[Jacob-list] docking/banding

[avillionfarm at avillionfarm.com]

You can dock or leave them long in my experience.  We have Jacobs acquired
from other flocks that are docked and most of the ones born on the farm
that are not for many years and have never experienced any problems
related to not docking their tails.  The long tails can be annoying to
some shearer's but ours does not seem to mind and it doesn't bother me one
way or the other when I shear them myself.  The issue you always hear
about as the reason to dock is fly strike, but I've never had this happen
around the tail area in the Jacobs either.  I think the breed of sheep
(worse for finely wooled, very wooly tails), type of pasture, and climate
are important factors for risk of fly strike.

Elaina