We ceased mulesing about 17 years ago because I considered the practice to be inhumane. Since then, we’ve had very few problems with flystrike due to good sheep husbandry and the purchase of the right equipment to give the sheep an all-over-body jetting. 

In the past decade, we have been able to sell our wool direct to Norway and the UK (Yorkshire), as our wool meets all their requirements. As with food, the ethical provenance of fibre is becoming an essential marketing tool.  At a basic level – we give the customer what they want.

Of course we must not forget that genetic innovation provides another way to reduce flystrike by breeding sheep with fewer wrinkles. The heart of the problem is wrinkly sheep.  The CSIRO may yet develop a chemical which when injected into sheep, will work as a fly-repellant. 

“Pain relief” is not the answer.  Put yourself in the position of a sheep – would you like someone with a very sharp knife cutting a slice off your buttocks and then offering pain-relief (with most farmers not offering it beforehand)?  I did it for humane reasons but the decision has resulted in our receiving unforeseen benefits in being able to sell the wool at a premium price to ethical manufacturers overseas.