Shearing is an annual necessity for woolled sheep breeds, but the process causes significant stress and can cause injury when conducted poorly. Good shearing practice minimises welfare costs and protects sheep from the far greater suffering of un-shorn fleeces.
Shearing is a welfare necessity for woolled sheep, not an optional procedure - overgrown fleeces cause greater suffering than well-conducted shearing. However, the process carries genuine welfare costs in terms of handling stress and occasional injury that skilled practice minimises. Shearing welfare is therefore about optimising an unavoidable procedure rather than questioning its necessity. Experienced, well-trained shearers using appropriate facilities and handling techniques dramatically reduce the welfare burden of an annual necessity.