TAIL DOCKING. Can the way we perform it affect sheep health?.

[Baymule]

Does the copper in the mix act as a wormer? I don't have a big enough place to rotate the sheep to fresh pastures to control worms, so must resort to wormer as necessary.

I currently give my sheep kelp meal, loose salt, dolomite and azomite. I got the azomite to put in the garden and to try on a couple of the pastures. I noticed the lambs licking fresh dirt kicked up from gopher mounds, so offered them the azomite. They ate it with gusto. It is mineral from an ancient lava flow and has trace minerals in it. The ewes and the ram eat it too. They go crazy for the kelp meal.
http://www.azomite.com/

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day,perhaps the trace elements are the main problem,perhaps you could post "your" recipe so the group can evaluate.We don't rely on the copper ,we use a range of de-wormers at specific times of the year ,but it's still is only 3 times a year....T.O.R.

 

[Baymule]

They get Azomite, dolomite and salt free choice, not mixed together. They get a couple of cups of kelp meal daily mixed with about a pound of pellets. The lambs will lick up the azomite like candy.

 

[Beekissed]

After watching how my hair sheep used their tails to rid themselves of flies, I can't imagine taking that ability away from them. In the summer those tails were going all the time....just think of the poor docked sheep and how they have no defense against the flies.

I've seen the mutilation they perform to the fair sheep and I can't believe it's still going on, but it is. What does that teach our young farmers? That anything goes as long as it helps you win or brings you a bigger price?

 

[Bossroo]

The reason that the hair sheep are swishing their tails is that when urinating and / or deficating, a small amount of urine moisture and fecal matter get attached to the tail wool / hair which attracts flies to a feast and to lay their eggs. Also, this condition during breeding season could very well pass infectous organisms from ewe to ram to other ewes. Not docking is NOT good animal husbandry.

 

[secuono]

I have an issue with blocking or if that's not the right term, where they shave the sheep, but leave wool over bad areas to fill it in.
People claim it doesn't matter, the judge still feels the sheep. But if it truly didn't matter, they would be slick shorn to show any faults openly and not have thick layers of fluff on those flawed winning sheep.
Drives me nuts! I won't buy a sheep if it's not slick shorn or left alone as a lamb.

Also cannot stand those nasty ultra short docks. And docking on hair sheep should simply not be allowed, beyond pointless.

I know some breeders of wool sheep leave the natural tail and they seem to be lucky with no issues. But in my area, it's just a ticking time bomb. Sooner or later, the right conditions will crop up for nasty flystrike and I much rather not have them deal with it. They're docked past the caudal fold or hip point. Sure, it covers the lady bits, but I'm already crawling on the ground checking teats, might as well lift a tail while I'm at it.

I don't crutch either anymore. No point. I'll trim off any lone bits of wool that is too close to teats, but that's it.