Concerning Live Export

Live export of animals is very concerning. By its nature, it is highly likely to give suffering to the animals. If, also, conditions are dire, procedure is poor, and there is bad treatment of the animals by humans, the circumstance is worse. Sheep are an animal group much exported live, and therefore they are much victim to the live export situation.

For concern, is that progress in the passage through the UK Parliament of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill seems to have stalled. The Bill proposes the banning of export from Britain of live animals for slaughter and fattening. Last week, the organisation Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) ‘took to the road’ in England with a Ban Live Exports Ad Van tour, going to the constituency offices of four Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Ministers and of the Prime Minister, to draw further attention to the need for ban on live exports and for expressing concern that the UK government appeared not to attach importance and priority to ending live export of animals.  

More encouraging is The Guardian 3rd March 2023 report (Calla Wahlquist and Australian Associated Press) that ‘The Australian government has begun the process of phasing out live sheep export’. But concerning is that ‘the National Farmers’ Federation is opposing ending live export and will not participate in consultation about the best way to phase out the trade.’ The RSPCA Australia chief executive has said that ‘the live sheep export trade had “deep, inherent and unfixable animal welfare issues” ’.  

CIWF gives this straightforward portrayal of live exports: ‘Live exports causes overcrowding, stress, exhaustion, dehydration, hunger and even death’.

Lambs and Mothers and Dairy

When lambs are born, their mothers - ewes - produce milk for them, and until the lambs are weaned. That is nature’s way. If the sheep’s owners want milk from the ewes to provide a product - milk, yogurt, or cheese - things can become rather different. There is human intervention and alteration to a natural course. At a chosen stage of ewe’s milk production, lambs are taken away from their mothers and their mother’s milk, and are fed on something else. An extreme system is that of a lamb being taken from its mother 24-48 hours after being born. There are those systems whereby a lamb can feed from its mother for a chosen, longer, period of time, and then be weaned from her milk so that milking can commence. Another system is for a lamb, after a short while of total nursing by their mother, to be with, and feed from, their mother for a portion of a 24-hour period. The lamb is not then with the mother for the remainder of the period, during which time the mother can be milked. 

In ‘Guide to Raising Dairy Sheep’, Berger, Mikolayunas and Thomas, writing from Wisconsin, explain three management systems for weaning lambs ‘so producers can milk the ewes.’. These systems (presumably in the United States) are Day-1 system, Day-30 system, and MIX system. As Susan Schoenian of Sheep 101 (sheep101.info) tells us - in regards management of dairy sheep (in the United States) - ‘Maximum milk yield is obtained when the lambs are removed from their dams within 24 hours of birth and raised on artificial milk replacer’. So, it would appear that the earlier the moment of separation of mother and lamb, the more milk will be available for allocation to form other - and commercial - products.

Recently on the BBC ‘Countryfile’ television programme a segment showed a visit to a farm which had sheep for diary. One of the farmers, when asked what the system for the lambs was, said ‘… these lambs will stay with their mum for 24 to 48 hours so that they get what’s called colostrum …. And then after that, we will take them away from their mums and we rear them all in a unit under heat lamps.’ She went on to say ‘I just try and give the lambs the best possible life we can.’ The segment attracted viewer criticism as examples, ‘Taking the lambs away from their mothers so early doesn’t sit well with me’ and ‘the poor lambs stay with their mums for only 24 hours and then taken away. What a s****y life’, and ‘Just can’t agree with the treatment of lambs on there just now. So very cruel for the mothers and wee lambs..’ (reported by Jill Robinson in The Sun, 13th February 2023). 

What we see here, overall, is human intervention into, and disruption of, a natural, needed and fulfilling process for a lamb and its mother. This is because humans’ wish to gain income from sheep dairy, so taking mothers’ milk produced for lambs’ growth, nutrition, and nurture. 

Giving Notice

The proportion of the year when lambs are born and still young is quite considerable. Sheep farmers choose when lambs are to be born on the basis of their aim for the lambs, and in relation to the likelihood of favourable weather. In the UK, lambs come into the world from mid-winter until late spring, with March-April as the peak; and so there can be presence of young ones during that period and into summer.

Lambs start out as small beings. They are innocent and unaware from whence danger or harm may come and unversed in how the world operates. Over time they will gain wisdom about what to fear and avoid. But for some period they will not know these things, and so will be very vulnerable.

