Livestock

Sheep Welfare: Mulesing, Lameness, and Wool Industry Practices

Sheep welfare in the wool industry is dominated by concerns about mulesing, lameness, live export, and end-of-life slaughter.

Key Facts

Mulesing removes skin folds around sheep hindquarters without anesthesia to prevent flystrike
Australia produces 25% of the world's wool using 70 million sheep
Lameness affects 10-30% of sheep in intensive production systems
Live export ships transport millions of sheep annually in conditions with high mortality
The wool industry kills sheep for mutton at 3-5 years, far short of their 10-12 year lifespan

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing causes acute and prolonged pain in young lambs. While it prevents the potentially fatal flystrike condition, pain relief during mulesing is rarely provided despite being available. Lameness from hoof disease is endemic and widely undertreated. Live export exposes sheep to extreme heat, overcrowding, and high mortality. Better alternatives exist for all of these welfare harms.

What You Can Do

Choose non-mulesed wool products or plant-based alternatives
Support the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme for higher welfare wool
Oppose live sheep export in your country
Advocate for mandatory anesthesia during mulesing procedures
Donate to organizations working on flystrike prevention alternatives to mulesing