Farm Animals

Sheep Mulesing Alternatives

Mulesing is a painful surgical procedure performed on Merino sheep to prevent flystrike, with increasing industry and consumer pressure to find alternatives.

Key Facts

Mulesing removes skin folds around the breech area to create a smooth, wool-free area
It is performed without anaesthesia in most cases and causes significant acute pain
Australia is the primary country where mulesing is practiced on tens of millions of sheep annually
Pain relief at mulesing is mandated in some Australian states but not all
Alternatives including breeding for bare breech and targeted selection are available

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing causes significant acute pain and the industry must accelerate transition to alternatives. Breeding selection, improved flystrike management, and use of analgesics where mulesing continues are all welfare priorities.

What You Can Do

Support non-mulesed wool certification schemes such as Responsible Wool Standard
Ask your wool product brands about their mulesing policy
Advocate for Australia to mandate pain relief for mulesing and accelerate phase-out
Support breeding programmes selecting for bare-breech genetics
Engage with the flystrike welfare challenge and the full range of management options