Rubber ring tails , yes or no???

[danpwll]

rubber rings on lambs tails, what are people thought's, does it make them more susceptible to joint ill?? its easy and does the job but would it be more beneficail to just hot cut them later in field older???

 

[gatepost]

rings every time, why go back to the middle ages? tin hat on.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

leave the tails long

 

[CornishRanger]

I've always rung tails before turn out, usually at 24-48 hours old, I haven't had any joint ill problems yet

 

[Al R]

Joint ill will be more to do with hygiene in the lambing shed or mud outside, paralysis is to do with rubber ringing to high.

Do you lamb inside? If so, how many times do you iodine the Navals? We clean lambing pens out every 48 hours, sorgene and re bed with straw. Navals done instantaneous, then plus 6 hours and sometimes 12hours after. Joint ill of 2/3 lambs from over 1300 last year.

 

[Woolless]

rubber rings on lambs tails, what are people thought's, does it make them more susceptible to joint ill?? its easy and does the job but would it be more beneficail to just hot cut them later in field older???

If you lamb inside, you'd be mad not to ring tails before turnout. Just be strict with hygiene, as @Al R rightly says and make double sure they all get plenty of colostrum.

Outside, not so clear cut.

 

[Marennydd]

rubber rings on lambs tails, what are people thought's, does it make them more susceptible to joint ill?? its easy and does the job but would it be more beneficail to just hot cut them later in field older???

I have no doubt that there is a difference between the quality of some rubber rings. I had some poor quality ones last year which prolonged the process of the tail coming off cleanly. This resulted in sores being exposed around the 'ringing area' which in my opinion increased the incidence of joint ill.

The hygiene in the shed is done by the book and is one of the main priorities even when really pushed.

 

[Green farmer]

Yes to tailing with rubber bands . Less for the dirt to stick to later in the summer.

 

[Dkb]

If I’m lambing early and pushing them hard with creep I sometimes don’t. As there killed before wool gets long. But March April Lambers is a must for my system

 

[poult135]

We've stopped ringing last couple of years. We're lambing now and clean and lime small pens out in between every lambing as we used to suffer a lot from joint ill. Found after ringing the lambs outside were picking it up from the wet muddy fields we seem to always have here in Wales. Since not ringing and better hygiene in the lambing shed far less problems

 

[Lovegoodstock]

Leave early lambers entire but do tails, just simply hate the sight of long tailed lambs. Surely unless you are lambing nov/ dec then time lambs tails drop off the normal weather and land is not horrific and shouldn't be picking up infections? I think too much is played on expensive solutions to a problem that shouldn't be there, ok awaiting abuse. Lamb 550 feb march, then 500 ewe lambs, late march and april. Early ones mainly in and ewe lambs in for 10 hours. Would use around 70 individual pens, none cleaned out between lambings, to be honest depending on year not always cleaned out between ewes and ewe lambs, as the whole shed normally isn't. Used to iodine the navels at birth, no longer do, it does dry navel quicker but other than that I don't think prevents infection. I don't feed ewes normally but have a ewe that is strong and fit and milks, and provides adequate and quality colostrum. Last year gave away I think 9 lambs with joint ill out of I think just under 1700 sold, had none until dipped later born ones where im adamant bad feet caused the issue

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Never again.
Nothing against anyone who does, but I'm never going to ring another tail unless forced to.
I thought it was meant to be "better" than hot searing later on (tin hat challenge accepted) but it's not for us, I can see why nobody else does it

Not hard to tail them at the meat works - in fact it's easier to cut the bum out and tail off at once (one of the jobs on my rotation) than a big fluffy ewe lamb bum with no tail and all stained to billy-o

 

[Danllan]

We've not been ringing because we have Easycares and it's just another job I can do without. However... I have a chum at Dunbia who has told me that it may well soon be more than just 'preferred'; I guess that when and if (ha!) clipping charges bite it will be an effective obligation. No surprises there... .

 

[llamedos]

Worth a watch - specifically about joint ill from 38:46

 

[Woolless]

We've not been ringing because we have Easycares and it's just another job I can do without. However... I have a chum at Dunbia who has told me that it may well soon be more than just 'preferred'; I guess that when and if (ha!) clipping charges bite it will be an effective obligation. No surprises there... .

Sorry @Danllan, do you mean that Dunbia are considering levying a charge on undocked lambs?

 

[Danllan]

Sorry @Danllan, do you mean that Dunbia are considering levying a charge on undocked lambs?

No idea, but was discussing my last lot with him and he mentioned tails being rather unpopular, nothing more - it is my inference beyond that. I am sure clipping will be the thing that comes to a head first... .

 

[exmoor dave]

No idea, but was discussing my last lot with him and he mentioned tails being rather unpopular, nothing more - it is my inference beyond that. I am sure clipping will be the thing that comes to a head first... .

Oh bugger!
I was hoping you were going to say "tails on" was going to be rewarded,
Like maybe they'd found a new market for lambs tails!

I'm so tempted to not bother ringing any of my exlanas but not if it's going to create negative marketing.

 

[Danllan]

Oh bugger!
I was hoping you were going to say "tails on" was going to be rewarded,
Like maybe they'd found a new market for lambs tails!

I'm so tempted to not bother ringing any of my exlanas but not if it's going to create negative marketing.

Ugh... that reminds me of the old effort of trying to substitute pigs' nerves for spaghetti... .

 

[Tim W]

Oh bugger!
I was hoping you were going to say "tails on" was going to be rewarded,
Like maybe they'd found a new market for lambs tails!

I'm so tempted to not bother ringing any of my exlanas but not if it's going to create negative marketing.

Well you just have to point out to any processor that forcing mutilation on animals could be very bad marketing as well as a potential welfare issue

 

[Danllan]

Well you just have to point out to any processor that forcing mutilation on animals could be very bad marketing as well as a potential welfare issue

That is a very good point, nevertheless it would be unwise to completely ignore the preferences of those we rely on economically. But I think you have hit on the fulcrum which gives a little bit more leverage to the supplier on this matter.