Farmed Sheep Mulesing: Pain, Tradition, and Alternatives

Mulesing - the surgical removal of skin folds around the breech of Merino sheep - is a highly contentious practice performed to prevent flystrike, causing acute pain while its long-term welfare tradeoffs remain debated.

Key Facts

Mulesing involves cutting skin from the breech area of Merino lambs, typically at 2-12 weeks of age
The procedure is performed without anesthesia in most cases, though pain relief use has increased in Australia
Mulesing reduces the risk of breech flystrike, which causes agonizing suffering and death if untreated
Australia is the world's largest wool producer and Merino sheep are highly susceptible to flystrike due to skin folds
New Zealand banned mulesing in 2018; Australia committed to phasing it out but reversed the decision
Alternative approaches include selective breeding for plain-bodied Merinos, targeted fly control, and crutching
The RSPCA Australia considers mulesing without pain relief unacceptable

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing causes acute, significant pain - the cutting of living skin tissue without analgesia is one of the most obviously painful routine procedures in livestock farming. Pain behavioral indicators including vocalization, kicking, and huddling are clearly evident. The wounds take 4-6 weeks to fully heal. The welfare justification is that mulesing prevents the far worse suffering of flystrike - a valid welfare concern. However, the existence of effective alternatives including selective breeding for plain-bodied sheep and targeted fly control means the welfare calculus is not binary. The industry's resistance to transitioning to alternatives despite their demonstrated effectiveness reflects economic inertia rather than welfare necessity.

What You Can Do

Choose wool products certified as non-mulesed or from New Zealand where mulesing is banned
Support fashion brands committed to sourcing only non-mulesed wool in their supply chains
Advocate for mandatory pain relief when mulesing is performed and investment in flystrike-resistant breeding
Support RSPCA Australia's standards for pain management in sheep farming
Learn about alternative fly protection methods and support their adoption in the wool industry