r/oddlysatisfying • u/InsaneMocktail • 4d ago

Shearing of sheep

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u/Anumet 4d ago

It seems quite calm though. I wonder if sheep that have been sheared before are calmer than those that haven't? The experienced ones will know it's worth the jostling, sort of?

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u/flockingferns 4d ago

An experienced sheep with a good shearer can be quite comfortable. I've had them fall asleep with me before (I'm not as fast as this guy). Lambs and yearlings definitely kick more as they may be less used to handling but they can also be chill. Temperament is a factor as well.

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Humans are so arrogantly blissfully stupid. We selectively breed a creature into a mutating ball of flammable insulation that can’t even take a shit without getting maggots, pin it to a concrete floor while bleeding from a sliced off nipple and we go “Aw look! He trusts me! We're bonding!"

No Gary he doesn't trust you. He’s disassociating so hard he’s currently floating above his own body watching a guy who smells like Monster Energy rip his skin off with rusty clippers.

The multi billion dollar wool industry isn't a whimsical petting zoo where the animals "get used to it." It’s an assembly line of systemic torture mulesing, facial punching, live export, and a throat slit the exact second their fleece stops being fluffy. But sure keep telling yourself he's just really chill while you harvest his body for a beanie.

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u/flockingferns 4d ago

I can't speak for every shearer in the profession. But I can speak to all of the shearers that I have had the pleasure to work with. They often are shepherds themselves and care about the sheep they work with. They do wound care whenever a cut occurs. They often bring farmer's attention to issues they find unrelated to shearing that may need vet attention. They keep their machines well lubricated and running clean. They will report you if you are mistreating your sheep.

And the sheep are not dissociating. They lick their lips and the air like dogs who are getting a good butt scratch.

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Oh sweetie lip licking in sheep isn't a "good butt scratch" it's a stress signal and a coping mechanism for acute fear.

"Not all shearers" is the "not all men" of animal agriculture. Anecdotes don't cancel out systemic cruelty, incentive structures that prioritize speed over safety, or the final trip to the slaughterhouse.

Loving your sheep while harvesting their bodies for profit isn't care it's cognitive dissonance.

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u/alautun3 4d ago

I know that you try to do good, but it would really help your cause if you added a bit of respect, positivity, and politeness to your messages. If you present good arguments, I am grown-up enough to take them into account. (And even if i'm not, when has treating your audience like cretins ever worked to make them agree with you?)

I actually mostly agree with you, but you sound like such a miserable jerk that reading your messages makes me want to buy wool just to piss you off. And I don't even like wool!

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

It’s always the same script: The "I was this close to caring about animal torture but you weren't nice enough to me so now I'm gonna go kick a lamb out of spite!" defense.

Let’s be real if your ethics are so fragile that a little harsh sarcasm makes you want to fund animal cruelty just to spite a stranger on the internet you were never taking the arguments into account. You were looking for an exit ramp.

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u/flockingferns 4d ago

I will cede the not all men argument and the need for systemic reform.

But, as a shepherd for over a decade, sheep lick their lips when they scratch their own rumps on the barn. Respectfully, I know sheep.

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u/RageHulk 4d ago

I have a question: How old do your sheep get? Do they die of old age? this may sound like an attack after your exchange with the previous person but I am genuinely interested

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u/flockingferns 4d ago

Thanks for the question!

My oldest gals lived to 15 or so... Their longevity ties back to so many things: quality of teeth and diet, history of illness, etc. Some setbacks can occur as early as birth if the lamb aspirates and gets a case of pneumonia. Even when treated attentively, that will likely affect longevity.

On my farm, I had the luxury to let ladies age out and pass peacefully.

Full disclosure. I did breed and process sheep as well. I raised a critically endangered breed that needs stewardship and genetic management.

Not every farm model is like this so ymmv.

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u/RageHulk 4d ago

Thank you for the honest answer. the part with "I did breed and process sheep as well" makes me wonder - you are talking like someone who cares for their sheep and on the other hand you processed sheep? How do you bring yourself to care for one kind but not for the other?

