Australian sheep farmer, Wayne Smith, has said that he has had to ask one of his neighbours to dig a pit “large enough” to fit over 3,000 sheep, as he can no longer provide for the animals.
Smith, a director and manager for Caluka Farms, has taken to social media to show the public the “hard times” that livestock farmers are facing in Western Australia.
He added that he “can not cope” with the thought of shooting them, but, no one will buy them and he has “no other option”.
The farmer can no longer afford to buy feed for the sheep, as no other farmer will buy the sheep off him. There is also an insufficient amount of water in the area for the sheep.
This has now left Smith with “no other option”, as he said that he will not let them suffer from hunger and thirst and it is “breaking” his heart to put them down.
Smith said that he has been trying for months to sell the sheep and managed to get the flock from 6,000 down to 4,000, but now, 1,400 are having lambs, which means he cannot sell them for another few months.
He said that it has been “brick walls” trying to sell the sheep and that he is working hard, but that many other farmers in Western Australia are in “the same boat” and cannot buy them.
Smith added: “We farmers, do exhaust every last option. It is not humane to let them lose weight every week and die of hunger or thirst.
“That is the only reason, we have no choice when we cannot sell them, cannot feed them and cannot water them. I’ve been crying all day. It is the last resort.”
He said that many farmers have already made this decision as there “is no other option” for hundreds and hundreds of other sheep farmers.