It is lambs’ very innocence, along with their cuteness, what gives lambs such public appeal. But the love of lambs on the part of the public is, it appears, sometimes only up to a point. That point is when lambs halt or interrupt people from doing what they want to: driving their vehicle along a road in the manner and at the speed they wish; letting their dogs roam unconstrained. Speed on the road, and dogs on the loose are two main threats to lambs. Lambs going across a road may not grasp that they are upon a vehicle thoroughfare and so at risk of being knocked down; lambs in the countryside may not realise that the dog that they see is one of their predators. 

Three of the notices illustrated were seen at various places - roadside - in a military training area. One notice addresses countryside walkers; the other two are for vehicle-drivers who in these particular circumstances might feel the need to drive fast. These circumstances should not preclude, however, the top priority being lamb safety.

The sheep farming community and others who care about lambs’ safety have learned that strong notice needs to be displayed of lambs’ presence, to avoid harm to them due to uncaring human behaviour or other reasons.

More Shepherding

Traditional shepherding brings good care to sheep. The shepherd is with a flock of sheep all, or most of, the time, so sheep are much watched-over. Guard and warning are there against any predators. Sheep are led, with an aim to avoid encounter with dangers and for being kept safe and well. Sheep are taken to pastures that will be good for them and they are kept away from vegetation which would do them harm if they ate it. Any ailments or injuries which sheep may succumb to are noticed at once and so can be attended to swiftly, therefore a situation becoming worse is more likely to be avoided. 

In essence, through old-style shepherding, sheep are guided and managed, for their care, best interests, and welfare. The human brain is at use, supporting, adding to, complementing, and tailoring as necessary, what sheep know and have natural instinct to do anyway. The human-being is help, guide and augment. 

In parts of the world, traditional shepherding still occurs. But in many places nowadays, for economic or other reasons, shepherding - in the sense of the full- or most- time of a shepherd/sheep farmer being spent with a flock - no longer happens. Those with responsibility for sheep located outdoors regularly and conscientiously visit their sheep in their locale, to check them, tend to them, give them extra feed if necessary, but they do not remain with them. And the quad bike is a benefit to checking, in time-efficient way, how sheep are and are doing - it allows a person to go fast to sheep, to range far and wide speedily, to traverse terrain difficult for walking on foot. The quad bike visit, however, does not have the core feature of traditional shepherding, that of staying and being with the sheep. 

The optimum is to have shepherds with sheep all the time. In our modern times, being realistic and taking into account present-day circumstances and stringencies, the aim must be to have a method of shepherding which bears same beneficial characteristics as traditional shepherding. Fundamentals needing to be represented are: care, protection, watchfulness, vigilance. Compassion in World Farming says this: ‘Smaller numbers of sheep cared for by more shepherds allows proper supervision of the animals’ health and welfare.’

Expressive Ears

Sheep are quiet animals. They don’t make a lot of sound. They are not ‘loud mouths’. Lamb and mother will baa to each other; and sheep at a show, placed in pens alongside fellows, will likely baa. If sheep are suffering, it is not in their nature to voice it. But with their ears sheep are expressing things; this is by the positions the ears take. The question is ‘What is being expressed?’.

Expert, academic and professional study has delivered some suggestions as to what different ear positions are conveying. 

Dr Else Verbeek in the article ‘How Can You Tell Your Sheep Is Happy?’ (amazinganimalminds.com) describes how ‘researchers placed sheep in several different situations (negative and positive) and observed their ear postures’ and gives comment and summary.

‘The forward ear posture (sometimes the ears are also raised) has been observed when sheep are exposed to an unfamiliar situation ….This posture has also been observed when sheep were separated from their flock members, which is very stressful for sheep.

The forward ear posture could be a sign of increased attention when placed in a novel situation (or when looking at a strange camera), or it could be a sign of distress. 

Sheep generally have their ears neutral (perpendicular to the head-rump axis) or backward when they are standing calm and quietly, for example when ruminating. The proportion of time spent with their ears in the backward position increases even further during positive situations such as feeding and being voluntarily groomed by their handler. 

The neutral-backward posture therefore seems to be an indication of a calm state, and perhaps even of positive emotions. However, in a different study the backward ear posture was also observed during a situation when sheep could not control a grid moving over their feeding troughs that prevented them from eating. Sheep that were taught to remove the grid by crossing a photo beam with their muzzle did not show the backward ear posture as frequently.

The asymmetrical posture (one ear pointing back and the other ear pointing forward) has often been observed when sheep are distressed in situations such as separation from group members. The asymmetrical posture may also be an indication of frustration; ...

