Mulesing involves removing wool-bearing skin from lambs to prevent blowfly strike. Alternatives and pain relief protocols are advancing the industry toward more humane practices.
Mulesing causes significant acute pain and distress in lambs during and immediately after the procedure. The pain is compounded by the wound healing process over subsequent weeks. While the procedure prevents the severe welfare consequences of flystrike — fly larvae feeding on living tissue — it trades one welfare harm for another. Pain relief significantly reduces but does not eliminate the welfare impact of mulesing. The industry pathway toward alternatives is well-established: genetic selection, fly prevention products, and management approaches can achieve acceptable flystrike control without mulesing in many production systems. The phased replacement of mulesing with combination programs is feasible for most Australian wool producers and is supported by the major wool buying companies that have made public commitments to source non-mulesed wool.