Better Choices is a self-certified community of livestock farmers, industry individuals and organisations, who are committed to improving welfare outcomes through pain mitigation.

If you believe our industry does the right thing by our animals and that livestock deserve pain relief, join our community. Its free to register, so why wouldn’t you?

To join Better Choices, you can simply fill in the online application form by clicking here! 

Better Choices is funded by industry organizations and individuals committed to supporting and empowering farmers to implement pain mitigation plans for their livestock, ensuring social license to operate and the sustainability of our industry.

Better Choices is proud to represent farmers who are committed to pain mitigation in livestock, with a clearly branded signal within the supply chain. Our dedicated members ensure we maintain a market oriented, and producer led approach to solving the problems around pain mitigation, through extension programs and innovation.

We also work closely with other industry organisations to aggregate resources and deliver education on the importance of pain mitigation for livestock and training to ensure compliance through best practice. So as a community of industry representatives, we support other producers and farmers as they transition to pain mitigation. creating a platform for change and ensuring the sustainability of our industry

For primary producers, the Better Choices program allows them to ‘self-certify’ their pain mitigation approach to specific husbandry procedures. For example, a wool grower can self-certify that they have ceased mulesing; a beef producer can certify they have used pain relief for castration; a dairy producer can self–certify they have used pain relief for disbudding; and a pig producer can self-certify they have used pain relief for tail docking.

To complete the self-certification, you must select the procedure and advise the mitigation technique used. In the case of veterinary product use, proof of purchase or identifying the source of purchase, is required to validate.

It is not our intention to audit our members, but we have put in place the necessary steps to achieve this if required, and we hope all our members understand this. Rest assured; we would always contact individual members first to discuss circumstances regarding self-certification.

In the long term, we would like Better Choices primary producers to benefit from premium sale prices in recognition of their commitment to pain mitigation, but we cannot provide a guarantee. What we can guarantee is the more members we have, committed to pain mitigation, the stronger our voice.

The programme will be rolled out first in Australia and New Zealand and then extended to all other livestock countries. If you are based overseas, please register your interest here.

Thanks to our long-standing woolgrower members who together have achieved so much ensuring that 93% of mulesed lambs receive pain relief, we now need to take this success and extend the program to also recognise the use of pain relief for castration and tail docking, alongside mulesing.

We have engaged with AWEX (Australian Wool Exchange) on retaining Better Choices status as a quality memberships scheme and we continue to fulfil the eligibility requirements, which can be found here

It is of the utmost importance, that woolgrowers renew their Better Choices Membership annually to utilise this facility.

It is not our intention to audit our members, but we have put in place the necessary steps to achieve this if required, and we hope all our members understand this. Rest assured; we would always contact individual members first to discuss circumstances regarding self-certification.

Better Choices branded wool continues to be sold at auction, using the bale stencil at the BETC code. We hope that in the long-term Better Choices branded wool sells at a premium, but we cannot provide a guarantee.

Absolutely! We are a community who support SustainaWOOL and seek to collaborate with all those aligned to our mission.

Definitely. You are vital to our community and connecting the wool grower to the sale. We want Better Choices Woolgrowers to be noticed at point of sale and we want to recognise you as an important part of that process. As Better Choices grows, we will be looking for Wool broker Brand Ambassadors to advise the program and ensure that as a community we deliver value to all members. Please join us here.

Contractors have a huge responsibility conducting best practice procedures on behalf of farmers. If you advocate pain mitigation to your clients, then we want you to join us and share your story to help others! As Better Choices grow, we will be looking for Contractor Brand Ambassadors to advise the program and ensure that as a community we deliver value to all members. Please join us here.

If you are involved in the responsible promotion or sales of products supporting pain mitigation, then we need you to join us and help spread the word, empowering others to do the same. As Better Choices grow, we will be looking for Retail Brand Ambassadors to advise the program and ensure that as a community we deliver value to all members. Please join us here.

It is important that we show support for our producers and farmer that everyday make a Better Choices with pain mitigation. But it is as important that we reach individuals who may be struggling with this transition and need further help. So, we need you to help us spread the word and reach as many industry members as possible. As Better Choices grows, we will be looking for Brand Ambassadors to advise the program and ensure that as a community we deliver value to all members. Please join us here.

The Australian Wool Innovations “planning for a non mulesed merino enterprise” report, outlines the key learnings from several wool-growing enterprises that have moved to a non-mulesed enterprise. It is intended to assist other woolgrowers in their consideration and planning to also move to a non-mulesed Merino enterprise.

Click here to read the report

Animals feel pain just like we do, and there are well-known humane methods for managing pain in livestock production. Pain relief is important because it gives animals a better chance of recovery. It also minimizes physical and emotional suffering, reduces stress levels, prevents unnecessary distress caused by prolonged sensitive periods, and ensures maximum productivity from the animal.

