Video: Bucks farmer Sarah Denne on why shearing is not cruel
Our favourite farming YouTube series has released a new video explaining why shearing sheep is necessary and should not be considered cruel.
In her usual brilliant way, Buckinghamshire farmer Sarah Denne tells viewers of the popular web series British Farming that shearing is a relief for both sheep and shepherd.
“We don’t do it for money, we make hardly any money out of it, it’s for their welfare,” she explains.
See also: More about the British Farming series in the words of Sarah and Rufus Denne and Josh Aarons
“I don’t think it’s cruel at all, I think they must feel such relief. Sometimes they get fly strike and maggots and how can it be cruel to have the wind around their skin? It must feel amazing. It would be more cruel to leave the wool on.”
Watch the video below.
“It’s cruel in so much as they’re coming out of the field and going into a shed – that would be a little bit of stress for them.
“Then they are put on their bottoms and sheared. Sometimes they get a little bit stressy, but not usually because if the shearers are good they know how to hold them so they don’t struggle.
“When they’re finished they go hopping out of that shed and I think they’re happy.”
What is the British Farming series?
This candid web series follows the life and work of Buckinghamshire livestock farmer Sarah Denne and is produced by her son Rufus and co-creator Josh Aarons.
The pair are documenting the life of a typical British farmer, sharing videos on YouTube. You can watch all the episodes in the series so far on their website.