Sheep Mulesing Alternatives and Blowfly Strike Prevention

Mulesing — removing skin from around the tail to prevent blowfly strike — is a painful procedure used widely in Australian Merino sheep farming. Alternatives are increasingly available.

Key Facts

Mulesing is performed on approximately 70% of Australian Merino sheep annually
Blowfly strike causes severe pain and death if untreated
New Zealand banned mulesing in 2018
Alternatives include selective breeding for wrinkle-free skin, jetting, and crutching
Some fashion brands require suppliers to commit to mulesing-free wool sources

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing removes skin from around the breech area of lambs without anaesthesia, causing significant acute and chronic pain. It is performed because blowfly strike — where flies lay eggs in moist wool and larvae burrow into live flesh — is a serious and painful welfare problem. The ethical tension is between preventing one form of suffering (fly strike) by inflicting another (surgery without anaesthesia). The welfare-positive resolution is to invest in alternatives: breeding wrinkle-free, plain-bodied sheep through genetic selection, using insecticide treatments, and practicing regular crutching. These alternatives eliminate the need for mulesing without compromising protection against strike.

What You Can Do

Choose wool and wool products labelled as mulesing-free or certified by the Responsible Wool Standard
Support brands that require suppliers to commit to mulesing-free production
Advocate for brands that have not yet committed to mulesing-free wool to do so
Support research into blowfly strike prevention alternatives to mulesing
Engage with Australian farming organisations advocating for alternative approaches