Breech and tail clips are showing merit as mulesing alternatives and are now undergoing commercial efficacy testing.

Use of breech and tail clips is being shown by new research to be a promising alternative to mulesing.

Two separate studies have been conducted of mulesed, clipped and no-treatment lambs.

The first focused on the behavioural responses and the second on behavioural, physiological and fitness effects, to examine the biological functioning of lambs.

Professor Paul Hemsworth, director of the Animal Welfare Science Centre, is carrying out the research on behalf of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI).

"Under appropriate and scientifically-accepted methodology, we assessed the behavioural and physiological responses as well as fitness effects, such as growth and health, to gain an insight into the welfare aspects of the clips," Professor Hemsworth said.

He said the key conclusion is that the clip treatment has only a mild impact on the biology of lambs and thus the welfare risks were considered relatively minor.

Professor Hemsworth said lambs treated with clips often responded in a similar manner to those in the ‘control’ treatment, in which lambs were held in a mulesing cradle for the same time as clipped animals, but not mulesed.

AWI project manager of blowfly control, Ian Evans, says the animal welfare assessment is a valuable addition to the information being built-up on the potential role of the breech and tail clips as they move towards commercialisation.

"Our ongoing on-farm evaluations show the clips are working towards achieving a similar net effect to that of conventional surgical mulesing for control of breech fly-strike across a range of production areas, sheep types and farm operations," Mr Evans said.

"This research confirms our onfarm observations that the clips have only a relatively minor risk from an animal welfare perspective.

"The research data on weight change also reflects on-farm findings that clipped lambs have a weight gain advantage over mulesed lambs."

Weight gain was very similar to that of control lambs over a sixweek period.

Mr Evans says the research also assists the wool industry to keep on-track to meet its obligations under the compact with international retailers to develop alternatives to mulesing by December 31, 2010.

AWI is continuing its national breech and tail clip product development and testing program. So far, clips have been applied to lambs on more than 150 properties.

"The clips do not create an open wound such as that created by mulesing, but they are still painful to the animals when first applied, as they block blood supply to the excess skin area," NSW Department of Primary Industries animal welfare veterinary officer, Amanda Paul said.

"They fall off with the excess skin, which may create a problem with environmental contamination as, in their current form, they are not biodegradable," she said.