Mulesing free
Mulesing is a painful method of protecting sheep from fly attacks.
In the procedure named after John W. H. Mules, a V-shaped piece of skin is removed from around the sheep's tail without anesthesia. In addition, the tail is docked above the third caudal vertebra. This leads to a tightening of the anus-tail fold and thus to less accumulation of fluid, excrement and urine, which greatly favor fly maggot infestation. Flies are attracted to wool soiled with feces and urine. The flies then lay their maggots in open wounds of a sheep, which feed on the host's flesh. The resulting myiasis, which is fatal in many cases, is a major economic problem for sheep farming. Alternatives to mulesing are already being researched and put into practice. These mainly include non-surgical methods:
- intradermal injections of proteins
- targeted sheep breeding with safe insecticides that do not harm meat or wool
- fly control with biological methods
- so-called plastic staples that tighten the sheepskin