Lambs in many countries are routinely castrated and tail-docked without anaesthesia, though evidence clearly shows these procedures cause acute pain.
Mulesing — removal of skin folds around the breech to prevent flystrike — is still practised in Australia and causes prolonged pain lasting days.
Meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, significantly reduces pain and behavioural indicators of distress after castration and tail docking.
Footrot and footscald affect up to 10% of sheep in affected flocks — both are painful, progressive conditions requiring prompt treatment.
Studies using facial action coding systems (sheep grimace scale) show sheep experience and express pain similarly to other mammals.
Shearing injuries, mastitis, and dystocia (difficult birth) are common painful conditions that often receive delayed treatment on large farms.
Welfare Considerations
Sheep have historically been underserved by pain management practices compared to cattle and companion animals, partly due to perceived stoicism and economic pressures in low-margin sheep farming. The sheep grimace scale and other pain assessment tools have demonstrated convincingly that sheep experience significant pain from routine procedures. Providing meloxicam at castration and tail docking adds modest cost but substantially reduces suffering. Flystrike prevention through selective breeding for bare-breech phenotypes and fly monitoring can reduce the need for mulesing. Veterinary engagement and farmer education are both essential components of improving analgesia uptake.
What You Can Do
Choose wool and lamb products certified to welfare standards requiring pain relief for routine procedures.
Support mulesing-free wool certification campaigns and buy from brands committed to mulesing-free supply chains.
Advocate for mandatory analgesia requirements for sheep procedures in your country's animal welfare legislation.
Learn about the sheep grimace scale and other pain assessment tools to understand how sheep communicate pain.
Support research into non-surgical flystrike prevention to eliminate the need for mulesing entirely.