Current evidence and best practices for minimizing welfare impacts of sheep shearing.
Sheep shearing presents an unavoidable welfare challenge for woolled breeds, as the procedure itself causes fear and distress even when performed by skilled operators using careful technique. The shearing industry's labor-intensive nature and reliance on contractor teams makes consistent welfare standards difficult to ensure across the industry. Training programs for shearers, including certification systems emphasizing animal handling, represent the most scalable welfare improvement available. The underlying welfare question of whether breeds dependent on human shearing for their health represents responsible animal husbandry remains ethically contested.