Mulesing

Mulesing (also known as 'live lamb cutting') is the removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the breech (buttocks) of a sheep to prevent the parasitic infection flystrike (myiasis).[1] The wool around the buttocks can retain feces and urine, which attracts flies. The scar tissue that grows over the wound does not grow wool, so is less likely to attract the flies that cause flystrike. Mulesing is a common practice in Australia for this purpose, particularly on highly wrinkled Merino sheep.[1] Mulesing is considered by some to be a skilled surgical task.[2] Mulesing can only affect flystrike on the area cut out and has no effect on flystrike on any other part of the animal's body.

Mulesing is a controversial practice. The National Farmers Federation of Australia says that "mulesing remains the most effective practical way to eliminate the risk of 'flystrike' in sheep" and that "without mulesing up to 3,000,000 sheep a year could die a slow and agonising death from flystrike".[3] The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) "recognises the welfare implications of mulesing of sheep. However, in the absence of more humane alternatives for preventing breech strike, the AVA accepts that the practice of mulesing should continue as a sheep husbandry procedure". The AVA also supports the use of analgesics and the accreditation of mulesing practitioners.[4] The Australian Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals accepts mulesing when the risk of flystrike is very high, when it is done properly, and even then only as a last resort.[5] The animal rights organisation PETA strongly opposes mulesing, says the practice is cruel and painful, and that more humane alternatives exist,[6] and claim that sheep can be spared maggot infestation through more humane methods, including special diets, spray washing, and breeding different kinds of sheep.[7] Sheep after mulesing are noted to have markedly elevated levels of the hormones cortisol and β-endorphin,[a] respectively associated with stress and pain.[8]

In July 2009, representatives of the Australian wool industry scrapped an earlier promise, made in November 2004, to phase out the practice of mulesing in Australia by 31 December 2010.[1][9][10] The New Zealand industry began phasing out mulesing in 2007, and a ban of mulesing sheep officially came into effect from 1 October 2018.[11]

  1. ^ a b c Primary Industries Ministerial Council (2006). The Sheep. Primary Industries Report Series (2nd ed.). CSIRO Publishing. pp. 17–23. ISBN 0-643-09357-5. Retrieved 1 March 2008. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "Standard Operating Procedures – sheep Mulesing". New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. Archived from the original on 6 September 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Mulesing of Sheep". National Farmers Federation. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  4. ^ "AVA policies". Australian Veterinary Association. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  5. ^ "What is mulesing and what are the alternatives?". RSPCA Australia. 30 April 2010. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  6. ^ Hogan, Jesse (15 October 2004). "Farmers ridicule US wool ban". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
  7. ^ "Mulesing by the Wool Industry". 22 June 2010.
  8. ^ a b Fell, L.R.; Shutt, D.A. (April 1989). "Behavioural and hormonal responses to acute surgical stress in sheep". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 22 (3–4): 283–294. doi:10.1016/0168-1591(89)90023-3.
  9. ^ Bob Garnant (30 July 2009). "AWI scraps mulesing deadline". Countryman. West Australian Newspapers Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 18 October 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  10. ^ Peter Wilkinson (8 November 2004). "In the News". Australian Wool Growers Association. Archived from the original on 24 September 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
  11. ^ Frost, Kristen (4 September 2018). "New Zealand farmers on the ball with bare breech breeding". New Zealand prohibits the practice of mulesing in sheep Farm Online. Farm Online. Retrieved 9 February 2019.


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