Farm Animals

Sheep Shearing: Welfare Best Practice and Problems

Sheep shearing is necessary for the welfare of many domestic breeds but can cause injury, stress, and pain when performed poorly, while the global shearing workforce varies widely in training and welfare awareness.

Key Facts

Merino sheep bred for maximum wool production cannot shed naturally and must be shorn
Mulesing — removing wool-bearing skin around the breech — causes significant acute pain
Non-mulesed wool certification is now available from New Zealand and some Australian producers
Experienced shearers cause significantly less stress to sheep than untrained handlers
Sheep may be shorn up to twice yearly, making shearing welfare cumulatively significant

Welfare Considerations

Sheep experience shearing as a stressful handling event regardless of technique, with physiological stress markers elevated throughout the procedure. Poor technique causes cuts, bruising, and in extreme cases, significant injury. Mulesing causes acute pain and prolonged wound healing stress. High-quality shearing minimizes stress duration and eliminates unnecessary injury.

What You Can Do

Choose wool products certified as mulesing-free or from farms with pain relief mulesing
Support training programs for shearing workers that include animal welfare components
Advocate for pain relief requirements for all mulesing procedures
Choose wool from farms committed to non-mulesing genetic alternatives
Donate to organizations working on sheep welfare in wool production