The Wire

Bare-bummed sheep maybe the new innovation of the wool industry. For the past eight years, New Zealand researchers have been mastering a breed of sheep with bare backsides, hoping to decrease flystrike in sheep and eliminate the painful practice of mulesing. Australian Wool Innovation has also fleeced the idea and is funding projects in South Australia. Dr David Schobie from New Zealand AgResearch says that dagging and crutching these sheep is not necessary, therefore breeders are also saving in labour time. Neil Smith, owner of the Calcookara stud in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula has over 200 sheep with the bare backside trait. He says these sheep will be the way of the future when mulesing is phased out in 2010.