Annual shearing is necessary for welfare in woolly sheep breeds but is itself a welfare event requiring skilled handling, appropriate restraint, and timely repair of shearing wounds.
Shearing represents an unavoidable annual welfare intervention for woolly sheep breeds, but its welfare impact depends significantly on shearer skill, shearing conditions, and flock management. Investing in skilled, experienced shearers rather than minimising shearing costs, providing appropriate post-shearing shelter, and monitoring for shearing wounds are all evidence-based welfare improvements. The broader question of whether to breed away from wool-dependency is increasingly relevant in a market where wool has limited commercial value.