P. M. BRIEFING : Australia to Thin Sheep Herd

SYDNEY, Australia — Two million older sheep will be killed in controlled shootings around the country to thin out the country’s sheep population estimated at a record 175 million head, officials said today.

Farmers said they will begin the mass shootings as early as next week because many old ewes, held over when wool prices were higher, are now being sold for as little as 10 cents each.

“It’s sad, but some of the sheep aren’t worth as much as a bullet,” said one farmer. Earth movers will likely be used to dig trenches to bury the sheep, other farmers said.