The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) today launched its "Report on the implications of castration and tail docking for the welfare of lambs".

The report considers the implications of castration and tail docking for the welfare of lambs and reiterates FAWC's earlier view that castration and tail docking of lambs are mutilations which should not be undertaken without strong justification.

Professor Wathes, Chairman of FAWC, said "FAWC believes that scientifically based advice can now be given that will minimise the suffering arising from castration and tail docking."

He continued "If castration is warranted, some methods cause more suffering than others and pain relief should be given once practical methods of delivering local anaesthetics and analgesics have been developed."

The Report notes that the pain and distress caused by tail docking is less severe than that following castration but that it is a painful mutilation. One of the Report's recommendations is that farmers should agree a decision to dock lambs' tails with their veterinary surgeon following an appraisal of the disease risks.

How much dagging has Professor Wathes done and of that how much was undocked tails?

In a world of no parasitic worms and infinite pasture on which to roam, a sheep's tail might not need to be the effective collector of **** that it now is, and in that world, tail docking might not be necessary.

In any case, I guess a lot of us do not dock or castrate ram lambs due for slaughter but, as we all know, this can give problems particularly when young ewe lambs are harrassed and grazing is tight.

"One of the Report's recommendations is that farmers should agree a decision to dock lambs' tails with their veterinary surgeon following an appraisal of the disease risks."

Surely the disease risks have been understood for years.

Any pain or discomfort on tail docking with rubber rings is apparent within minutes of them being applied and can be quickly remedied.

What about inexperienced keepers leaving entire ram lambs in too long, the ovine teenage pregnancy rate will rocket! I would hate to keep Dartmoors with long tails, they pee on them even when docked, because the wool can grow a good 6-10 inches from the end of the tail. Fly magnet or what!

I think as a matter of animal health and welfare, its better to dock there tails as they do get all crappy etc which just attracts disease and flies.

What about the very strong taint in Tup lambs after about 5-6 months of age. What would happen to lamb consumption if those breeds that are sold Dec- May as hoggs were entire tups. Yes, I know, but certain ethnic minorities either like the taste of tup or mask it sufficiently with herbs and spices.

And think of the problems of raking tup lambs in October to December. An hour's pain at two days of age would be as nought compared to what might happen to them if caught among a group of pedigree ewe-hoggs in Novemeber.

Its clear that  these educated idiots have no experience of blow fly/maggots in sheep and although there is a risk of infection with tail docking , we are all in a position to chose for our selves . Why cant the choices we make be respected just because we don't have a veterinary degree .The last 3 years have been the worst year's  I can remember for maggots and I am going to shear most of our lambs over the next few days (weather permitting)I am fed up of the little b######d`s.As for castration ,why is it ok to castrate cats + dogs

Tailing and castrating is nothing, i was talking to a lad from australia a few years back and he was telling me about a practice i think he called it "mueselling".   They cut the skin off the sheeps behind so that when it heals no wool grows there. Although it doesn't sound very pleasant he assured me it was far better than the alternative of being eaten alive by maggotts.

People who live in namby pamby world have no idea of the harsh realities in the real world, why do they think we tail lambs, for fun?

I've heard of this too, referred to as skin dagging. I suppose the boffins think that chemical warfare is better than a little discomfort for a few hours. How long before blowflies become resistant to the likes of Vetrazin and CLiK?

Vetrazin already doesn't work in our area, presumably a result of acquired resistance.  CLIK still works, but have you carefully read the list of handling and health precautions?  We use it, but with some misgivings.   I wouldn't use rubber rings on tails if the lambs showed any sign of distress as a result - but they don't.

We, like many pedigree breeders, don't castrate because we rarely know for sure whether a ram will turn out good enough for breeding - or not.  Ram taint certainly is a problem in the breeding season, and our ram lambs have to go for slaughter before September, or get left until next spring when the hormone levels have dropped again.  This works, but castrating very young lambs is better solution if you can do it.

 In my opinion, anyone that lets an uncastrated tomcat into their house is a nutter, and very few do.  What's so different about lambs?

 To be fair, I think the report does say tailing and castration should not be done without good reason: well I think most of us DO have good reason.

                                                                                     Dick Plumb

I would like to know how many of the respondents so far have actually read the FAWC's report, from the comments very few. The general gist of the report was that tail docking and castration cause pain. How many people really believe that there is no pain involved in removal of the tail or testes? 

It then goes on to suggest that farmers should look as to whether they actually need to do these things. If all your lambs are sold fat by 3 months old and never leave a shed in those 3 months then why do either. If you do need to do either of the above you should try to use the least painful method i.e. castrate with a ring rather than with a knife and you teeth.

On the tail docking front some sheep don't get daggy either because they don't scour, they have very little wool round the tail area or because they shed their fleeces in spring or early summer. It is perfectly possible to breed sheep where there is no gain from tail docking. 

I would like to know how many farmers manage to get their lambs fattened by three months.  All but a handful of ours were six months plus before they were ready.  And it wont be the first time that we lost lambs from fly strike.  Plus you dont know now many you will sell as meat lambs and how many you will have to incorporate into your breeding flock becuase you couldnt sell them because of movement restrictions.  Its happened twice to us now. 

Entire ramb lambs are a pain in the "ar...".  They mature faster than the ewe lambs.  The ram lambs dont bother with the ewe lambs its the ewes they are interested in and they are busy little  bu!!!!!!!!!ers if you are not careful.  

We have always  docked the tails and castrated the rams within 5 days of birth and yes, they are uncomforable, but not for long. 

Sarah, Somerset

I gave up with castration and tailing a long time ago - and it works - for me. It may not work for others. I gave up because the ewes I had at the time were such B---- awful mothers that any chance of mismothering was a problem. The ewes have improved but I haven't gone back to the rubber rings or the elastrator - I don't have time to worry about one extra procedure during lambing as I do other work as well.. We separate the ram lambs in early September. There are problems but the numbers of stock are not so large that we can't manage them.

However, I accept this won't work for all cases and I fear these reports. You know they are the writing upon the wall.  Tailing and castration will be frowned upon in time. It only needs the EU to catch onto the idea and we will be lumbered with some diktat just like EID!