Mike Rowe's Lamb Castrating Story

In case you don't know, Mike Rowe hosts a show on the Discovery Channel called "Dirty Jobs". In this show he has been on a diverse group of agricultural operations. In this video, he talks about his experience at ranch in Colorado that runs sheep. He compares what PETA and HSUS told him prior to his visit with what he learned from the rancher and his own observations. This is a great video. It's a little long, but worth your time.

Common Practice Considered Mutilation

FAWC concerns over ‘mutilation’ of lambs
By Joe Watson
Published: 02/07/2008

Concerns about the castration and tail-docking of millions of lambs were voiced yesterday by the independent Farm Animal Welfare Council.

It branded them painful mutilations and said farmers needed strong justification to continue carrying out both tasks.

The condemnation of age-old industry practices emerged in a new report from the independent FAWC, which advises UK agriculture ministers on welfare issues.

Farmers, however, argued that in many situations it is necessary to dock lambs’ tails to prevent flystrike – a debilitating animal welfare problem – and castrate male animals to avoid unnecessary pregnancies. Read More

When common practices like castration and tail docking are starting to be considered “painful mutilations” that should require “strong justification”, well then you can see the road that the UK is headed down. Practices such as these are extremely beneficial to the animal, and those around it, over the course of their lives. That is why producers started using these practices ages ago.