Wool sheep have been selectively bred to produce far more wool than their ancestors, requiring annual shearing and creating management challenges that affect their welfare.
Mulesing — removing skin from the breech area of sheep without anesthesia — is an acutely painful procedure performed to prevent potentially fatal blowfly strike. The procedure itself causes significant pain and distress, traded against the risk of a worse outcome. Rough shearing causes cuts, nicks, and the stress of rapid forced restraint. Sheep mustered and handled frequently show significant acute stress responses. The selective breeding for heavy wool production has created welfare dependencies — sheep that need annual human intervention — that did not exist before domestication.