[Jacob-list] docking/banding

[Linda]

I have three with undocked tails. Two are from a year when I decided not 
to dock and the other is a bottle lamb that was given to me. Her dam had 
not been vaccinated, so I just decided not to dock her. If the market 
didn't call for docked tails, I'm not sure I'd bother. I like the 
natural Jacob tail length, but buyers want docked tails. All three have 
just above hock length tails and all can easily move their tails high 
enough to keep them clean.
Scours in any sheep - docked tail or not - is messy. I've never had fly 
strike in my sheep, but I'd think flies would be just as attracted to 
two inches of a docked dirty tail as to an undocked dirty tail. As 
Elaina says, there is more than just length involved.
The market does call for docked tails and that's why I dock.
Linda

On 5/30/2012 1:21 PM, avillionfarm at avillionfarm.com wrote:

> You can dock or leave them long in my experience.  We have Jacobs acquired

> from other flocks that are docked and most of the ones born on the farm

> that are not for many years and have never experienced any problems

> related to not docking their tails.  The long tails can be annoying to

> some shearer's but ours does not seem to mind and it doesn't bother me one

> way or the other when I shear them myself.  The issue you always hear

> about as the reason to dock is fly strike, but I've never had this happen

> around the tail area in the Jacobs either.  I think the breed of sheep

> (worse for finely wooled, very wooly tails), type of pasture, and climate

> are important factors for risk of fly strike.

>

> Elaina

>

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Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>
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