Sheep Mulesing Alternatives: Moving Beyond a Painful Procedure

Mulesing — surgically removing skin around sheep's hindquarters without analgesia — is still practiced in Australia to prevent flystrike, but effective alternatives are increasingly available.

Key Facts

Mulesing involves cutting skin folds from around a lamb's breech area without pain relief in most cases
The procedure is intended to prevent blowfly strike (flystrike) — a painful and potentially fatal condition
Australia mulesed approximately 70% of Merino lambs until 2007; the industry had pledged to phase out by 2010 but reversed this
New Zealand banned mulesing in 2018; Australia has not followed, though some regions and producers have voluntarily stopped
Alternatives include selective breeding for plain-bodied sheep less susceptible to flystrike, chemical preventives, and physical crutching
CSIRO research shows plain-bodied Merino genetics can eliminate the need for mulesing with targeted breeding programs
Analgesia use during mulesing is increasing in Australia but is not yet mandated

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing causes acute pain comparable to other surgical procedures performed without analgesia. Lambs show pain indicators including abnormal postures, reduced movement, and behavioral changes for days after the procedure. The wound takes several weeks to heal during which pain management is rarely provided. The procedure is performed without anesthetic in most cases. While flystrike itself is extremely painful and potentially fatal, the welfare case for mulesing is weakened by the availability of effective alternatives. Selective breeding for plain-bodied genetics eliminates the anatomical risk factor for flystrike entirely. Breed improvement programs take time to implement but represent the only welfare-positive long-term solution, eliminating both the surgical procedure and the flystrike risk it addresses.

What You Can Do

Choose wool certified by the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or ZQ Merino, which prohibit mulesing
Support brands that have committed to sourcing non-mulesed wool in their supply chains
Advocate for Australian legislation requiring pain relief if mulesing continues to be practiced
Support research and adoption of selective breeding programs that produce naturally flystrike-resistant sheep
Engage with fashion brands about their wool sourcing policies and mulesing commitments
Donate to animal welfare organizations working on mulesing reform in Australia