Mulesing - surgical removal of wool-bearing skin from sheep - is a painful procedure still used in Australia to prevent flystrike; alternatives are increasingly effective.
Mulesing represents a painful welfare tradeoff: the procedure prevents the serious suffering of flystrike, which can be fatal and involves maggots consuming living tissue. However, alternatives including selective breeding, targeted prevention, and treatment mean mulesing is increasingly unnecessary. Progress in plain-bodied sheep breeding and growing corporate commitments to mulesing-free supply chains is driving change. Supporting wool brands committed to mulesing-free sourcing creates market incentives for Australian producers to transition.