Hello again, fearless MB People,
Zaqarbal's and my discussion about how humans and wolves treat their prey and about how each of us has the capacity to act like a "demon" has inspired me to post the lyrics for my song, "Cloven," about mulesing.
Mulesing (
Mulesing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) is a practice in which people slice off strips of wrinkly skin from the bottoms of lambs (without anesthetic) to prevent flystrike (
Myiasis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
Flystrike is a problem in hot, wet areas such as Australia because people have bred the sheep to be wrinkly to maximize the wool obtained per sheep, despite the fact that the wrinkles around the moist bottoms of lambs attract the flies. And flies will lay their eggs. And eggs hatch into larvae that then start to eat the lambs alive.
I only learned about mulesing 14 years ago when I, as an ovo-lacto vegetarian, was investigating veganism, with one issue being why to avoid purchasing wool. Around 10 years ago I was also able to discuss mulesing with an Australian sheep farmer, a family friend who told me that after mulesing of lambs they no longer frisk about like they did before. She was a lovely woman, kind and gentle...just not to sheep.
I vent some of my bitterness about the practice of mulesing in this song, which explains one reason I don't buy wool or support the wool industry. The other reason is that the wool industry is cloven hoof in cloven hoof with the mutton/lamb industry.
One cheery note
is that lambs intended for slaughter aren't subjected to mulesing since they won't live long enough to "benefit" from having their skin chopped off.
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"CLOVEN" by Erica
So you think you are peaceful and gentle and loving.
So you think you are thoughtful, empathic and kind.
Well pull the wool from your eyes!
Face the festering lies
like the skin people slice
from the asses of lambs
to save money and time.
When they want someone’s hair,
the more skin the better,
though they know that maggots
will feed on the slack,
so count this trying to sleep –
they cleave skin from the sheep
so the flies will have less to attack.
So you think flocks are grazing in fields idyllic
and are shepherded happily under bright skies.
Well pull the wool from your eyes!
Face the pestering flies
laying eggs in the folds
of the skin of the lambs
people bred wrinkles in
to save money and time.
Profits speak louder than conscience.
Conscience conceives no remorse
for the torture condoned
when victims are owned
and treated as if they’re a resource.
Victims are cut by their captors.
Captors make victims your feast
and the clothes on your back
so I have to ask
who is the lamb and who is the beast?
So you think you are helpful, aware, and big-hearted.
So you think you are merciful, decent and wise.
Well pull the wool from your eyes!
Face the terrified cries
of the lambs being bound on their backs
and flung onto racks
where shepherds cut chunks
off their bottoms so flies
can’t lay eggs in the skin
breeders bred wrinkles in
for they don’t give a damn
since I man’s not a lamb.
So as you wear your wool,
stop playing the fool.
Did you buy someone’s cry
just so you
could save money and time?
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Mulesing:
