Sheep Welfare: Mulesing, Shearing, and Live Export

Sheep face distinctive welfare challenges including mulesing to prevent flystrike in Australia, shearing stress, and the long-distance live export trade. Each has specific welfare solutions.

Key Facts

Australia mulesed approximately 70% of Merino lambs in 2005, declining to around 40% by 2023
Mulesing involves removing skin folds from around the tail without anaesthesia in most cases
Flystrike causes maggots to burrow into living tissue, causing severe pain and death — the welfare case for prevention is strong
Shearing can cause cuts and hypothermia in poorly managed operations
Australia exports around 1-2 million live sheep annually, primarily to the Middle East
Many major fashion brands have committed to wool from non-mulesed sheep following advocacy campaigns

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing without anaesthesia causes acute pain from the wound during and after the procedure. The welfare justification is that untreated flystrike causes worse suffering — maggots consuming living tissue is one of the most severe welfare harms documented in any farm animal. However, alternatives including targeted breeding for fly-resistant skin, topical treatments, and mulesing with pain relief can achieve similar protection with less welfare harm. Live sheep export to Middle Eastern destinations involves voyages of up to 3 weeks at high stocking densities, in summer heat that has caused documented mass mortality events. The 2023 Northern summer ban by Australia addressed the most acute welfare period but year-round live export continues.

What You Can Do

Choose wool products certified from non-mulesed or pain-relief-mulesed sources
Support brands that have signed the FOUR PAWS mulesing-free wool pledge
Advocate for Australian live sheep export phase-out with industry transition support
Learn about Responsible Wool Standard certification and support brands that require it