Farm Animals

Sheep Welfare: Mulesing, Flystrike, and Wool Production

Wool sheep face welfare challenges including flystrike, mulesing, shearing stress, and exposure to harsh weather. Evidence-based practices can substantially reduce these harms.

Key Facts

Flystrike — where blowfly larvae eat living sheep flesh — is extremely painful and potentially fatal
Mulesing — surgical removal of breech skin — is performed without anesthesia in most Australian flocks
Non-mulesed Merino sheep can be protected through breeding, chemical treatment, and regular inspection
Rough shearing causes lacerations and significant stress
Winter shearing of sheep without appropriate shelter increases cold stress and mortality

Welfare Considerations

Flystrike causes severe and prolonged suffering in sheep. Mulesing is performed to reduce flystrike risk but causes acute pain without analgesia in most cases. Evidence shows that selective breeding for bare-breech Merinos combined with regular inspection and chemical deterrents can reduce flystrike effectively without mulesing. Adoption of pain relief during mulesing is also increasingly available and should be standard practice where mulesing continues.

What You Can Do

Choose wool products certified non-mulesed or from RSPCA-approved farms
Support breeding programs for bare-breech Merinos that reduce flystrike risk
Advocate for mandatory pain relief during mulesing where it still occurs
Ask wool brands about their flystrike management practices
Support research into effective mulesing alternatives