Essay on mulesingBonnie Stewart 11486711Molly Vardanega 11486712IntroductionTo control fly attacks we should carry out mulesing in a safe and hygienic environment using appropriate painkillers and, if necessary, veterinary guidance.Mulesing, developed in 1927 by John Mules, is a routine husbandry procedure performed, especially on merino sheep in Australia, during the colder months of the year to avoid attracting more flies (Mulesing of Sheep, n.d.). This involves cutting a slice of skin from each side of the buttock area (the usual cut is about 5-7cm wide on each side) and extends just under half from the anus to the hock of the hind leg in length . Sometimes the skin may be torn from the sides and end of the trunk of the tail. The procedure is "usually" performed without anesthesia, however, with the coming into force of recent laws and regulations, mulesing is gradually being phased out. Mulesing reduces the incidence of fly attacks around the buttocks because the skin scars and shrinks from cutting, the flies have nowhere to lay their eggs. Mulesing only affects the buttock region of sheep and does not prevent flies attacking other parts of the body (Animals Australia, n.d.). Because scared skin has no folds or wrinkles to hold moisture and feces, it makes sheep less susceptible to the fly. strike. If sheep are left without mulesing, maggots develop in the wrinkles and eat the meat of the sheep (New Merino, n.d.). Lambs are known to suffer for up to 3 days after mulesing and over 20 million Merino lambs are currently mulesed each year. . It is also estimated that 3 million sheep die each year due to fly attack (Animals Australia, n.d.). Mulesing obviously causes pain, but so does a sheep dying from fly attack, so the argument is that mulesing is......paper...a whole industry, not the Australia, obviously, because it's my favorite country” (SMH, 2007). "Then going back, I was talking without thinking and I actually said ban Australia, which is bullshit. It's not something I can agree with" (SMH, 2007). PETA's campaign has damaged the Australian wool industry and its exports, "with some American and British clothing retailers agreeing to boycotts. But many large retailers, including Italian clothing giant Benetton, have refused to support the campaign” (SMH, 2007). Mulesing is a controversial topic and many people are completely against it, if there are no alternatives, which sometimes there aren't, mulesing is the only option available to the farmer To be most effective for both the animal and the farmer, mulesing must be performed in a safe and hygienic environment with veterinary assistance if necessary.