[Jacob-list] Docking older sheeps tails

[Neal and Louise Grose]

We used to dock here and have stopped. I strongly urge you not to dock older sheep. There can be some real trauma issues in a fully developed tail. Unless injury to the tail is involved, I only recommend docking lambs less than 3 days old. 

The recommended length to dock a sheep's tail leaves plenty to cover the vulva (about 4-5 inches in adult sheep). This is too long to "fix" a problem with clearing the upper part of the tail when the sheep is urinating or defecating. You will still have to shear it, and there is less to hang onto in the process.

We have no problem shearing sheep with tails, the wool simply goes out with the skirting. Since our longwool sheep are part Finn, they actually have less wool than the Jacob sheep. 

We have used both banding and emasculators and fancy cauterizing cutter thingies. Vets all hate banding, but I have to tell you that there is no more trauma on a young lamb with banding than with the other methods. Several years ago, our vet had a few sheep and used the fancy kind of docker and lost two lambs to spinal abscesses. We have lost none when banded at birth.

Neal Grose
North Carolina
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