Mulesing Alternatives and Merino Sheep Welfare

Mulesing - surgically removing skin around the breech of merino sheep to prevent flystrike - is a painful procedure, and the development and adoption of alternatives is a significant animal welfare progress story.

Key Facts

Mulesing involves cutting away the skin around the tail area of merino lambs without general anaesthesia in most cases
The procedure causes acute and chronic pain but has historically been used to prevent flystrike - a potentially fatal condition
Australia produces around 80% of the world's merino wool, where mulesing has been most widely practised
Flystrike prevention alternatives include breech modification genetics, biological controls, and chemical treatments
New Zealand banned mulesing in 2018; Australia has industry programs working toward elimination but has not banned it

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing welfare requires balancing the acute harm of the procedure against the chronic welfare threat of flystrike. Flystrike - fly larvae feeding on living tissue - causes severe suffering and death. Mulesing as traditionally practised without pain relief causes significant acute suffering. The welfare-optimal path forward is developing and adopting non-mulesing alternatives that prevent flystrike without requiring a painful procedure. These include selecting for low-wrinkle and breech-cover genetics, chemical prevention protocols, and management practices that reduce flystrike risk. Pain relief administered at mulesing is now recommended in Australia even as alternatives are developed. Consumer demand for non-mulesed wool has driven industry change.

What You Can Do

Choose wool products certified as non-mulesed or mulesed with pain relief where possible
Support the development and adoption of genetic alternatives to mulesing in merino breeding
Advocate for mandatory pain relief if mulesing is performed while alternatives are developed
Learn about the progress of flystrike alternative development in the wool industry
Support farm assurance schemes requiring non-mulesed or pain-managed standards