It has also been observed that sheep will change ear postures very frequently when they are stressed, while the ear postures change less often when in a more positive state such as feeding or ruminating. Sheep that constantly change their ear postures may therefore be in a negative state.’

Dr Verbeek says, ‘I have observed that the specific postures tend to differ between breeds. She then makes the important remark, ‘I also believe that the ear postures may be context dependent.’

In their article ‘Ear and tail postures as indicators of emotional valence in sheep’ (Applied Animal Behaviour Science 118 (2009), Reefmann et al reach this conclusion: ‘Negative emotional states appear to coincide with a high number of ear-posture changes, and positive emotional states with a high proportion of passive ear postures.’

The 2011 study by Boissy et al ‘Cognitive sciences to relate ear postures to emotions in sheep’ (Animal Welfare) finds that: ‘i) sheep point their ears backward when they face unfamiliar, unpleasant, and uncontrollable situations, hence likely to elicit fear; ii) they point their ears up when facing a similar negative situation but controllable, hence likely to elicit anger or at least some preparation of an active response; and iii) their ears are more often asymmetric in very sudden situations, likely to elicit surprise.’

The writer of the September 2019 article ‘Sheep Signals - what are they trying to tell you?’ (The George Farm Vets) reports this: 

‘Scientists have attempted to observe different ear positions on sheep and attribute them to particular emotions. The findings correlated with anecdotal evidence from farmers on how they would interpret a sheep’s demeanour - i.e. it matches up with what stockmen already knew.

• One ear forward one back tends to indicate surprise.

• Both ears back indicate fear or apprehension due to an uncontrolled situation.

• Ears down can indicate sickness.

• Horizontal position is neutral.’

Even the layperson, observing sheep, can absorb that sheep’s ears in their positions are expressing things and can have a fair instinct what is being ‘said’.

For those who care for sheep, looking closely at many aspects of the animal is vital. Most informative are its ears.

Nativity Scene

It is said that Jesus was born in a stable. It was possibly on a donkey that Jesus’ mother went to Bethlehem, town of Jesus’ birth. In the vicinity at the time when Jesus was born were shepherds watching over their flock; they went to visit the newborn (according to the Gospel of Luke). So, an animal presence at The Nativity is implied; but it is not known if any animals were present at Jesus’ birth. 

An early image of The Nativity, which is a carving on the lid of a sarcophagus, is of late fourth/early fifth century date. It shows Jesus, an ox, an ass, and two birds (no Mary and Joseph). Pope Benedict XVI, in his book (2012) Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives says that there is no mention in the Gospels of animals at the birth of Jesus. He opines that, that ox and donkey are referred to in other parts of the Bible, is probably why Christians included these animals in scenes of The Nativity. Maybe the birds were present for suggesting open sky, or for purposes of decoration. Later representations of The Nativity often include ox, donkey, and sometimes lambs and/or sheep. Sheep and lambs, as well as referencing the shepherds at Nativity time are also, it can be presumed, referencing Jesus’ Lamb of God attribution.

What is clear is that, over the time since the late fourth/early fifth century, in representations of The Nativity there has been an accrual of animals, both of type and in number. What seems to being represented is an impulse in humans of wanting animals to be shown as part of an important and fundamental event of life on earth. In showing animals present in portrayals of such a key occasion as The Nativity, humans are surely indicating their recognition and acceptance that animals are their fellows, having equal rights as theirs - both to be at The Nativity and in life.

Two examples of Advent calendars depicting The Nativity are below. The first shows - along with humans - a cow, two donkeys, a dove, an owl, two lambs, two rabbits, a deer fawn, two mice, a squirrel. The second (designed by Kong-Yew Wong) provides items to be built, comprising - along with humans, an angel, stable, crib, palm trees - a cow, a donkey, a dove on a hay bale, a sheep, a lamb, a goat, a camel, a cat, a dog, a chicken with an egg tray.

Nativity scenes with animals serve to emphasise that we should see and treat animals as of same value and importance as us.

In the Sale Ring

Time at a sale must be stressful for sheep. Most likely the most stressful part of the process is the time in the sale ring.

