Farm Animals

Sheep Mulesing Alternatives Progress

Mulesing - surgical removal of breech skin in Merino sheep - is used to prevent blowfly strike but causes significant pain, with industry and welfare groups developing alternatives.

Key Facts

Mulesing involves removing oval strips of wrinkled skin from the breech area without anaesthesia
The procedure causes acute pain lasting days and chronic sensitivity during healing
Australian Wool Innovation has funded research into alternatives including blowfly vaccines
Genetic selection for plain-bodied Merinos that resist strike naturally is advancing
Some major wool buyers have committed to phasing out mulesed wool from supply chains

Welfare Considerations

Mulesing causes severe acute pain. Alternatives including plain-bodied genetics and blowfly vaccines represent welfare improvements that the industry is progressively adopting.

What You Can Do

Choose wool certified as non-mulesed or sourced from plain-bodied genetics programmes
Support brands committing to mulesed wool phase-out timelines
Raise awareness of mulesing welfare impacts in wool purchasing discussions
Support research into blowfly vaccines as a humane prevention alternative