Shearing is a necessary welfare procedure for most domestic sheep breeds but can cause significant stress and injury if poorly executed.
Sheep sheared by skilled and careful shearers experience brief stress from restraint but recover quickly. Those handled by inexperienced or hurried shearers face skin cuts, bruising, and prolonged stress that cause welfare harm. The economics of shearing are challenging as wool prices have fallen, creating pressure to shear quickly at the expense of welfare. Training shearer standards and encouraging consumer interest in British wool can improve welfare economics.