Lambs don’t stay lambs forever.
They’re cute, they’re cuddly, and they’re wholly dependent on you. But lambs are complex to raise, and they don’t remain this way forever. Are you able to commit to providing the intensive care they require? And are you prepared to give them the full expression of adult sheep-hood that they have an inalienable right to?
Every year as a rescuer and liberationist I approach the time for lambing season with trepidation. The sight of so many tiny bodies prone in freezing cold paddocks, struggling to survive under torrential rain and winds heavy with sleet, is a daily occurrence from mid-July onwards. I live in a rural region where the vast majority of agriculture is dedicated to rearing sheep for wool and flesh. There is no escaping the reminders of such broadscale exploitation. There is no escaping the dead bodies of both lambs and ewes who have succumbed to the elements, to disease or injury, or predation.
There is no escape for the vast majority of them.
But it is not merely the birthing of vulnerable lambs to equally vulnerable mothers that triggers such apprehension for me. It is also the fact that at this time of year, the calls from members of the general public for lambs to raise as “pets” reaches a peak.
Many farmers have realised this can be a lucrative source of supplemental income. Instead of the profit loss a weak lamb left to die in a paddock represents, that lamb if taken in can reach up to $100 as a poddy sold on sites such as Gumtree, with limited effort or cost on the farmer’s part. Having inquired about many lambs advertised on these sites, I can say that in most cases the farmer does not care whether the purchaser is equipped to raise lambs, nor whether they are able to provide an ongoing home when the lamb becomes an adult sheep.
A newborn lamb will sleep for well over 12 hours a day, gradually decreasing as they grow and become stronger. They are relatively malleable, able to be placed in a pen or shed for their resting periods and only really becoming noisome and demanding when approaching feeding time. They love nothing more than to be against the warm body of their carer, and will rarely resist cuddles (which as a carer can rapidly become addictive). Apart from some few messes to clean, nightly feeds, and the occasional poo-explosion, very young lambs are little trouble.
Unwell lambs, however, are a nightmare. And many poddies that are sold or given away to unsuspecting members of the public are either already unwell or susceptible to developing any number of the life threatening conditions that can afflict such fragile bodies. The costs begin to pile up.
Of the six lambs we have had surrendered to us this season, four have survived. Lamusz (read his story here) died within hours of arrival due to an advanced umbilical infection. Alfgier (above) had to be euthanised the morning after he arrived, due to advanced pneumonia and joint ill that were incurable. Between the four survivors, we have racked up veterinary and care costs in the thousands that we have been thankfully supported in covering by a loving community. Ivar with his badly wrenched shoulder. Mały with chronic pneumonia. Biała with her double eye infection and mutilated tail. Siła and his insatiable appetite (he’s the only lamb thus far who has had no health problems). The first fortnight was a battleground of vet appointments, medications and physiotherapy, learning how to administer intramuscular injections, how to splint a wriggling lamb’s leg, and many sleepless nights listening to tiny rasping chests and whimpers of discomfort. And these were not critical cases, though they could easily have become critical without adequate care and attention. Critical cases can cost in the thousands per individual alone.
Are you prepared for those costs, and for the effort required to keep these lambs alive? What is your fallback position if you cannot?
Say hypothetically that you are equipped for the rearing of lambs. What happens next? Within a few short weeks the tiny lamb who has slept most of the day in a pen, who has been snuggly and calm, will become a rambunctious energetic juvenile. It happens within the blinking of an eye. Suddenly there’s head butting, and puddles of wee everywhere. Cute little bleats turn into loud shouting. Hooves harden and start to leave bruises. In our house we play the “is it chocolate, is it poo?” game every time a brown smear is found on a hand or surface. But this is also a period of important emotional development for lambs, and as a herd animal they need others of their kind to grow with and learn from. Mental growth and adaptation is essential if the lamb is to become a well adjusted adult.
But so many people are entirely unaware of this. And so they seek out a single lamb or two, with the intention of rearing them as pets aka. “lawnmowers” for the backyard. Believe it or not, most councils in lutruwita (“Tasmania”) have little to no regulations regarding the keeping of so-called livestock in suburbia beyond consideration for the neighbours. Countless sheep have ended up isolated in a backyard over the years, often chained up or confined to a pen, having outgrown those they regarded as their family. Roughly six to eight months after the clamour online of people seeking to buy poddy lambs there is a similar proliferation of sales and give away posts for those same animals. Even vegans will sometimes find themselves drawn to the idea of a single backyard sheep as a “pet,” overlooking the individual rights of the animals themselves. I have personally witnessed many such a post in vegan groups. Often this highlights the very real lack of understanding of what it means to be vegan as opposed to being plant-based.
Sheep are incredibly social creatures, and isolation from other sheep will in most cases cause distress. According to Landsberg & Denenberg (2014), the flock dynamics of sheep become apparent in groups of four or more individuals, and are evidenced in following leaders or running in unison away from a perceived threat. These social systems have evolved as anti-predator and as foraging strategies that rely on the transmission of learned traditions from adults to their young (Festa-Bianchet, 1991). And these relationships are not purely a matter of survival, and often become close mutual friendships.
A single sheep isolated from a species-appropriate flock, who has been raised without the cultural learning necessary for social and emotional development, is an emotionally abused animal. Imagine for a moment being an animal with the instincts of a prey species, but being deprived of the social systems necessary to afford you protection and the full expression of emotional health. Even two sheep together may not be able to develop appropriately and may become maladjusted as the full expression of flocking behaviours cannot be learned and explored. I have heard countless stories form people who remember the poddy lambs their family used to have who became “evil” adult sheep who would chase people down to headbutt or kick them.
Or would attack the dog, or who could not be integrated into a flock of other sheep due to their aggressive behaviour which developed in isolation from their own kind. In the absence of others to learn with and from, sheep can become dangerous to themselves and others. Almost all of these stories end with a visit from the slaughterman, and a .22 out in the back shed. Mary’s little lamb became a problem, and thus became Sunday’s roast dinner. These situations are easily avoidable, if people would simply research the complex needs of sheep, used a little common sense, and regarded these animals with respect.
Under the right circumstances sheep can be wonderful companions to each other and to us as their human family. They can form such sweet and loving bonds that last into adulthood. There are few feelings greater than the warmth that spreads through your body when a sheep you have a connection with lays their head against you, and relaxes into rest. They can become a true friend. But they need the space and circumstances necessary to develop fully as an individual, including both physical and emotional space. For this reason, the keeping of single sheep should not be considered. If you do not have space for a group of sheep, then you do not have the ability to provide an appropriate home for sheep.
The allure of the cute little poddy lamb needing your help can be overwhelming. But there are many complex factors that need to be taken into consideration before making that commitment. And not least of these should be the needs of the individual animal not simply as a baby but moving through the essential developmental stages and into adulthood.
It is their inherent right to be afforded the living conditions that are best suited to them as an individual and as a species. As an emotionally intelligent being, a sheep who is bereft of their flock through intention or ignorance is an abused animal exploited to fulfil the desires of humans (notwithstanding the few exceptional circumstances in which a sheep may not be able to be kept in a group system).
They are not a cute plaything that the kids might briefly enjoy. They are not your lawnmower; if you cannot be bothered mowing lay down some concrete, don’t expect an animal to perform your labour. Sheep are whole and complex beings. And as potential carers and family, we must respect their needs and their rights.
Anything less is exploitation and abuse.
*For a comprehensive lamb care guide visit: A Comprehensive Guide to Caring For Orphaned Lambs | Animal Liberation Victoria | Fighting for Animal Rights (alv.org.au)
