7. Progress to date

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Strong progress is being made. A proportion of farmers have been able to stop the traditional procedure. In other cases, where the risk to sheep remains too high, farmers are replacing it with welfare-improved practices such as welfare-improved surgery with pain relief, or breech strike prevention clips, while longer term breeding programs are underway.

Farmers need to assess which combination of strategies provides their sheep with the best lifetime welfare outcomes.

This includes better training, pain relief products, clips, improved fly control chemicals and usage, effective worm control to reduce scouring, crutching, a greater emphasis on breeding lower breech wrinkle, lower breech wool cover and worm resistant sheep and the in-development intradermal alternative Skintraction™.

Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) quarterly review of AWI’s genetics R&D program

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) reviews AWI's research, development and extension program for developing flystrike control alternatives as part of an undertaking to international retailers.

In its most recent review, the AVA found "the program continues to progress well in line with the commitments made by AWI".

Its conclusions, in relation to breeding, were that the progress will be relatively slow. However, for some sheep types breeding shows considerable promise as a long term alternative.

The flystrike prevention clips (referred to by the AVA as 'skin wrinkle removal technology') are deemed a viable alternative for some farmers. The AVA suggests the intradermal agent may be another viable alternative - depending on the outcome of welfare and registration evaluations.

Pain relief has been much more widely adopted during the 2008 and 2009 lambings and declaration of the flystrike control status of sheep is increasing.

Additional projects reviewed included an economic model to assist in decision-making on breeding programs, uptake and impact of the National Wool Declaration form, uptake of a topical pain relief product, lobbying for swifter and cheaper pathways to full registration, and developing a research plan for other analgesics.

The AVA concludes that "the production of commercially viable alternatives to mulesing still requires ongoing industry commitment to the multiple components of the R&D program, as well as a continued commitment by commercial partners to deliver the mulesing alternatives to wool growers." 

Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia Survey (DAFWA)

AWI funds the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia Survey (DAFWA) to monitor woolgrower intention in relation to the management of flystrike control. The survey results indicate farmers’ intention to adopt alternative flystrike control options.

In February 2009 the DAFWA survey indicated that 54 per cent of lambs would remain unmulesed. This reflects a significant change in practice when compared to a similar survey conducted in 2005 by the Sheep CRC which indicated 5 per cent of lambs were to remain unmulesed. However, much of this reflects the commercial pressures pushing farmers out of wool production and into the sheep meat trade. For example, 35 per cent of lambs born in 2009 are expected to be cross-bred lambs for the meat trade. These lambs do not require mulesing.

National Wool Declaration
 
Introduced in August 2008, the National Wool Declaration (NWD) allows farmers to declare the flystrike control status of their clip.

Over a third of the wool sold through auction is currently declared through the NWD. (Source: AWEX)

Progress to phase the procedure out through management practices and breeding

The percentage of unmulesed lambs is growing
• In February 2009 the DAFWA survey indicated that 54 per cent of lambs would remain unmulesed. This reflects a significant change in practice when compared to a similar survey conducted in 2005 by the Sheep CRC which indicated 5 per cent of lambs were to remain unmulesed. For example, 35 per cent of lambs born in 2009 are expected to be cross-bred lambs for the meat trade, which do not require mulesing.

Results from genetic research programs
• Results indicate that breeding for enhanced flystrike resistance in the more vulnerable fine wool Merinos can be successful, but is a long-term solution. It is likely to require several generations of breeding. There is widespread adoption of breeding strategies by stud breeding operations and commercial woolgrowers across the country.

Flystrike remains a high risk
•  A large proportion of Australian Merino sheep remain highly susceptible to flystrike in the absence of mulesing. Although many farmers are attempting to manage some or all of their sheep without the procedure, there are risks. Flystrike can increase, as can staining and chemical contamination of wool. Costs for labour, crutching and chemicals can increase and be as high as $3 – 6.50 / head, which may be unsustainable. Proper planning is required. In many cases farmers are only attempting this approach in their least vulnerable sheep.