Sheep producers are performing on-farm welfare surgeries in line with industry expectations, generating greater transparency towards consumers.
This is according to the 2022 Sheep Sustainability Framework report which revealed painful death and illness from flystrike remain a risk to sheep across most Australian environments.
Director of the Fred Morley Centre at Charles Sturt University's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Professor Bruce Allworth, said measures such as quantifying the use of pain relief are critical to greater transparency and trust.
"If we can measure our performance and provide solid data, we can demonstrate that our farming practices are in- line with our expectations and build trust," Professor Allworth said.
Veterinarian and consultant Dr Andrew Whale said their has been a noticeable shift in the industry towards using pain relief at lamb marking time.
"For a long time now we have seen wonderful adoption of pain relief for mulesing and we are starting to see a trend toward people taking these measures for castration and tail docking," Dr Whale said.
"As a vet I have definitely been dispensing more measures of pain relief for marking over the past three or four years."
He said the benefit for producers in using pain relief during routine husbandry procedures is not only for their own peace of mind, but also meeting consumer expectations and protecting the product they market.
Where producers are engaging in quality assurance programs that require pain relief, specific financial benefits can accrue.
Fourth generation sheep producers Daniel and Josh Olsson, together with property manager Nathan Selmes at Goulburn in NSW's southern tablelands, developed their own 'Gold Standard' welfare form.
The welfare form is professionally audited by a vet to highlight the high degree of sheep welfare practiced.
"On our Gold Standard form, we use pre and post-analgesia for all lamb surgeries," Daniel Olsson said.
"We use injectable Meloxicam prior to surgery, then Trisolfen afterwards on surgical wounds.
"The recovery of lambs is remarkable, with no setbacks at all."
He said their local vet drops in for a quick check to ensure all is under control, then signs off on their form, which accompanies their wool clip and their lamb carcasses in the future.
The form also declares they administer disease vaccinations and appropriate parasite control alongside ewe lambing supplementation.
"The story has to be told about the high degree of welfare that goes into producing world class wool and red meat," Mr Olsson said.
"It's no accident."
Mr Olsson believes that the sheep industry should stop trying to hide its practices and start proudly defending openly what measures are taken on farm to make sure the sheep are looked after.
"It's time to own it," he said.
"It seems the last generation refused to talk about the care and welfare practices that are essential on our farms.
"How can anyone reasonably argue with pre and post analgesia, for instance.
"It's time to be brave and just simply say, "this is what we do"."
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Tim Leeming, a prime lamb producer from south western Victoria, said animal wellbeing is a fundamental part of his operation.
"If you look after your livestock and make sure that they are not suffering from pain, they're fit and healthy, and you're providing them with optimum nutrition at the right times of the year - it's a win-win situation," Mr Leeming said.
Mr Selmes said the improvement in welfare surgery practices has seen 100 per cent survival in their lambs, with no set back.
They have also been feeding a specialised high magnesium/iodised molasses block to the ewes during the last six months, owing to the poor nutrition in the bulk of wet feed throughout the district.
"There is no guts in the grass and sheep would suffer if they didn't have extra supplementation, especially magnesium," Mr Selmes said.
He said their maiden Merino ewes are now reaching 100 pc lamb marking rates, mature Merinos were130pc marking rates, and first-cross ewes making 150pc lamb marking.
"I believe this is all a result of improved welfare surgery with regular pasture supplementation," he said.
