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End Mulesing (Live Lamb Cutting) in Australia





Reported by: Christopher Noonan

Publish date: 03 December 2024



Read the brief here:

Problem Identification: 

Mulesing is widely practised in Australian farming. 


According to the Alliance for Animals, around 10 million lambs are mulesed in Australia every year. 


This procedure is known to cause significant pain and suffering to the lambs and has been described by animal rights organisations as ‘brutal’ and ‘traumatising’. 


Context: 

Solution Identification: 

Advice: 


Download the 1-page policy brief PDF here:




 

Public Support: 


Where to go to learn more: 


  1. Australian Alliance for Animals – Provides an overview of the issues with mulesing and suggests  strategies for phasing out live lamb cutting. Read more here

  2. Humane Society International – Provides information on alternatives to mulesing and the history of the practice in Australia. Read more here

  3. FOUR PAWS Australia – Frequently asked questions about mulesing. See the answers here



Reference list:

  1. Australian Alliance for Animals. (n.d.). Ending live lamb cutting. https://www.allianceforanimals.org.au/end-live-lamb-cutting

  2. Animal Health Australia. (2016). Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep.

  3. https://animalwelfarestandards.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Sheep-Standards-and-Guidelines-for-Endorsed-Jan-2016-061017.pdf 

  4. Sheep Central. (2023, June 28). More than 220 brands and retailers back non-mulesed wool. https://www.sheepcentral.com/more-than-220-brands-and-retailers-back-non-mulesed-wool/

  5. Four Paws Australia. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions on Live Lamb Cutting (Mulesing). (2024). https://www.four-paws.org.au/about-us/faqs/faqs-on-mulesing?utm_campaign=13173092302&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=633051497501&utm_term=&adgroupid=143688613352&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwooq3BhB3EiwAYqYoEokamoHB2P9pY5XPEjjCv-IN2DrMj3WR83lpFHrrc5jFrDEgCynW_hoCJfAQAvD_BwE

  6. Humane Society International Australia. (n.d.). Live Lamb Cutting (Mulesing)https://hsi.org.au/animal-welfare/live-lamb-cutting-mulesing/

  1. Peta. (18.09.2018). New Zealand Bans Mulesing! https://www.peta.org.au/news/new-zealand-bans-mulesing/?

  2. RSPCA Australia. (n.d.). Mulesing - the welfare issue we need to be talking about. https://www.rspca.org.au/latest-news/blog/mulesing-welfare-issue-we-need-be-talking-about/

  3. RSPCA Australia. (n.d.). Sheep mulesing. https://www.rspca.org.au/key-issues/sheep-mulesing/#:~:text=In%20Victoria%20and%20Tasmania%2C%20it 

  4. Spencer, E. (2024, January 16). “Nobody likes mulesing”: the market shift changing Australia’s wool industry. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/17/nobody-likes-mulesing-the-market-shift-changing-australias-wool-industry 



Conflict of interest / acknowledgment statement: 

N/a


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