Acute pain is an immediate, sharp pain which occurs when something hurts us suddenly and intensely. This can be associated with surgery like castration or could occur due to a sharp traumatic injury - like getting a tooth removed or cutting yourself with a knife.

Inflammatory pain is a longer-term response to an injury or infection that causes swelling and redness, this occurs after surgery as the body tried to heal itself but can also be associated with diseases that cause a reaction in the tissue, or any long-term pain - think of times that you would use Panadol or ibuprofen.

Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to the nervous system, usually because of disease or trauma, which results in a burning, tingling or electric sensation.

As a farmer, it is important to be aware of the different types of pain an animal could experience during a procedure or illness, and to make sure adequate pain-relieving medications are available and given as needed.

Anaesthesia refers to loss of physical sensation with or without loss of consciousness. Effective anaesthesia aims to eliminate pain in that part of the body anaesthetised by numbing it. However, pain may be experienced once the anaesthesia wears off. A general anaesthetic is a way of numbing the entire body to eliminate pain, whereas local anaesthesia will numb nerves in a specific area only.

Analgesia refers to pain relief without total loss of feeling or consciousness. Pain is sometimes classified as immediate (fast) pain, and chronic (slow) pain. During painful animal husbandry procedures, there may be immediate pain associated with the procedure, as well as slower long-term pain associated with any injury and healing. Think about when you have a muscle injury, you take some ibuprofen and the pain in the muscle reduces, but you can still feel it and the area is not completely numb.

During painful animal husbandry procedures, there may be immediate pain associated with the procedure, as well as slower long-term inflammatory pain associated with any injury and healing.

Local anaesthetics injections are a great way to manage the immediate pain, but they must be administered prior to the procedure taking place and allowed time to take effect, this is generally at least 10 minutes.

The locally administered injection works by blocking the pain signals from reaching the brain, so they do not feel any discomfort once the procedure starts.

The local area is anaesthetised by the injection for approximately 1 hour, after which the sensation to the area will return and any procedural pain will be felt by the animal.

Topically applied anaesthetics are applied directly onto the open wound, this application method enables them to work very quickly, blocking the pain signals from reaching the brain and mitigating pain within 30seconds.

Topical anaesthetics work where there is an open wound, they have not shown to be effective for ringed procedures where a wound is not present.

NSAID stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory. In livestock there are many options available, most often containing either Meloxicam, Flunixin or Ketoprofen, under different brand names. They can be administered in livestock, via Injection or into the buccal(cheek) pouch depending on the product.

Yes! A multimodal approach to pain relief is best.

Recent research in sheep for the Australian Wool Innovation found a multi-modal approach of local anaesthesia (Tri-Solfen) with NSAIDs (Ilium Buccalgesic) for livestock undergoing routine husbandry procedures provides greater amelioration of the pain response than use of a single agent alone and should be recommended as current best practice.

An elastrator ring will cut off all blood vessels and after approximately three to six weeks will lead to that appendage dropping off. This is known as Ischaemic castration which causes a sustained decrease in blood flow causing a specific type of inflammatory pain during this process, called visceral pain. Think about the last time you had a ring stuck on your finger!

Local anaesthetic injections are an effective method to decrease or eliminate immediate short-term pain. However, for the best outcome, they should be administered prior to the procedure taking place and allowed time to take effect, this is generally at least 10 minutes and will last for up to 1 hour.

Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) can be used to manage the longer-term inflammatory pain and help livestock tolerate the pain for the following 24-72 hours.

Whilst seemingly ‘blood free’ it is important to consult with your vet on ringed procedures to ensure adequate pain relief is provided, which extends for the duration of the painful period.

The Australian Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals states that elastrator rings are only suitable for calves under two weeks of age.

An elastrator ring will cut off all blood vessels and after approximately three to six weeks will lead to that appendage dropping off. This is known as Ischaemic castration which causes a sustained decrease in blood flow causing a specific type of inflammatory pain during this process, called visceral pain. Think about the last time you had a ring stuck on your finger!

Local anaesthetic injections have been effective at decreasing behavioural and cortisol responses, suggesting this is an effective method to decrease or eliminate immediate short-term pain. However, for the best outcome, they should be administered prior to the procedure taking place and allowed time to take effect, this is generally at least 10 minutes and will last for up to 1 hour.

Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) can be used to manage the longer-term inflammatory pain and help livestock tolerate the pain for the following 24-72 hours.

Whilst seemingly ‘blood free’ it is important to consult with your vet on ringed procedures to ensure adequate pain relief is provided, which extends for the duration of the painful period.