Mulesing is a painful procedure to prevent blowfly strike in Merino sheep. Viable alternatives exist and are being adopted, but the transition requires industry commitment and consumer pressure.
Mulesing is a painful mutilation performed without anesthesia on lambs as young as a few weeks old. The procedure causes acute pain that persists during wound healing. While it addresses the real welfare threat of flystrike, it does so by causing guaranteed suffering to prevent possible suffering — a trade-off that becomes less acceptable as alternatives improve. New Zealand's successful transition away from mulesing through selective breeding demonstrates that viable alternatives exist at scale. Consumer demand for certified mulesing-free wool is accelerating the transition in Australia. Supporting this transition is a direct welfare intervention that reduces suffering for millions of lambs annually.