Comments on: Good luck, woolly!

Good luck, woolly!

Orange Dinosaur Slide — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:42:16 -0800

Overgrown sheep rescued near Canberra receives some much-needed help from four-time Australian Shearing Championship winner Ian Elkins. As carrying full fleece can be dangerously unhealthy for the animal, RSPCA Australia will assess any injuries and provide updates.

By: NoxAeternum

NoxAeternum — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:54:57 -0800

That's got to be at least two ugly Christmas sweaters and a scarf never to be mentioned worth of wool.

By: Countess Elena

Countess Elena — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:56:39 -0800

The article says the wool won't be good, but it's so snowy white when they pull it apart!

By: gingerest

gingerest — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:56:43 -0800

A bit more on why overgrowth is a big deal from the Canberra Times. In addition to the risks of flystrike and infection, the decreased mobility can interfere with grazing. It's a shame we've bred these animals to the point they can't survive absent intensive human care, but that's domestication for you.

By: jpolchlopek

jpolchlopek — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:05:47 -0800

I love the fact that someone who has won 110 shearing championships is helping. Seriously this line -- "Ian Elkins was in touch with us just recently, and apparently he has won 110 open shearing competitions, so I think we have our man" -- sounds like the equivalent of someone saying that Tool is going to drop by and play their 4th of July backyard party, because, you know, they heard that Jenny Jones is gonna be at the party and they know that you kinda have a crush on her ...

By: Squeak Attack

Squeak Attack — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:07:24 -0800

Shaun, a sheep from Tasmania that had gone on the lam This is the best sentence I have read all week.

By: sandettie light vessel automatic

sandettie light vessel automatic — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:11:01 -0800

Shaun, a sheep from Tasmania that had gone on the lam He even mucks about with those who cannot bleat.

By: NMcCoy

NMcCoy — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:20:07 -0800

☁

By: zachlipton

zachlipton — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:21:47 -0800

Apparently the shearing has begun.

By: jeather

jeather — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:23:16 -0800

I want to know why articles about overgrown fleeces talk about the risk of the sheep dying during the shearing.

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:39:20 -0800

Because sheep can be overstressed very easily, jeather. Add on 40+ extra pounds of wool and it's kind of like asking why a 400 lb human's heart rate goes up during a stress test. It will also take considerably longer to do than a sheep with a normal amount of fleece, compounding the problem.

By: codacorolla

codacorolla — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:52:25 -0800

I want to know who's paying for this. I wouldn't want the taxpayer to get fleeced.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:55:41 -0800

I recall seeing something a long, long time ago about a drug or some kind of chemical that would remove the need for shearing because the wool could be pulled straight out of the animal by hand. You wouldn't get a shorn sheep. You get a totally bald, bright pink sheep. On edit: Here it is. It's apparently too expensive and potentially unhealthy enough to both with it.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:04:56 -0800

Sheep Nair?

By: Kitteh

Kitteh — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:16:45 -0800

The picture of the overly woolly sheep has been making my day all today. Godspeed, my sheepy friend. I hope you pull through.

By: Solon and Thanks

Solon and Thanks — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:53:38 -0800

I'm getting Samson and Delilah vibes from this. We've removed the source of that sheep's magnificent power.

By: h00py

h00py — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 18:20:35 -0800

42 kilos of fleece, a new world record apparently. Poor sheep. Now he probably looks like this guy.

By: atoxyl

atoxyl — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 18:52:50 -0800

I recall seeing something a long, long time ago about a drug or some kind of chemical that would remove the need for shearing because the wool could be pulled straight out of the animal by hand. You wouldn't get a shorn sheep. You get a totally bald, bright pink sheep. On edit: Here it is. It's apparently too expensive and potentially unhealthy enough to both with it. Oh wow this is literally giving sheep hardcore chemotherapy drugs to make them lose their hair.

