Sheep Mulesing Alternatives and Flystrike Prevention

Mulesing - the removal of skin folds around the breech of merino sheep - is a painful procedure aimed at preventing flystrike, but alternatives are increasingly available and adopted.

Key Facts

Mulesing involves cutting skin from the breech area of young lambs without anesthesia in most cases
The procedure aims to create a smooth scar that resists blowfly strike in wool-covered folds
Blowfly strike causes severe suffering and can kill sheep within days if untreated
Alternatives include selective breeding for plain breech, targeted shearing, and topical prevention treatments
Several major wool buyers including ZDHC members have commitments to phase out mulesed wool

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing without anesthesia causes significant acute pain and distress in young lambs, representing one of the most contested husbandry procedures in the wool industry. The procedure does reduce flystrike risk but is not the only available solution. Breeder selection for plain-breech sheep, combined with improved surveillance and topical prevention, offers a pathway to eliminating mulesing while maintaining flock health. Consumer and retailer pressure has accelerated industry adoption of alternatives.

What You Can Do

Choose wool products certified as non-mulesed or from pain-relief mulesed sources
Advocate for retailer commitments to phase out mulesed wool in supply chains
Support research into plain-breech breeding programs and flystrike alternatives
Ask wool brands about their mulesing policy and alternative adoption timelines