Sheep Mulesing Reform and Alternatives

Mulesing — the surgical removal of skin around a sheep's breech — is a painful procedure performed to prevent flystrike but faces significant welfare and ethical criticism.

Key Facts

Mulesing involves cutting folds of skin from around a lamb's breech without anaesthesia in most cases
The procedure causes acute pain and a wound that takes 3-6 weeks to heal
Mulesing is practiced primarily in Australia, which produces around 25% of the world's wool
Alternatives including selective breeding for bare breeches and non-mulesed certification are available
New Zealand banned mulesing in 2018; Australia continues to allow the practice

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing causes unavoidable acute pain and a prolonged healing wound. It is performed on millions of lambs annually without anaesthesia or analgesia in most cases. While it does reduce flystrike risk, alternatives — including breeding for flystrike-resistant bare-breech genetics, targeted shearing and vigilant monitoring — can achieve comparable protection without the welfare cost. Consumer pressure has driven some brands to commit to non-mulesed wool, demonstrating the power of purchasing decisions. The continued routine use of this procedure without pain relief is difficult to justify.

What You Can Do

Choose wool products certified as non-mulesed
Support brands that have committed to non-mulesed wool sourcing policies
Advocate for mandatory pain relief if mulesing is performed
Donate to organisations promoting bare-breech sheep genetics as a long-term solution