Is it okay to wear wool being a vegan? Like a coat?

Question

I was kinda confused about this because the sheet have to be sheered and to just throw the wool away might just be a waste and wasting stuff isn't good.. so is it okay or not?? Im a beginner vegan

Answer 1

No...vegans won't have anything to do with animals...nothing...squat. Which includes wool.

Answer 2

Congrats on going vegan! With clothing, it depends -- do you just have a vegan diet or also a vegan lifestyle?

You'll want to avoid wool if you have a vegan lifestyle. The Australian wool industry is especially cruel. Sheep are mutilated without painkillers, and millions of sheep discarded by the Australian wool industry are shipped to the Middle East for slaughter every year. See http://savethesheep.com/ for more details.

Also, it’s very hard to tell where a wool product came from. (Most wool from Australia goes to China or Italy before being exported as a final product.) So it's easiest to boycott wool and use alternatives like cotton, cotton flannel, polyester fleece, and synthetic shearling.

Answer 3

no

Answer 4

No, no animal products or things from an animal are generally allowed for vegans.

Answer 5

Well, its true that sheep are not raised for wool and the shearing actually yeilds no profit for the farmers. If they could avoid shearing they would but its part of husbandry.

However, being a vegan involves excluding yourself from any animal expoiltation where possible.

Using the wool is part of the expoitive nature of keeping animals so vegans would reject wool clothes.

shearing on a production basis does produce cuts and bleeds because the cost of wool is so low - they rush the job.

Some hot countries, Australia being one, do cut the skin on purpose, this creates scars around the sheeps backs and so inhibits growth - thus making the sheep easier to clean for market. Its called museling. Its widely recognised that the Australian sheep shearing is the harshest in the world. In the UK we have o temper the actions of shearers that come from Auz and NZ.

We pay an hourly rate for our pets, rather than a per-sheep rate, it encourages the shearer ( who is a friend ) to go slow.

I help with the shearing so I know with our sheep its no more  traumatic than a hair cut. I don't feel bad about that, the animals seen to have a new lease of life when they are sheared, they seem far more comfortable in the heat. I normally give the shearer double what he initially asks for.

But i don't farm animals on a commercial basis.

Commercially, they can shear 300 sheep a day and occassionally sheep can die, farmers call it "shock", in a typical 5,000 sheep season a shearer will have perhaps 1 or 2 that die. Maybe thats just co-incidence and they would have died in the field at that time anyway, i don't know.

Its not like slaughter, or dairy, but it is part of the whole expolitive process.

The reason i wear wool is because it does not generate any income from the animal and so I feel I am not propping up the animal meat industry. If we didn't buy the wool, the animals would still have to be sheared. A farmer will not keep sheep for shearing.

So, an alternative way of thinking might be that if we wore wool and paid a high price for it, some of the speed and mistreatment might be reduced.

People look after products that have value.

That's one of reasons I am veggie and not vegan

In 2007 farmers made 20p per fleece, i don't know the 2008 figures but i suspect it will be zero as rumours are prices are low.

Answer 6

I am not a vegan. But the sheep isn't harmed at all when they take the wool, It helps the sheep, And keeps them cool. So I would say its ok. Lol.

Answer 7

Most would say no. This is because after a sheep gets really old, they are usually sold to slaughter. And some people are horrible and treat their animals badly.

I will say that there are many farmers who treat their sheep quite well and keeps them very healthy. ( to have nice wooly coats).

I do not think it is okay to throw those items away if you decide you don't need them. Give them to a shelter. there are people who could use a warm coat and cannot afford the luxury to be vegan.

edit- as someone who has seen plenty of farms. Sheep are not held up in cages. Sheep have to be let out to pasture daily. ( unless it's  below 0 degrees) Well fed sheep make good quality wool.

It is okay to have values about these things. It is not okay to perputuate untruths. Vegans get enough slack for taking a stance without the few that make up things.

Answer 8

If you already have the coat from before you went vegan, there isn't much point in wasting it.

If you are vegan now, you will definitely not consider buying anything made of wool.

Here's some idea of why:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsVpV0qsE...

You'll definitely want to watch the whole thing.

Answer 9

Nope.

