VICTORIA – New trials are underway in Victoria, Australia, as researchers at the University of Melbourne assess the animal welfare implications of various breech modification techniques.
Four groups of sheep have undergone procedures with solutions including mulesing and freeze branding as the research team looks to identify the physical responses to these methods, and their longer-term effects.
It’s anticipated that the trial results will influence Australia Wool Exchange (AWEX), the creator of the National Wool Declaration, with the potential for new categories to be introduced to clarify the treatment used on a farm-by-farm basis.
