Alternatives to mulesing
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is developing alternatives to conventional mulesing for the cost-effective control of breech blowfly strike.
The Australian wool industry has signed a compact with international retailers to cease mulesing by December 31, 2010. And 2007 is a pivotal year: there are now 4 lambing seasons left to finalise what will work best for you and your wool growing enterprise.
AWI is developing and testing two alternatives to mulesing – clips and an injection within the skin layer. The clips are in the final stages of product development and AW aims to fit clips to 150 000 July-October drop merino lambs over the next six months. the injection within the skin layer is undergoing a separate registration process to the breech and tail clips, ans as a result, only the clips are included in this phase.
We need to prove what will work best and to help finalise the product for commercial launch.
We’re seeking growers to offer mobs of 200 or more ewes (pre-lambing) whose lambs will be treated with clips, instead of being conventionally mulesed.
The clips and their application will be performed by trained operators, completely free of charge for growers who participate.
Download an Expression of Interest form to discover what suits you and your sheep, in our battle against the blowfly or contact the free-call AWI hotline - 1800 070 099.
