viewers before they are even able to read or process the article. 

 (3)

The occasional positive advertisement I found was usually on websites selling quality wools such as Icebreaker’s website (see image).  The rhetoric involved in advertising against wool production is used incredibly well on the opposing side’s argument but could use some work on the defending side. 

 (2)

My challenge to you is to learn more about the things you wear and where they come from.  Your shirt is more than something cute that completes your outfit! And be sure to tune in next week as we talk more about the process behind wool and how many hands touch it before we take it home from the store.

Resources:

Fiber, Blue Barn. “Blue Barn Fiber.” Cruelty Free Wool, 26 Aug. 2016, bluebarnfiber.blogspot.com/2016/08/cruelty-free-wool.html.

“Icebreaker - New Zealand Merino Wool Clothing for Outdoor and Performance Sports - Webdesign inspiration on www.Niceoneilike.com.” Nice one! i like!, www.niceoneilike.com/best-website-inspiration/Icebreaker-New-Zealand-Merino-Wool-Clothing-for-Outdoor-and-Performance-Sports.

Burton, Arlie Felton-Taylor and Lydia. “Wool industry responds to latest animal welfare campaign against it.” ABC Rural, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 14 Apr. 2015, www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2015-04-14/wool-industry-peta-shearing-animal-welfare/6390924.