Sorry Dickie, but because a product has been developed, does not
mean that it is readily available. In farming terms 2005 is
like yesterday, it is a new product. It takes years of testing
to prove that something actually works or is any good.

The first year that Trisolfen was out, even my vet had trouble
getting hold of it. It is still a pain in the arse now. If you
want people to use products, make them readily available at
local farm supply stores.

But that is not even the point. The point is, that if mulesing
is banned, Trisolfen or no Trisolfen, a huge number of sheep will
die of flystrike, suffering miserably in the process. It is foolish
to try and ban mulesing in the first place, much more sensible to
think about mandating the use of Trisolfen or paying premiums for
wool from people who use it, not for people who don't mules.

Even people like PF, who claim to know about sheep, are amazed when
they put rings on lambs tails to tail them, then land up with
flystrike. duh. Clips etc, will do exactly the same thing.

My point remains. The Peta campaign against mulesing will land up
causing huge suffering to merino sheep in Australia, but they
are too ignorant about Australian farming and merino sheep, to
even understand that.

Yabby let me quote part of your recent post on another thread

"If you ever go into business Nicky, you will learn fast, that
if you ignore the customer, you go broke."

Excellent advice, take it.

You can stand on your digs all you like but if the customer demands unmulsed wool, then thats what they will get. The smart guy will find alternatives - crutch his sheep more often - and get a premium for his wool. You on the other hand will still be complaining about it.

My comment about tailess lambs was that of course they get flystrike duh. They dont have any defence against the flies without a tail.

PF, I have no need to complain, for the Peta anti mulesing campaign does not
affect me in the slightest. I am simply speaking up on behalf of sheep, who don’t
get a say in all this. I’m pointing out the Law of Unintended Consequences,
which many, with their well-meaning but ignorant agendas, don’t seem to understand in this case.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unintended_consequence

Merino sheep will pay the heavy price of suffering miserable deaths as a
consequence, which is all very sad, when its caused by human stupidity,
which is what I am highlighting.

I have been breeding wool free meat sheep for years now. The token 200 merinos
have simply been here to compare economics of the two systems. Similarly,
the non mulesing long tailed experiment this year was undertaken in order to
speak from experience, rather then ignorant passion, as is so common.

I remind you that farming is made up by a variety of individuals, including lots
of hobby farmers, absentee farmers, part time farmers, farmers with little
experience. Merino sheep are left to their own devices for a lot of the time
and flystrike is the no 1 killer in Australia, apart from lambing deaths.

Around 5% of the flock, or 4 million sheep, die in paddocks now as it is.
Ban mulesing without a suitable replacement and that number will skyrocket.
Pay a premium for wool from unmulesed sheep, some will see the $, grab their
premium and sheep will die in the paddocks. The consumer will have been sold
the false illusion by Peta, that animals are better off. Fair enough, give consumers
what they want, that is good marketing, but that does not mean it’s good animal
welfare. We have factory farming due to consumer demand, after all, which makes
my point.

You might well believe your wavy tail theory. Far more probable is what the people
using clips are finding. It takes a very long time, from fastening a clip or a tail ring,
until that tail or piece of skin has rotted off and the lamb is no more an attractant of
blowflies

"Well, there you have it. You really can find prejudice against any nation, practice, minority, gender or religion on these forums.

Anti-Swedish. Now they're 'sissies.'

You'll note that my name is "viking" which is because I have some Scandinavian background. I'd hardly be racist against my forebears, now would I? I can however lament they way a Scandinavian country is headed. By "sissies" I mean they lack the balls to be proud of their own heritage, and to become hidebound by PC concepts. At least the Danes, as mentioned in the article, still have some (balls).

Some contention here.

[viking13] >>At least the Danes, as mentioned in the article, still have some (balls)<<

But this doesn't necessarily hold true for their their pigs, apparently:

[Arjay] >>just over the border in Denmark, millions of pigs are castrated<<

Yabby,
It's not that peta aren't aware of the consequences, those consequences have value to them. As their intention is to cease the use of animals entirely, having customers feel better about their purchases of wool, meat, milk etc is counterproductive to ending animal "exploitation".

Peta seem prepared to sacrifice animal health to that end. Sheep deaths post the mulesing ban can then be used in attempt to end the industry entirely. Welfare gains do nothing for the peta cause, it's not in their interest to have healthy sheep.