By: darksong

darksong — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 18:54:17 -0800

I said out loud to myself "I am so worried about that sheep." I love sheep. They've always been my favorites and are among the main reasons why I stopped eating meat (I was always horrified by the fact people ate lamp chops). In general principles, I don't really have a problem with wool. I don't wear it myself because I don't wear animal products & avoid eating them generally, but if I had my own sheep and I knew they were loved (because, well, they're my sheep so of course!), I wouldn't have a problem with their wool (just as I know of vegans who raise chickens & use their eggs). For me, the problem isn't so much animal products themselves so much as how they're produced. When we breed animals for mass production, we forget they are actual living creatures underneath it that deserve some measure of dignity. Sheep should get to be sheep. I really hope he's OK after this and ends up with a good life somewhere where he gets to be loved. If possible, I hope they do something good with all that wool and it goes back to his care.

By: gingerest

gingerest — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 18:55:29 -0800

Cool Papa Bell - yeah, cyclophosphamide is a member of the mustard gas derivative anti-cancer drugs, and is pretty toxic even by chemo standards. You wouldn't want to expose farm workers to that unnecessarily, not to mention the poor old sheep.

By: emjaybee

emjaybee — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 19:20:22 -0800

Besides Shaun, there was also Shrek the Sheep (RIP) who had a similar problem after evading capture for six years.

By: wotsac

wotsac — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 20:03:23 -0800

40 kg. That's like carrying a small adult human around.

By: Halo in reverse

Halo in reverse — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 00:30:53 -0800

But why oh why have they named him "Chris"of all things? [Shakes head.]

By: Violet Hour

Violet Hour — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 00:57:30 -0800

If they can't find his owner you can adopt the sheep!

By: hippybear

hippybear — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 01:32:36 -0800

MetaFilter: They can't survive absent intensive human care, but that's domestication for you. I'm deeply ashamed, but I also can't stop giggling.

By: hippybear

hippybear — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 01:34:24 -0800

I don't know how many of you will possibly get this reference but... See the merino standing there with his long shaggy hair.

By: Orange Dinosaur Slide

Orange Dinosaur Slide — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 05:21:43 -0800

They named him Chris?! A++++ Father Ted reference!

By: easily confused

easily confused — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 05:33:24 -0800

So if Shrek's 23+ kilos are "enough for 20 men's suits", then Chris's record-breaking 40+ kilos are what, a fully-stocked tailor shop? And yeah, I get that this wool is disgustingly dirty, with a wide assortment of bugs and dirt and sheep-poop stuck in there, but why couldn't it be used? After all, I'm sure they have to clean up any sheep's wool before it's used.

By: clavicle

clavicle — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 05:56:50 -0800

Oh wow this is literally giving sheep hardcore chemotherapy drugs to make them lose their hair. FUCKED UP. Especially considering that the trait of growing wool forever and never shedding it has been bred into them by humans in the first place. A couple of breeds retain it, like some Shetlands. And yeah, I get that this wool is disgustingly dirty, with a wide assortment of bugs and dirt and sheep-poop stuck in there, but why couldn't it be used? After all, I'm sure they have to clean up any sheep's wool before it's used. You're right, they do. (Fun fact, one way of cleaning sheep fleece is by soaking it and letting the water ferment, which turns the lanolin into soap!) I bet it could be used and the person who's saying nobody will want it because it's gross is not a shepherd or spinner. Either that or the wool may have defects if the sheep is malnourished, poor guy.

By: biggreenplant

biggreenplant — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 13:44:00 -0800

I was deliriously happy to read that Chris had survived the shearing and to see the photos of him shorn and in a little protective wrap. All day I have been seeing photos of the young Syrian boy who drowned and really, really needed this bit of something good happening somewhere news.

By: arha

arha — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 15:57:36 -0800

Inordinately proud he broke the record for heaviest wool. Take that you Bledisloe hogging bastards! (Actually just happy Chris is OK)

By: Orange Dinosaur Slide

Orange Dinosaur Slide — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 20:16:54 -0800

An update on Chris. He's doing well.