# Docking tail of an older sheep?



## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

My ewe is about 8 months old..she never had her tail docked..

Now I am wondering if I should. Am waiting patiently(well, impatiently I guess) for signs of heat..I know one sign is a slightly swollen vulva..PIA to having to catch her to "lift her skirt"..I also know that, even though hair sheep dont have as big of a problem with issues down there as woolies, they still can...Im wondering if it will present a problem when lambing?

so, should I dock her tail? or not..

if so, best method?

Sarah


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I personally would not dock her tail being that old..I dock mine within 5 days old.
Others my have a different opinion. But 8 months to me is too old and should seek a vet.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

We never dock tails on our Jacob sheep. Never had a problem.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I wouldn't do it now

The Ram will know when she's in heat, and that's all that matters


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

OK, thanks for the words folks..I'll let her be.

I havent seen any "activity" so to speak, in regards to the ram attempting to ride her..but I understand with both being young animals (8 and 10 months old) that may be the reason..this ewe's sister bred at 6 months (mistake, wasnt suppossed to happen so young, but it did I was told)..


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

We don't dock any of our sheep's tails (dorper and Katahdin) and have never had an issue. We keep a marking harness on our ram and, as Bearfootfarm has said, the ram knows when someone's in heat and the mark lets us know that he knows.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

I guess Im alittle worried..the ewe is actually looking rounder then normal, but shes got loads of fluff..I havent seen the ram show anything but normal interest in her..it would put my mind at ease if I KNEW she was coming into or had already come into heat..


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## Ranchermom (Oct 25, 2005)

We also don't dock any of our sheep's tails they need it to keep the flys away, they never had any trouble with breeding either. 

Sam


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

It's good to see so many people NOT docking tails, as ranchermom says they do use them to keep flies away. Natural is best.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I would dock the tail as a wool breed can suffer a fly strike and maggot infestation. And its a devil of a thing to shear or keep clean. It is more difficult to do on an older animal though. When we did some older ewes here we used a lidocane freezing a very sharp knife and a dehorning iron to cauterize the tail. Sounds awful and complicated but it went very smoothly and we lost no more to a horrible death being eaten alive with maggots. YMMV.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Your ewe may already be pregnant if you've kept a ram in with her. Small breeds can breed younger than large breeds. If this is a breed that normally drops twins, she will probably have a single, which means a larger, lamb. I never breed my ewes the first season.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

Ram;s been with her since mid November.

she is a hairbreed, which Im told by some dont have the issues with maggots..and then told by others they do.

her breeder does not dock any tails..but the lady I bought 3 lambs from does..

they are known for mutiple births, usually one their first pregnancy though


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Ross said:


> I would dock the tail as a wool breed can suffer a fly strike and maggot infestation. And its a devil of a thing to shear or keep clean. It is more difficult to do on an older animal though. When we did some older ewes here we used a lidocane freezing a very sharp knife and a dehorning iron to cauterize the tail. Sounds awful and complicated but it went very smoothly and we lost no more to a horrible death being eaten alive with maggots. YMMV.


Have you yourself ever had a wool breed suffer from fly strike?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Yes and die from it. I must have docked over 30 adult ewes after our vets guidance and supplies.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

I am so sorry. I've been around sheep for many years from a child and have never seen it. All wool breeds.

I wonder if it is due to a certain climate or intensity of flies in that area?

Sorry for slight thread drift!


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Maybe it depends on how many sheep you've kept? We had over 200 ewes at the time. I have noticed a general decrease in flystrike as the local small dairy farms disappear. No changes here so perhaps they were the vector?


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Some farms I worked on were over a 1000. Pasture raised on huge acerages. No dairy farms close by. Sheep only.


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

OLF, we run around 90 ewes. Our wool lambs are all docked shortly after birth. The purchased Katahdin ewes and rams came with tails, so I am used to that, but we dock the lambs on them, too. Every few years we go through a stretch of a few flystruck lambs, always the wool ones. Not anything you'd want to repeat!

Closest dairy cows are over a mile away, but there are some beef cows pastured across the road with one crop field in between.

Peg


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I am guessing that since cattle are less efficient at digesting feed their manure is a better media for flies? Which has to be wrong because the bottle flies that produce flystrike maggots need rotting flesh. Dead calves poorly disposed of??? I dunno all I know is 5 small dairy farms stopped milking and the fly strike problem has all be disappeared. Still if you ever have it you'll do what you can to prevent it. I wonder if long dirty tails cause and spread mastitis too? Its a problem in dairy cows and their tails are often cleaner than long tailed sheep. I don't know for sure because we dock. Its the simplest chore we do that potentially saves a lot of work and prevents losses. A bit like fixing a hole in your money pocket. You don't have to but a couple of minutes work saves a lot!


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Thank you Peg and Ross. It's been an interesting read, and yes I was wondering about the intensity of the amount of flies and where they might come from. Seems like you may have hit the nail on the head. 

We have cattle next to us now, but at the moment are a small flock on a lot of acerage. No dead carcasses nearby and they rotate their animals a lot. We never have a fly problem here, ever. No flies around our house/barn etc. 

Appreciate your answers. I am used to not docking because of all the farms I worked on as a young adult and through my 20s.


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