When a sheep enters a sale ring it goes into what has been rendered a closed space. The entry gates are shut behind the animal, the exit gates are shut. Around that space is tiered seating, with people on it. In the ring with the sheep are handlers/steerers. To the sheep, from its height and level of view, it must seem as though it is in an arena pretty much inescapable from. For noticing is that in the Humane Association report of 2019 (‘Livestock Markets 200 Years On’ by C. W. Mason and S. E. Richmond), it is said that in the sale-ring there should be ‘Clearly visible (to animal) exit gate’.

Along with this are the other circumstances. The ring is an area which is new and unfamiliar to the sheep. There is noise, the loud sound of the auctioneer’s voice over microphone, the bang of the auctioneer’s hammer, the clanking of ring gates as they are opened and shut at entry and exit times, the talk and conversation of all present.

To any sheep in the ring the sudden experience of being ‘projected’ into all this must be unpleasant and frightening. To a group of sheep in a ring, though they are in a circumstance of suffering, there is probably some slight amelioration to the circumstance: this is in that they can get closely together and so be in - to their sense - a unit giving a bit of protection. They have consolation of being ‘all in it together’. The lone sheep in the ring has no such benefit. Solo sheep in a ring seem to be the ones whose level of fear is so great that they may try, frantically and desperately, to escape, jumping at, and trying to leap over, closed metal gates and the ‘wall’ of the ring: and thus putting themselves at risk of injury and harm.

No Harm Done

The star element of the popular Winter Droving event held in the market town of Penrith in northern England has been the torchlight procession through the streets in darkness. After unavoidable cessation because of Covid, this year the procession was back. It took place last Saturday. The big feature of the procession is illuminated lantern depictions of animals of the countryside. Sheep are represented - as the photographs of the procession in 2019 display.

The Winter Droving festival attracts around 20,000 people. By the method of the Winter Droving procession sheep have public spotlight, recognition and appreciation, but without actual sheep being present. Sheep have given spectacle and have received public notice and attention without attendance of any real sheep. Sheep have been a presence without having been present. No sheep have suffered any harm, stress and indignity from being in an unsuitable and unnatural-to-sheep environment. There is a lesson - of very wide application - for learning. 

Sheep Drive Revisited

The London Sheep Drive is an event whose concept derives from: Freemen of the City of London having had, in days gone by, the right to cross London Bridge without paying a toll; in the past, live sheep were driven over London Bridge into the City to market. On 25th September I went to the 2022 Sheep Drive. Having attended the 2021 Sheep Drive and having been critical of it in an article (mattersofsheep.com), I wanted to go back this year to see if anything had changed.

The location was different; the Sheep Drive was on London Bridge whereas in 2021 it had been on Southwark Bridge. The Drive just occupied a wide pavement on one side of London Bridge. The framework of operation was a little different. Instead of two lanes being apportioned for sheep drives, only one lane was used - that going south. Alongside the lane for sheep-driving was another lane which acted as a service area: groups of Freemen and their guests waited in it to join their drive of sheep or departed into it from their completed drive; officials and official helpers were present for organising drive participants and for other duties. The entire flock of sheep for the Sheep Drive numbered approximately three dozen. In each individual drive there were about nine sheep. Sheep had rest periods when they were not being driven. As in the previous year, these were at bridge ends. Because drives were only southwards, sheep were herded back north across the bridge in a small corridor formed of bridge-side and a line of hurdles. Metal hurdles of various heights were the essential separators between lanes. The western boundary of the Drive was pavement edge, then tall hurdles, then permanent safety barrier, then bicycle lane, then vehicle lanes. The public could stand in the bicycle lane to view proceedings, as well as being able to watch events - and including seeing sheep in their rest times - from the bridge ends.

In the driving lane, behind sheep were the current drivers. In front of the sheep were the official helpers whose job was to walk, backwards, in front of the sheep with arms outstretched to give a barrier of containment to the sheep.

Compared to last year, the physical structure of the Sheep Drive was somewhat better this year. The event seemed to be better organised. The official helpers with the crucial role to walk ahead of the sheep, to contain them, seemed clear what they had to do and seemed organised in what they were doing.

Whatever change could be introduced to the Sheep Drive, would not be altered the fundamental, that the Sheep Drive is wrong - for sheep. These are the reasons.

