Why isn’t wool vegan? Inside the hidden cruelty of sheep farming
EXPLAINED: The cruelty of wool isn’t often publicised, and there is little general understanding of why it isn’t vegan. Here, we break down the reality of the industry.
Given that veganism is typically associated with diet, the fact that wool and many other clothing materials can’t be worn can often come as a surprise.
Wool is a hugely popular fibre found in items like coats, jumpers, and socks - and pretty much all of us grew up wearing it without giving its origin a second thought.
While the brutality within industries where animals are killed for food and fur is blatant, the cruelty inherent in wool isn’t widely understood.
Many of us will have happy memories of seeing sheep grazing in fields, and most of us will have been told that sheep ‘love’ being shorn and that it’s ‘necessary’ for them to avoid overheating.
But the things we’ve been told about the wool industry are at best simplistic, and at worst - and most commonly - completely inaccurate lies.
Is wool vegan?
Wool is the fibre taken from the fleece of an animal - most commonly sheep - which is typically used to make clothes.
The definition of veganism, as explained by The Vegan Society, is a way of life “which seeks to exclude - as far as is possible and practicable - all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”
As wool is a direct product of both exploitation and cruelty, it is indisputably non-vegan.
Why isn’t wool vegan?
There are two main issues to look at when exploring why vegans will not use wool.
Firstly, and most fundamentally, sheep and other animals should not be farmed and used for profit in the first place. Vegans stand against all forms of animal imprisonment, and against all industries in which animals are used for human gain.
Secondly, those that are farmed are subject to active cruelty and pain.
Many of us are told that shearing is as painless for sheep as going for a haircut is to us, but this is not true.
Shearing is often done in a fast-paced environment where workers are paid by the sheep, not the hour, which leads to inevitable cuts, bruises and injury. As reported by PETA, one eyewitness to the process said: “[T]he shearing shed must be one of the worst places in the world for cruelty to animals … I have seen shearers punch sheep with their shears or their fists until the sheep’s nose bled. I have seen sheep with half their faces shorn off …”
Sheep have been selectively bred to grow as much wool as possible, which makes their lives painful and uncomfortable. As mentioned previously, wool is often justified on the grounds that the animals need to be shorn, but this is only because we humans have bred them to be this way.
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Because they are selectively bred to maximise wool growth, the sheep must be sheared at least once a year - meaning they will often overheat during the summer.
Heat exhaustion is common in farmed sheep, particularly those that live abroad. In Australia, the world’s largest exporter of wool, sheep often do not survive the summer. Blow Flies can lay their eggs within a sheep’s wrinkles in hot climates, due to a build-up of moisture. Horrifically, the animals can be eaten alive by maggots when they hatch. This is called Flystrike and can kill the sheep within days if left untreated.
Mulesing is a method that intends to stop flies from laying eggs in a sheep’s skin, but this practice is horrific and painful in itself. It involves cutting off parts of a lamb’s skin, often done without anaesthetic, subjecting them to excruciating pain both during the procedure and the weeks it takes them to recover.
Tail docking - the intentional removal of part of the tail by cutting, searing or similar - is another painful method used by farmers in the wool industry. It is claimed that this is necessary to prevent flies from laying eggs in faecal material that builds up on their tails. As well as being painful, there is a risk of rectal prolapse if this procedure is not carried out properly.
Mulesing and tail docking are often done to lambs when they are between two and 10 weeks old. Lambs subjected to this cruelty will often lose weight and socialise less in the weeks after, and they will also actively avoid people - particularly the person who did it to them. This clearly shows that lambs have the capacity to feel fear and experience - and remember - pain.
Once a sheep has stopped growing enough wool to be profitable for the farmer, they are often killed for cheap meat. Many sheep, particularly those from Australia, are exported to other countries on an overcrowded ship to their death, which is an unimaginably horrific experience for the animal.
Can wool ever be ethical?
While wool farms differ in their levels of cruelty, and there will be a minority who do ensure that their sheep are not subject to active pain, it still cannot be argued that wool can ever be ethical.
This is because, as mentioned previously, all animals used for profit are not where they are by choice, meaning that - however ‘ethical’ the farm is - it is still a centre of imprisonment and exploitation.
What are the vegan alternatives to wool?
Luckily, there are many incredible vegan alternatives to wool - and it is now very easy to find clothes made without it. Organic cotton, hemp, linen, and flannel are just some materials that can be used in wool’s place.
Polly Foreman is a writer and digital journalist based in London. Since going vegan in 2014, Polly has stood firmly against all forms of animal oppression and exploitation. She is passionate about tackling misconceptions of veganism and challenging accepted norms about the way we use animals in this country.
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