Mulesing spray strikes blow for growers
By Marius Cuming
Thursday, 21 April 2005

DETAILS of a mulesing anaesthetic and antiseptic spray that has the blessing of both national and international animal welfare groups are about to be announced.

Now in its commercial phase, the product has been tested in the field with "outstanding results" according to its developer, the Australian Wool Growers Association (AWGA).

The spray has been developed in association with doctors who specialise in treating burns victims and contains an anaesthetic to dull the pain of mulesing and an antiseptic to help heal the wound.

The development is a big breakthrough after months of acrimonious debate about mulesing, an issue largely dominated by negative news and court battles for the Australian sheep industry.

Field trials have proved the spray heals wounds faster than present methods, and the weight gain of animals in the week after mulesing suggests it also dramatically reduced stress associated with the controversial practice.

AWGA chief executive and Mudgee district woolgrower, John Roydhouse, was conducting further trials of the product this week.

"It has (produced) outstanding results; the sheep have fully healed in a fortnight," he said.

Details of the spray will be announced at the AWGA annual general meeting on May 7 in Sydney, with the cost of the spray expected to be between 25 and 50 cents a sheep.

It is hoped it will be available nationally in two to three months.

Mulesing, the practice of removing skin surrounding the anus of young sheep to protect the animal from flystrike, has been targeted by animal rights groups around the world, with a high profile global campaign against the Australian wool industry the result.

In a trial three weeks ago, Mr Roydhouse found four- to five-month-old, 20-kilogram lambs gained up to three kilograms in the week after mulesing.

"It is clear they are in less pain; the sheep treated with the spray just put their heads down and started grazing almost straight away," he said.

Trials involving lambs have also taken place with similar results when combined with the usual chemical flystrike protection at mulesing.

Although not removing the need to mules sheep, the new spray shows the sheep industry is willing and able to react to demands to make the practice more humane.

"This has been developed in three to four months and has been done without spending one dollar of woolgrower levy money," Mr Roydhouse said.

The spray might have an application in any circumstance where pain was felt by animals, including during de-horning or branding cattle, he said.

"We haven't even mentioned the non-farm uses for this product yet."