The primary objective of tail docking is to improve management later in the season and reduce the incidence of blowfly strike in sheep.

Sheep with long woolly tails are at more risk to having faeces buildup on the tail area and attracting flies, which leads to increased cases of blowfly strike.

This is more of an issue with mid-season-born lambs as we progress into the year with the weather becoming milder and lambs generally remaining on farms longer than early-season lambs.

While there are not many specifics surrounding the exact length of the tail to leave, there are regulations that must be followed.

The minimum length of tail allowed under legislation is a tail long enough to cover the vulva in female sheep and the anus in male sheep.

The tail generally grows in unison with the sheep as they get older, therefore a tail long enough to cover the anus or the vulva is required at docking, ie the tail will not grow at a faster rate than the lamb.

Lambs have to be tail-docked within seven days of birth. The most common method on Irish farms is a rubber ring.

Risk of disease

Tail docking is a practice that causes the skin to be broken, therefore precautions need to be taken to minimise the risk of infection.

The tail of the lamb should be clean before rings are attached; rubber rings should also be clean. Ewes should have already received their clostridial vaccine to guard against the risk of tetanus.

Research

Research carried out in other countries suggests that there is a link between tail docking that is too short (as shown in the picture) and the incidence of rectal prolapse.

This is because the muscles in this area are linked with muscles in the tail region and therefore docking the tail too short will reduce the overall strength.

It has also been suggested that this may be the reason for higher incidence of prolapsed vagina in sheep, although this has not been confirmed. Research has been carried out in Scotland by the Moredun Group.

Farmers’ views

A number of farmers are well versed in the area and have their own routine by now to ensure tail length is sufficient. One such approach is lifting the tail and putting the ring on at the area where the flesh meets the wool on the underside of the tail. Others use a measurement of the width of three or four fingers to gauge what the length should be.