Where do the sheep get their wool from? Is it important to remove the wool? Does it require a special comb to shear the sheep? Knowing the answers to all these questions is very important for stockmen to maintain the health of the sheep.

Animals can be harmed during the shearing process if it is done incorrectly or without any concern for the welfare of the animals. The sheep business engages in two operations that may damage the animals even before they are shorn.

The first process, known as "mulesing," involves the stockmen removing the skin near the animal's buttocks to prevent excrement from being trapped on the wool and attracting flies and their larvae, which could eventually lead to an illness known as fly-strike. To prevent parasites and illness among the flocks, some farmers would even bathe their sheep in toxic pesticides and fungicide chemicals in the second step which is even worse.

Some shearers utilise machines to shear the sheep, which can be detrimental to the animal's health and can also scare the sheep away before shearing begins. Machines are inefficient, and sheep shearing is one of the few industries in which a robot cannot take the position of a human.

Therefore, it is important that you carefully shear your sheep and take good care of them post shearing. Wear shearing clothes and preferably use a hand shearing tool for safe and better shearing, if you have a small flock.

Sometimes, it becomes difficult to understand which is better: Shearing or not shearing. Let's find out!

Why Not Shearing Sheep Is Worse Than Shearing Them?

People often consider sheep shearing to be harsh. However, the truth is the exact opposite. Not shearing sheep is cruel and is harmful to the sheep. Domestic sheep do not normally shed their winter coats. Shedding does not remove the wool, and subsequent growth just adds to it, resulting in sheep that overheat in the summer. They have limited movement and are more susceptible to fly-strike, which can cause pain and even death.

Anyone who dislikes sheep shearing should try wearing their warm, insulating winter coat into the summer and then adding on another one each year. Sheep have been unable to shed their fleece for thousands of years due to human interference, rendering them entirely dependent on humans for existence. Shearing is so necessary and it should be done as gently as possible.

It might take up to six weeks for the fleece to recover sufficiently to provide appropriate insulation. Shorn sheep require extra food to maintain their body warmth when the weather is cold. Sheep are continuously producing wool. If they are not shorn at least once a year, especially when it is hot and humid, they can get extremely uncomfortable and nervous, resulting in serious diseases.

For more exciting information on sheep shearing, do visit our website Shear Quantity, and read our latest blogs and articles.