DOCKING SHEEPS TAIL/NEED HELP

[MissPrissy]

What a lot of small and backyard sheep owners do not know - there are laws in the US about how short a tail can be docked. The tail has to be left long enough it completely covers the ewes vulva - thereby protecting her from infection and fly strike. A 2 inch long tail on a ewe is not good.

I have some ewes with tails and some without.

Dairy sheep (friesian) don't have wooly tails so docking them is a preference for a owner who wants to be able to see at a glance what is going on back there from a distance. I don't dock those.

I have found the sooner the better for tail docking. We had some done at 2 weeks - ohhh they bleed! And some done at day 2 after birth - easy and over with. We give ours a small dose of pain reliever at the tail joint just before the back bone. Then it is clamped off and gone easily in a matter of about 30 seconds.

I prefer not to castrate all the males - even if you use them for freezer meat the hormones don't effect anything as long as they under a year old. This year I have far more ram lambs than should be together with my ewes and therefore Thursday is the day they have the deed performed.

 

[tobin123]

ok so we are going to band her today as soon as i go and get her some shots just incause there is any infections,what does any one use on that?

 

[Felicia]

Quote:
I did a CDT before doing anything like that. And I dipped the bands in Iodine and cleaned the tool with rubbing alcohol before putting it on them.



I would like to add that I agree with Nissa_loves_cats. What she says makes perfect sense. With my sheep, I have Romneys and they are supposed to be docked. And my ewe gets her back end very dirty (and she is very healthy, I just have to try to keep her clean), and I can't imagine what it would be like with a tail. I also show my guys in 4-H. My ewe I bought, and her tail is docked like a meat breed - she has no tail at all. But on the ewe lamb she just had, I left some tail so it would cover everything. I would leave her tail, but seeing how messy her mother is, I really don't think it would work out too well. But I applaud Nissa on what she has stated here

She said it kindly, she got the point across, and wrote some useful information.

 

[lil'chickies]

I guess we have always been old fashioned. When we do any where from 100-1000 in a day, we just cut them off. Put them in a cradle, castrate, notch ears, cut tails, vaccinate, release. That's that. In a small operation or back yard deal, I can see the benefits of bands. For us we just did it. At the end of a day or pasture, we would count the tails, count the ewes, and figure up the percentage of production we had for that season. Usually would get a minimum of 110%. Lot's of twins would up the percentage. It's a lot of work, but it has to be done. Good luck and hope you figure out what you want to do.

 

[tobin123]

ok so today we gave her a tetnus shot and banded her tail.we will keep you posted when it fails off.thanks

 

[MandyH]

I don't want to start a debate, nor do I want any smart comments, what the OP does with their animals is nobodys business but theirs, and they came here for help. We currently own 10 sheep, all ewes, different breeds (hair, wool, and hair/wool mix) and have never docked a tail. We don't do it because it is not necessary for us and I believe that elective procedures are best left undone. Our sheep are pets and are not here to be subjected to any pain that is not necessary. I do own a ewe that was not born here that has her tail docked almost to her backbone and it is horrible. Our sheep are shorn every Spring and that seems to be all they need to keep clean. I will also add that we don't have issues with them getting bred either with their tails intact. Good luck with the tail docking, let us know how it turns out. I know that having to do any procedure on an animal is nerve wracking.

 

[EweSheep]

I was told why docking was needed because of the maggots and blowflies in that area as well as "hot spots".

I do love sheep and one day I will own one but for now, I'd rather have pictures!

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Well, most folks around here have Dorper's and/or Barbado's, I dock 1000+ every lambin season. Its the rancher's choice, no one has the right to tell 'em there mean for doin such. If ya dont wanna dock, well I aint gonna call ya stupid for not, so dont act like us ranchers who do dock are hell bound, cuz it really aint none of yall's business. It aint like we're tyin 'em up and usin 'em for target practice. And there's my rant of the day.

 

[MissPrissy]

My vet is on her way now to check over my herd. We'll be docking a few lambs this afternoon.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I agree the show sheep are docked too short. But I have seen some nasty infected maggots in the tails of sheep that have their full long tail. My first show ewe was docked really short but I made sure her lambs got to keep more of a tail. They never won in the show ring because they had a tail but they also did not prolapse.