Answer 10

Wool is not vegan.

Epicloud--there is indeed a difference between a vegan and just a dietary vegan. If you are just a dietary vegan you are a strict vegetarian and NOT a vegan.

Answer 11

they are crowded into tiny cages thier whole lives and never see the sun.

that is not okay

(tried to put a video from youtube but yahoo wouldnt let me)

seriosly, look it up, it was somewhere in australia

Answer 12

One reason i became vegan because I don’t want to finance death. I don’t mind wearing a woollen jumper, because they don’t kill the sheep to get the wool.

Answer 13

Thats for you to decide, its your choice there are some vegans who still were wool .

Answer 14

I suppose it depends on how picky you are. I would guess most vegans would say no. I, not being a vegan but rather a vegetarian, wouldn't think there is anything wrong with it. (If it's from a cruelty-free source). Obviously, arguments can be made that almost any other animal product being used supports SOME sort of harm to the animal supplying it, but I don't think this is true of wool. If we are going to have the sheep alive and co-mingling with us, they HAVE to be sheared. Their wool can actually kill them if left to itself. It's certainly not the same as wearing leather/fur, or even drinking milk.

Answer 15

I agree with Kentucky Fried Cruelty dot com!

First of all, don't let anybody tell you that just because you wear animal products like leather dosen't mean you're vegan.

I believe there is a difference between having a vegan diet and a vegan 'lifestyle'. It's a personal choice whether you want to give up animal products (like leather and wool) entirely. There are different levels of veganism.

As for wearing wool, I am not 100% sure if that can be considered animal cruelty (if it is, somebody please correct me!) But my advice is, do whatever you are comfortable with.

Answer 16

You can wear whatever you want, friend. You do not have to sign a contract with the American Vegan Society (made up) to commit to being vegetarian.  It is your own choice what you want to do.  If your personal issue is did the animal die, then wool is ok.  Most sheep are raised out in pastures because they do not cooperate well when penned up.

(P.S. Tiny cages never seeing the sun is for chickens - not sheep. LOL)

Answer 17

If you have a wool coat (or leather) from before you went vegan, it's your decision whether or not to continue wearing it.  However, as a vegan, you will certainly not want to BUY anymore wool, as the treatment of the sheep is appalling.  In the many animal industries, the animals are seen as production units, not living beings.  Shearers are paid by how many sheep they shear, so they have no incentive to be gentle and patient.

If you don't wish to wear your wool coat any longer, don't toss it!  Give it to a homeless shelter or sell it at a consignment shop if it's in good enough condition.

Answer 18

Well I guess it would be alright as quality wool comes from well fed and treated sheep, I myself would make sure and maybe buy a sheep take care of it..shear it and get the coat made from that wool (and still take care of that sheep till he/she dies and Id make it a grave and its name would be lambikin) but thats just me and I know your actually looking for a good made wool coat..maybe you could wear faux wool (or whatever its called where its fake wool)

maybe contact a local vegan society or group and discuss it with them, maybe contact the company that manufactures the coat and get in touch with the farmer who takes care of the sheep and decide for yourself

-Cam

(Sorry Im random please if you read my sources bit just remember..Im home alone Ive got nothing to do, Ive just watched a vegan on wife swap so decided to bring my crazyness and fun to the vegan and vego's on Y!A)

Answer 19

no its not, thats what a thought too but just stayed away from it just cause it was considered not vegan. but recently i read a book that explained better to me why not to buy it.

many sheep are harmed when sheared for their wool and after they arent considered useful for wool anymore they are sent to the slaughterhouse, thus buying wool is indirectly leading to their death.

thats just my understanding

Answer 20

Well some people stretch their veganism to the non-edible factor. Bottom-line. If you don't eat animal products. Your vegan.

Answer 21

That is different depending on if someone is an ethical vegan (for animal rights) or for health reasons.

Most who do it for health still wear animal products in clothes & use in toiletries.

Ethical vegans do not.

I agree with the answer here that said there is no "contract" if you will either. It is a choice- no one is keeping tabs or holding a gun to anyone's head. Most ethical vegans feel it is wrong- (which is again well explained in some other answers here) but it is a *choice* not to wear it based on their convictions.