Lamb Marking & Mulesing in the Riverina

Lamb marking is handling young lambs in one yarding for tasks like tail docking, ear tagging/ID, castration of male lambs not kept for breeding, and health treatments such as vaccination.

Most producers aim to mark lambs between two and six weeks of age, with four weeks being a commonly preferred window for many Merino operations. Marking within this range keeps lambs manageable through the cradle while reducing the risk of mismothering that can come with very early marking. Conditions on the day matter too, and most experienced contractors will flag if weather or mob condition suggests adjusting the timing slightly.

For Merino and Merino-cross producers, mulesing remains one of the most effective long-term tools available for reducing breech flystrike. When carried out correctly at marking, it creates a smooth skin surface around the breech that is far less attractive to blowflies than wrinkled or heavily woolled skin. Combined with regular crutching and jetting through high-risk periods, mulesed sheep consistently show lower rates of breech strike than unmulesed animals across the life of the flock.

In most cases, returning marked lambs to their mothers as soon as possible after the job is the best approach to minimise mismothering and help lambs recover quickly. Keeping the mob in a familiar paddock with good feed and shelter for the first few days after marking gives lambs the best conditions to recover well. Some producers prefer to hold the mob in a smaller paddock for the first day or two to make it easier to monitor for any animals that need attention after the procedure.

Typically tail docking, applying ear tags/EID, castrating ram lambs, vaccinating, and usually a pain-relief step. Mulesing may also be done at this time on some operations.

It protects lamb health, allows identification and record-keeping, and manages breeding. Done well and early, it sets lambs up to grow out cleanly.