Sheep Welfare During Shearing Season

Annual shearing is a welfare necessity for domestic sheep whose fleeces grow continuously, but the process itself and the conditions around it create distinct welfare challenges.

Key Facts

Unsheared domestic Merino sheep can develop wool so heavy it impairs movement and causes flystrike
Shearing by hand is faster but more likely to cause nicks and cuts than machine shearing when done well
In Australia, shearers are typically paid per sheep rather than per hour, creating speed incentives that affect welfare
Sheep can be held in uncomfortable positions during shearing for 2-5 minutes per animal
Post-shearing exposure to cold and wet causes welfare problems if sheep are released into adverse weather

Welfare Considerations

Shearing welfare is complicated by the economic incentives of piece-rate payment systems. A shearer paid per animal rather than per hour has financial pressure to work quickly, and welfare can suffer when speed is prioritised over careful handling. Nicks, cuts, and rough handling during shearing cause acute pain. Post-shearing welfare requires management: sheep released into cold wet conditions immediately after shearing are vulnerable to hypothermia. Good shearing welfare requires skilled shearers who are not under unsustainable time pressure, appropriate handling facilities, and weather monitoring to avoid cold stress in newly shorn animals.

What You Can Do

Support Responsible Wool Standard and similar certifications that include shearing welfare requirements
Ask wool and lamb producers about their shearing practices and payment systems
Advocate for animal-based outcome measures including injury rates in shearing welfare standards
Support training programmes that develop skilled, welfare-conscious shearers