Where are we headed? Do we have to have busy bodies involved in every aspect of what we do? The reality is that if we make it harder and harder for farmers to produce in this country, these industries will and are moving to other countries where there are not near the regulations, including animal welfare. Cruel practices will disappear naturally, as animals in pain or discomfort will not perform as well as animals treated with humanity, thus the humane farmers will do better economically. All you busy bodies go and worry about your own back yard.

Good job, Kate, getting in and sorting out this difficult and controversial issue for the sheep industry before someone else does it for you in a far less practical manner.

That's pure waffle about cruel practices disappearing naturally by "uncommon sense" above. What a lot garbage! We do need some active busy bodies to sort this out and I'm glad to see Australian farmers being proactive.

The Australian Feedlot industry led the way with this type of approach - establishing its own standards and self regulation so that other minority groups and academics in Government had minimal input. The government ultimately embraced its approach. We're now largely left with a practical, workable arrangement for lotfeeding for environmental and welfare requirements.

We need the same approach for welfare standards for sheep. Well done. We need to ensure that the final standards enforced by the Government are right and workable.

Maybe before these people start focusing on the livestock industry - which as noted will somewhat self manage through effeciency - they should take a long hard look at the pet world where there is onging cruelty by some breeders and incompetent, uncaring irresponsible owners, we have a whole TV show on it.

Compulsory desexing, appropriate animals for the residence, a serious animal limit and permanent bans from ownership would be a good start, not to mention it would go a way to helping with the ferel poulation and stock safety.

Maybe if they can enforce that they can start worrying about the livestock industry.

These animal groups almost always emanate from inner city locations populated by wanna-be do gooders and socialists who have absolutly no idea of the business of farming or animal husbandy practice. Their opinions should be ignored by those who have the responsibility to protect industry and livelyhoods.

Govt buerecrats should be put on notice by the wider agricultural community that they won't put up with a further drop in terms of trade to put up with this rubbish.

The head of the World Org for Animal Health (OIE) said at the International Meat Congress in Brisbane in 2006 that animal welfare should be recognised as an opportunity, not a threat.

It's a shame that some producers do not recognise this, and are so defensive in response to proposed welfare improvements. With a sheep population around 100m, Australia stands only to gain by heeding Dr Thiermann's remarks.

My deepest wish is that the sheep will, too.

How is it that these psuedo protection groups are keen to enforce laws on the odd person who has a small mob of hungry sheep on a lifestyle block but do absolutley nothing to prevent the intentional slow murder of over 2,000 sheep aboard a ship en route to an overseas port?

“Not only humanity but economy is best served by kindness.” This is a quote from my grandfather's old Illustrated Stock Doctor preface written in the 1800s.

It is still true today. Economics usually sorts out the kind people and makes them animal owners. Sheep owners usually have the most animals and I find them much kinder than the average dog or cat owner who perpetuate cruel genetics and do not allow their animals to express normal behaviour for their species.

Then, at a recent sheep CRC field day in Cowra (NSW) I learned that trials in the early 40s showed mulesing reduced death rates from sheep breech blowfly strike by 95pc!.

The public perception that sheep owners are cruel to mules their sheep is sadly far removed from the real truth. It is no crueler than Moses decreeing all males should be circumcised on the 8th day to prevent much unecessary suffering and diseases in later life.

A new law book just published reveals for the first time the flaws in current laws that permit cruel treatment to millions of animals in Australia - and especially in factory farms and the live export industry. The many abuses that are inflicted on our farm animals without pain relief as well as the ways in which they are crammed into these farms, transported and slaughtered, would be illegal if our companion animals were the victims. This book will assist legal professionals to effectively represent and prosecute animal cruelty cases in Australia.