Sheep Mulesing Reform and Welfare

Mulesing is a surgical procedure that removes skin from merino sheep to prevent flystrike, causing significant pain and raising major welfare concerns.

Key Facts

Mulesing involves cutting skin from around the breech of merino lambs without routine anesthesia
The procedure causes acute pain lasting days and chronic discomfort during healing
Australia produces over 90% of the world fine-wool merino supply and uses mulesing widely
Pain relief products exist but are not universally mandated during mulesing procedures
Alternatives include selective breeding for plain-bodied sheep less susceptible to flystrike

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing was developed as a practical response to flystrike, a genuinely serious and painful condition. But the solution involves inflicting significant pain on millions of lambs annually, often without adequate pain relief. Better alternatives exist: selective breeding programs have demonstrated that wrinkle-free sheep can be developed that do not require mulesing. The fashion and wool industry has faced sustained pressure to eliminate mulesing from supply chains, and progress is occurring — but too slowly given the scale of suffering involved.

What You Can Do

Choose wool certified non-mulesed or opt for synthetic alternatives
Support fashion brands that have committed to sourcing non-mulesed wool
Advocate for mandatory pain relief if mulesing continues in the interim
Support research into selective breeding programs that eliminate the need for mulesing