Clipfitter - castration

[spark_28]

ClipFitter

ClipFitter is designed to fit specific clips although larger sizes can fit smaller clips too with care.The Double Decker style, supplied available

www.clubtags.co.uk

Read an article about this yesterday on farming Scotland. Bit like a burdizzo and you can use it 3 months after the lambs are born.

What's peoples opinions on this?

Definitely something that will benefit hill farms and something I would use going forward. Heb lambs are a ballache to do when very young.

 

[ISCO]

Saw it at Scotsheep. Looked a good product, especially if you can use upto that age with no anaesthetic.
I think it was only licenced for trial in Scotland last spring, not England or Wales. I don't know the current licensing arrangements.

 

[YELROM]

Are the clips made of plastic or a degradable material
I don’t think it’s a good idea if they are plastic

 

[neilo]

There was a thread in the Spring iirc and @Kingcustard was having a play with one.

I saw it at Malvern in the summer and thought it was a clumsy, expensive way of replacing a rubber ring. I think Brian said they were looking at making the clips biodegradable, but plastic until then?

IF they are licenced, they could legally be used when lambs are older than 7 days, but so can other methods I think. Seems like a product to solve a problem that isn't there?

 

[YELROM]

. Seems like a product to solve a problem that isn't there?

That was my though and I watched a YouTube video and when he did a lambs tail it sounded like it about cut it of with the crunch
What is the supposed benefit over rubber rings

 

[neilo]

That was my though and I watched a YouTube video and when he did a lambs tail it sounded like it about cut it of with the crunch
What is the supposed benefit over rubber rings

Legality, for one, under current UK regs.

Iirc the clipfitter crunches the nerves, so they aren't supposed to feel pain. A rubber ring constricts the blood vessels and nerves, so will take a bit longer to numb any pain?

 

[ISCO]

In certain situations where lambs cannot be rung at under 7 days I thought it had a use. Did look a little clumsy though. I thought they were biodegradable now.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Are there many farms left where the ewes don't lamb in bye?

 

[spark_28]

Are there many farms left where the ewes don't lamb in bye?

yeah still a few out here. I know people who will still ring looong after the 'legal' date. Not good for the lambs that.

Clipfitter looks more ethical than a burdizzo imo and has less impact on lamb growth apparently.

 

[ISCO]

yeah still a few out here. I know people who will still ring looong after the 'legal' date. Not good for the lambs that.

Clipfitter looks more ethical than a burdizzo imo and has less impact on lamb growth apparently.

This is my view also. We try and ring lambs at birth but not as easy as it was when we are both approaching 60. I think it has a place for when we round up at the end and ring the last few born. Currently leave any too old to ring.
There is an additional cost though over a ring

 

[neilo]

This is my view also. We try and ring lambs at birth but not as easy as it was when we are both approaching 60. I think it has a place for when we round up at the end and ring the last few born. Currently leave any too old to ring.
There is an additional cost though over a ring

I left all my lambs to process at the end of lambing one year and I thought it was one hell of a lot more work than doing it as I went along. I guess it might be different if you had a tailing gang came and did the lot at the end, like the kiwis, when they say they are lambing 3000 ewes per man. I reckon I could do that if there wasn't any work/intervention involved.

 

[ringi]

If you are weighing and tagging the lambs at birth I can't see the point of delaying other tasks until the end of lambing.

 

[ISCO]

I left all my lambs to process at the end of lambing one year and I thought it was one hell of a lot more work than doing it as I went along. I guess it might be different if you had a tailing gang came and did the lot at the end, like the kiwis, when they say they are lambing 3000 ewes per man. I reckon I could do that if there wasn't any work/intervention involved.

I actually preferred it. Wife does most of lambing and can't keep up with ringing them all so needs must. We ring what we can, any too old get left entire.
We are thinking of leaving them all to the end this year. What suits one man doesn't suit another.
The clips could be useful to us.
There must still be a fair number of flocks gather at the end and process, or at least it seems that way from the 'Docking Shoot' thread running this last Spring.

 

[Bill dog]

I got a trial of it in the spring.
I thought it was bulky , slow, clips too big, and have found the clips all over the farm. They are made of nylon or something, and will biodegrade, but not for a very long time.
We stopped the trial, it didn’t work, and he left . I wouldn’t do it again.
But I do now have a tailing chute, and mob ringing/ tailing at a month old suits my outdoor system far far better !
The chute, and some helpers will be available to hire if anyone wants it next year!

 

[Pistonbroke]

Maybe I'm stupid,but I can't see why it would be any less painful or better welfare than a ring. I'd have thought a ring cuts off the nerves aswell and I doubt if it's a joyous experience having that thing on your knackers.

 

[BAF]

One thing I've noticed is lambs rung within 24hrs don't really react at all to the ring but lambs rung within the 7 days do react a but more. The tup lambs will lie down and maybe kick a bit for 5 minutes but then they're fine. It might be unpleasant for a very short amount of time but ringing works well. Sounds like someone trying to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Pistonbroke]

One thing I've noticed is lambs rung within 24hrs don't really react at all to the ring but lambs rung within the 7 days do react a but more. The tup lambs will lie down and maybe kick a bit for 5 minutes but then they're fine. It might be unpleasant for a very short amount of time but ringing works well. Sounds like someone trying to reinvent the wheel.

Same here. Tailing with rings, some throw a hissy fit for a few minutes and then never look back. There's an old box in our medicine box for Richey rings.and it says seven day limit here or five months in NZ,for tailing I expect but I know a few boys who went out there and came back ringing tups below the knackers to keep them up in the abdomen to keep the growth but make them infertile

 

[neilo]

Same here. Tailing with rings, some throw a hissy fit for a few minutes and then never look back. There's an old box in our medicine box for Richey rings.and it says seven day limit here or five months in NZ,for tailing I expect but I know a few boys who went out there and came back ringing tups below the knackers to keep them up in the abdomen to keep the growth but make them infertile

Making them cryptos makes most of them infertile, but I understand some are still subfertile. I fail to see much advantage over leaving them entire, unless you are seeing them all gone at weaning like a lot of kiwis do?

 

[neilo]

Maybe I'm stupid,but I can't see why it would be any less painful or better welfare than a ring. I'd have thought a ring cuts off the nerves aswell and I doubt if it's a joyous experience having that thing on your knackers.

IIRC Brian claims that it crunches the nerves, which means they don't feel pain immediately. Rings constrict the bloodflow, achieving the same, but taking longer.

 

[neilo]

One thing I've noticed is lambs rung within 24hrs don't really react at all to the ring but lambs rung within the 7 days do react a but more. The tup lambs will lie down and maybe kick a bit for 5 minutes but then they're fine. It might be unpleasant for a very short amount of time but ringing works well. Sounds like someone trying to reinvent the wheel.

^this, definitely this. I ring all my outdoor lambs as soon as possible after birth, often when still wet. The younger you do them, the less discomfort they show, and I've certainly never experienced any of the tales of lambs being left writhing on the ground while their mother wanders off with a ewe lamb. Lambs are easier to catch too...

I do appreciate that there are farms, and systems, where ringing at birth isn't always possible though.