Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Welfare in Wool Production

Wool production raises welfare questions around mulesing, shearing practices, and the management of Merino and other fine-wool breeds.

Key Facts

Mulesing, surgical removal of skin around the breech, is practiced in Australia to prevent flystrike
Mulesing causes significant acute pain and is increasingly restricted or banned by ethical wool schemes
Sheep shearing when performed correctly causes minimal pain but requires skilled operators
High-wool breeds including Merino require regular shearing as their wool grows continuously
Non-mulesed wool certification is increasingly available and demanded by major retailers

Welfare Considerations

Wool production welfare is dominated by the mulesing debate in Australia where blowfly strike is a genuine welfare threat that mulesing prevents at significant welfare cost. Alternatives including selective breeding for bare-breech sheep and flystrike-preventive treatments are increasingly viable. Non-mulesed wool certification enables consumer support for producers who have transitioned to alternatives.

What You Can Do

Choose wool certified as non-mulesed or from countries where mulesing is not practised
Support campaigns for selective breeding alternatives to mulesing
Advocate for mulesing to be replaced with welfare-positive alternatives globally
Donate to research into mulesing alternatives including genetic selection for flystrike resistance