Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Dagging and Crutching Welfare

Dagging (removing soiled fleece) and crutching (shearing around the breech) are essential management practices that protect sheep from flystrike and skin disease.

Key Facts

Wool soiled with faeces is the primary risk factor for blowfly strike
Crutching before peak fly season significantly reduces strike risk
Dagging is effective but time-consuming and requires appropriate facilities
Sheep with dag accumulation suffer skin irritation and discomfort
Breed differences affect dag accumulation rates and management requirements

Welfare Considerations

Sheep carrying large dags suffer both the discomfort of wet, heavy fleece around the breech and greatly elevated flystrike risk. Dagging and crutching as part of a systematic flystrike prevention program removes this discomfort and protection risk before flies are active. The management investment prevents significant welfare harm during summer.

What You Can Do

Implement systematic crutching before the peak fly season
Monitor flock for dag accumulation in wet conditions
Ensure appropriate facilities for safe and efficient dagging operations
Integrate dagging into the annual flock health calendar