As we prepare once again for the arrival of new life into our flocks and herds, it is important to take a moment to plan ahead for the best management of these youngsters in the future. Routine procedures such as castration, tail docking and disbudding are commonly employed to aid future management and protect long-term welfare, but what options are there, and which would be most appropriate for your holding?
Legislation
The law regarding routine management procedures varies according to the country, species, procedure, technique, and age of animal in question. If in doubt, please speak to your vet for advice.
At the time of writing, DEFRA is carrying out a consultation on castration and tail docking in sheep, seeking to review and update current policy to reflect new techniques and recent studies of animal welfare and post-procedure pain. The consultation may also eventually effect changes to legislation, so please do check up to date advice before proceeding.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Sheep Veterinary Society (SVS) have a policy statement to support livestock keepers in making informed choices when it comes to routine management procedures, particularly in sheep, and for those in Scotland, SRUC have an excellent guide here.
Castration
Both sheep and goats can become sexually mature from 5-6 months of age. Castration aims to prevent unwanted pregnancies, reduce aggressive behaviour in adult males, and may prevent ram taint of meat.
Rings
Traditionally, both kids and lambs have a rubber elastrator ring applied in the first 7 days of life. Using a special tool, the ring is applied externally to the neck of the scrotum, such that blood flow is restricted. Both testicles and the scrotum will shrivel in size and drop off over the following weeks. This technique may be carried out by livestock keepers, without the use of anaesthetic, in lambs/kids up to 7 days of age throughout the UK.
The Numnuts system
This approach modifies this technique by applying local anaesthetic to the area as well as the rubber ring. The effect of the anaesthetic is short lived however, so additional pain relief may be advisable. In Scotland, this system is approved for use in lambs (not kids) up to 3 months of age, providing a practical option for extensive hill flocks, however this is NOT currently the case elsewhere in the UK.
Clamps
Traditionally, the main alternative to rings was to apply a clamp known as a burdizzo, across the neck of the scrotum to crush the nerve and blood supply to the testicles, while preserving blood flow to the scrotum. Use of the burdizzo in lambs and kids requires good technique to avoid damage to the scrotum. This can be tricky in young lambs and kids but is permitted without anaesthetic up to 3 months of age, across the UK (only under 7 days of age in kids).
The ClipFitter system is a more recently developed clamp option which has been shown to cause less pain after fitting when compared to rings as the nerve supply is immediately disrupted. Clips result in shedding of the whole scrotum and testicles, so there is no doubt of effectiveness as can occur with burdizzo. Again, Scotland permits this up to 3 months of age (in lambs only), but a 7-day age limit still applies in England and Wales.
Surgical castration
This must be performed under anaesthetic by a veterinary surgeon and so is not commonly carried out in livestock as, compared to bloodless methods, it is associated with more negative effects on welfare, higher risk of infection, and higher cost. Throughout the UK, surgical castration remains the only option available for lambs over 3 months of age or goat kids over 2 months.
Tail Docking
Tail docking of lambs is commonly carried out to reduce the risk of fly strike subsequent to tails becoming dirty with faeces. Enough tail must be left to cover the vulva in female lambs and the anus in males. Tail docking is not routinely carried out in goats.
Elastrator rings, as used for castration, may be applied to dock tails of lambs under 7 days of age in England and Wales. In Scotland, this technique has been approved in lambs up to 3 months of age using the Numnuts system to provide anaesthetic.
When any other method of docking is used, anaesthetic must be provided. Other methods include:
- Hot iron (cautery) – this device cuts the tail off and cauterises the tissue to stop bleeding.
- ClipFitter – as used for castration, clips of appropriate size may be applied to tails and are associated with less pain than other methods of docking. In Scotland this method is permitted in lambs up to 3 months of age but in England and Wales this is not yet the case, so clips may only be applied under 7 days of age.
- Surgical tail docking of lambs over 3 months of age should only be carried out by a vet.
Disbudding
Horned goats are at greater risk of injury through entanglement in fencing and may also cause injury to others as they mature. Disbudding may be carried out to reduce these risks but must be done early (usually 2-7 days of age), by a veterinary surgeon. This is due to the large nerve supply to goat horn buds, and because local anaesthetics may be toxic to goats at relatively low doses. Vets will often give general anaesthetic for dehorning kids. Surgical castration may be carried out at the same time.
Summary
Traditional methods of castration and tail docking are under review and it is hoped this review will bring clarity in a number of areas;
- Standardise legislation across the UK
- Update appropriate methods for each species and age group, reflecting new systems such as ClipFitter and Numnuts.
- Review the use of anaesthetic and analgesic (pain relief) medications. There are currently no licensed analgesic medications in the UK for sheep and goats but clearly, they are required and appropriate in a wide range of situations. Products licensed in other countries are used off license in the UK to protect animal welfare, but UK licensing would aid their use.
At a individual farm level, castration, docking and disbudding protocols should be under review annually, considering the three R’s to determine whether practices could be Reduced, Refined or Replaced.
Due to the seasonal breeding habits of sheep, some early finishing systems may be able to avoid castration and even tail docking altogether. This relies on being able to manage male and female groups separately, or to finish male lambs before sexual maturity and the risk of fly strike occurring. Fly strike in sheep causes significant animal welfare concerns and even death, so it may not be practical to leave tails long in many systems. An in-depth review on this subject is available from the Animal Welfare Committee. Speak to your vet to review the most appropriate actions for your holding.
Discussion