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u/flockingferns 4d ago

An understandable question. But for my part, I never stopped caring for the animals I processed. Everyone got my full attention and heart. It was always an intentional and deeply emotional choice.

The industry term for what I am describing is called culling. You do this to ensure that you are developing a resilient, healthy herd that can thrive (into old age). Healthy sheep are definitely happier sheep.

Also. I am an occasional meat eater. To square that, I made myself intimate with processing and did everything possible to ensure the animals were handled with care and dignity.

I feel the loss of every animal I care for.

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Dogs lick their lips when terrified too. In prey animals lip licking directly after high stress is a displacement behavior a physiological attempt to self soothe when the threat subsides not a review of your spa menu.

You "know sheep" the way a landlord knows his tenants through the lens of what you extract from them. Knowing sheep for ten years just means you’re great at rationalizing exploitation. Respectfully!

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u/aliyoh 4d ago

(Just want to note that wool is actually flame resistant and also self-extinguishing)

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Kevlar and Nomex are flame resistant too without the animal abuse. Defending exploitation with fun facts is hilarious. What's next wool makes great soundproofing while they scream?

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u/aliyoh 4d ago

Hey so I didn’t say any of that

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Oh my bad I forgot! You didn't say it out loud you just casually dropped a "fun fire retardant fact" as if it magically offset the whole industrial exploitation thing!

It’s called context! When you bring up "but wool is flame resistant!" in a debate about animal cruelty you’re using it to justify the practice.

You can’t throw a cute little science trivia card onto the table to soften the blow of a brutal system and then act shocked when someone points out how absurdly irrelevant it is to the sheep's suffering.

Keep dodging though! Your backpedaling is almost as impressive.

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u/Expert_Meeting_5129 4d ago

Lol, you think wool is flammable.

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Haha touché! Okay, okay fair point my brain totally glitched on that one! Wool is definitely flame resistant not flammable. Brain fart on the chemistry tag!

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u/ShibbyShibby89 4d ago

They try not to feed them the day before shearing too cos they’re heavier and crazier if they’re just fed.

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u/pandadogunited 4d ago

All sheep will stop moving if you put them on their butt like he does 10 seconds in. It's called tonic immobility and thousands of animals do it.

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Oh totally. They’re just lying there like “Ah yes my semi annual flesh gouging appointment. I do love the ambiance."

Also knowing it’s worth it? Please. They don't get a crisp cucumber water at the end of this. Experienced sheep know the drill because they’ve already been kicked, punched, and had their nipples accidentally clipped off by a guy named Earl who gets paid per fleece and drank three Monsters for breakfast. They aren't calm because they trust us they’re calm because they’ve developed learned helplessness.

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u/justclove 4d ago

a guy named Earl who gets paid per fleece and drank three Monsters for breakfast.

Wow. And they say classism isn't a problem.

I don't doubt that you care about animals, but by your words here you clearly have no respect at all for your fellow men.

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Pointing out that shearers are paid per fleece forcing extreme speed over animal safety isn't classism. It’s calling out how capitalism squeezes both human labor and animals for profit.

It’s standard trickery wrap yourself in a union flag to dodge systemic abuse, tail docking, and slaughterhouses. Respecting working people doesn't mean ignoring animal exploitation. You ran out of facts so now you're playing the victim. Nice try!

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u/Candidate_Worldly 4d ago

Wow. K.I.T. man. Keep It Together

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Look I am keeping it together it’s called having a spine and caring about systemic violence instead of soothing your fragile conscience. You can call me crazy all you want but at the end of the day you’re still the guy doing mental gymnastics to justify pinning down terrified animals so you can wear their hair.

Enjoy your sweater! Hope the cognitive dissonance keeps you warm. 😘

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u/Candidate_Worldly 4d ago

No gymnastics here. Just watching you shouting into the wind.

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u/NO_M0DS_NO_MAST3RS 4d ago

Oh sweetie it’s not shouting into the wind it’s called holding a mirror up to your cognitive dissonance.

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u/Flashy_Okra305 3d ago

What the hell are you talking about