I was both skeptical and curious how that would work. I had heard from other sheep farmers, who have various kinds of hair sheep, that they do not dock tails. Several years later I had a flock of purebred White Dorper sheep since it takes only four generations to get to a purebred flock of a new breed. In 2005 I started upgrading my Texel flock with White Dorper rams. Lastly, tail docking has been linked to an increased risk of anal prolapse. For that reason, I docked tails during the first day or two of a lamb’s life when it causes the least amount of pain. Also, tail docking causes a certain amount of pain to a lamb. I highly recommend leaving such tail length in sheep or areas where tail docking is prudent to do. The tails always covered what need to be protected from sunburn and frost bite – anus and vagina – and it was left long enough to move flies away from that area by wiggling the tail. When I did, I always left the tails long enough to still have the full function of a tail. I have practiced tail docking for about 30 years. Yet, they can still just as easily get soiled, especially during springtime when the pasture lacks fiber and the sheep’s feces turn very soft or even liquid. Sheep with less wool and with courser wool tend to dry out easier and offer less of a breeding ground for fly larvae. Some feed off decomposing matter only and cause more discomfort rather than health problems. In some areas the risk is not as high since not all maggots of blow flies – of which there are more than 1,200 species – attack healthy flesh. It is a very common occurrence in Australia, where death because of maggots is a high risk. Fine-wooled sheep are at higher risk of flystrike. The importance of docking tails in wool sheep can be high, depending on breed and geographical location. The docked tails are still long enough to be fully functional.
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