[Jacob-list] tails...a correction

[Patchworkfibers]

You gave me a start there!  Standarized??  *chuckle*

On the subject of tails.  I have a ram with an almost non existent tail.  He was 
docked about as close to his butt as you could get - maybe one vertebrae.  He had 
diarrhea and it was every bit a much of a mess as a sheep with a tail.  Diarrhea is 
messy on any sheep with wool on its hindquarters - tail or not.  I was thinking when 
I trimmed the messy wool that still hung 3" from his stubby tail, that if he had 
even 2 or 3 inches of vertebrae, it would enable him to lift his tail out of the way 
better than he was able to with his nub.  I had a ram way back with an undocked tail 
and he would curl his tail over his back like a curly tailed dog. 

I didn't use to dock, then had to deal with people that wanted them docked so I did 
dock.  Then I didn't dock anything born after the end of April - same reasons as 
Mary Ellen - too hot and too many flies around. I have some docked and some not, but 
I don't think I will dock this year. I do feel a little like I "should" be docking.  
But, I honestly haven't seen much difference on a health basis - we've never had fly 
strike on any of the sheep, but I believe it would be just as possible on a docked 
animal.  As far as sale appeal, my vet (who is not especially cheap - so I'm sure it 
could be done cheaper) says it's $35 to dock an older sheep, so I imagine it could 
factored in the price if someone really wanted it done.

Linda



On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 18:53:34 -0500, Dave & Katrina wrote:
>oops... I meant Standardization is maybe not our goals anyway.  *smile*  -
>Katrina

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