Mulesing - surgical removal of skin around the breech - is widely practiced in Australia to prevent flystrike. Research into effective alternatives has accelerated.
Mulesing presents one of the most complex welfare trade-offs in Australian sheep farming. The procedure is acutely painful and causes significant distress, yet its proponents argue it prevents the prolonged suffering of flystrike - maggot infestation that can cause severe tissue damage and death. Effective alternatives including liquid treatments, genetic selection, and improved monitoring are increasingly viable but require investment and management commitment. The welfare science increasingly supports the view that mulesing can be eliminated with appropriate alternatives and farm management systems.