What is docking?
In New Zealand, Romney sheep and some British breeds have long tails – some long enough to reach the ground. Docking is the shortening of a lamb’s tail on breeds with tails that are naturally long. There are a few northern European breeds with naturally short tails, for which docking is not usually required, but for most farmers in New Zealand, docking is a common practice.
What are the benefits of docking lambs?
Docking can improve the health and welfare of the lamb but preventing faeces from building up on the animal’s tail and hindquarters. The below picture shows how easily this buildup can happen:
Not only is this soiled wool (or dags) unpopular for the farmer who has to remove it, but the build up can increase the risk fly strike.
Docking also makes shearing easier, and if you decide against docking, you may be charged an extra fee when it comes time to calling in a shearer.
When should you dock a lamb?
Docking should take place as soon as possible, but should be done at least a day after birth. Tails are usually docked when the lamb is between one day and six weeks old.
How long should the docked tail be?
The tail should be docked so that it protects the lamb’s genitals. The tail should be able to wag at that length, giving the lamb the ability to flick off faeces from the area.
Docking a lamb with rubber rings
A rubber ring is applied to the tail, leaving enough to cover the lamb’s genitals. It can be tricky to get the length right, and many farmers prefer to go slightly to short than go too long and risk problems with shearing later, but for the animal’s health, keep it as close to the recommended length as possible.
This method is bloodless, as the rubber ring cuts off the tail’s blood supply, and the tail falls off after seven to ten days.
Docking a lamb with a docking iron
This is the faster method, but the pain is more obvious and the lamb will struggle during the process. This is a common practice on large farms who have a large number of lambs to dock.
This method uses an iron blade which is gas heated. The hot iron involves holding the lamb in a sitting position (often in a brace), and placing the tail on a wooden docking board. The iron is then pressed down on the tail, cutting it off and cauterising it at the same time. It is important not to press down to hard, or go too quickly, even if the lamb is struggling, as you need to make sure the tail is cauterised at the same time.
Pain relief
There is evidence that lambs do feel pain when docking. There is no legal requirement to provide pain relief for them, and it is not common for large farmers to do so, but anaesthetics or anti-inflammatory medication are pain relief options. Another way to reduce the pain when using the rubber ring method is to clamp the tail immediately after.