The countryside is a sheep’s habitat. A normal day for a sheep is being in a field of pasture, eating grass, ruminating, resting. They see few people, and most of those whom they do encounter are known to them - their shepherd or farmer. The Sheep Drive takes sheep from their natural milieu and way of life. The Sheep Drive takes place in an urban setting. When sheep are brought to that urban situation they are deprived of what is natural to them. They are in an alien environment which does not give them what suits them and what they need. Moreover, it is a circumstance stressful to them. The sheep used in the Sheep Drive are in a city environment for a day lasting from before 9am until after 4pm. And throughout all that time they are surrounded by people - closely. Particular proximity comes from the sheep drives themselves because then the sheep are hemmed in. Behind them and facing them, and mostly at sides too, are people. The conclusion of a drive must be a particular stress point for the sheep. The ‘drivers’ have a, quite understandable, wish to have a photographic record of their unusual experience. A hurdle barricade and people in front of them stop the sheep going forward to get further away from the drivers. The drivers behind are taking photographs of themselves and each other with the sheep. And official helpers and drivers may be passing a phone camera right over the sheep if helpers are offering to take a picture of a driver with sheep.

Simply, the Sheep Drive is an inappropriate event. However worthy an organiser’s and participant’s aim, it is no justification at all for being uncaring towards sheep and putting them into an unsuitable, unnatural, and fear-inducing, circumstance. Is it either not noticed, or not chosen to be noticed, how very uncaring of a sheep it is to submit it to use and participation in the Sheep Drive?

On the Sheep Drive website of its host, the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, one of the couple who provide the sheep for the Sheep Drive opines ‘The sheep will … be used to seeing the public and the noises that go with it and happy to be in London for a few hours.’

I doubt it.

Dogs

Dogs are ‘man’s best friend’. Dogs are not sheep’s best friend. Dogs’ instinct is to ‘go for’ sheep. Sheepdogs are so very trained that the tendency is contained and dog’s closeness to sheep is under strict control. Of the rest of dogs, a proportion are not restrained by their owners from ‘going for’ sheep. Sheep, as prey animals, can do nothing to defend themselves, other than rush away or stand together to try to look fierce. The risks to sheep from dogs are stress, injury, death.

Dogs are their owners’ responsibility. So, if dogs are not stopped from worrying sheep, it is because their owners are failing to stop them. One reason for the failure can be that owners are not training dogs adequately. But often the reason seems to be that owners have not much desire or motivation to keep back their dogs from sheep. Can this be because dog owners see their dogs as of far more worth and importance than sheep? Is a hierarchy of value present whereby sheep are viewed as lesser beings than dogs? And, moreover, is there an owner outlook of ‘I’ll do what I want’ rather than what is in the best interests of sheep?

As an example, is it kind or sensible to take a dog - albeit that it is on a lead - near sheep in pens at a show? The sheep are stressed by the circumstance anyway. Why choose to add to the sheep’s discomfort by bringing a dog in close proximity to them? Are the sheep not cared about?

With dog ownership on the increase, and, it would seem now, a growing tendency for a dog walker to have several dogs with them at a time, the urgent necessity is for strong and full addressal of the issue of sheep worrying.

Good and Bad

This year is being good and bad for sheep. 

A good thing is that in the UK, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 - in its legal recognition that vertebrates, cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans are sentient - recognises sheep’s sentience. It is to be hoped that the fact that sheep feel pain, fear and joy, will now be accepted across the world.

Ban Live Exports : International Awareness Day was on 14th June. Compassion in World Farming held a rally in Parliament Square. Its leaflet for ‘Hell Tours’ from ‘Your #1 Animal Travel Agency’ outlined what a trip to Europe includes:

‘Accommodation - Towering trucks and “vintage” vessels hardly changed since their use as cargo ships in the 70s

Temperature control - Won’t vary outside of 0 to +35 degrees Celsius!

Long-haul dining - Clean water provided but access to food limited

Special care - Weak, pregnant, and unweaned passengers are welcome

Health care – One inspector for thousands of guests’

Two days before, a live export ship carrying 15,800 sheep - several thousand more than the ship’s load limits - to Saudi Arabia sank leaving a Sudan port. Only about 700 of the sheep survived, but they were ill and not expected to live for long.

An end to live export of animals from England, Scotland and Wales for fattening or slaughter is in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill. The Bill started going through the UK Parliament in June 2021 but it still has a way to go, so might it be that government commitment to what the Bill addresses is now not strong?

In 2022 it has been shown that climate change is a reality. There has been drought. There have been floods. Both bringing threats to sheep’s well-being. In places across the world, pasture has not been green and juicy but dry, and so supplementary feeding has been necessary. Wildfires threaten injury, even death, to sheep. Floods bring danger to sheep of drowning.  

As Dickens said, ‘best of times … worst of times’.