Tail docking, the removal of the lamb’s tail, is a common practice on sheep operations to improve hygiene and reduce the risk of flystrike, a painful maggot infestation. Unfortunately, the rubber rings used to dock tails can cause pain and discomfort. This project tested a new rubber ring that slowly releases the common numbing agent lidocaine, to see if this will reduce the amount of pain lambs experience during tail docking. Lambs less than a week old were randomly assigned to receive a lidocaine ring or a standard unmedicated ring. We evaluated behavior, pressure sensitivity at the tail, skin temperatures around the site of banding, and the acute inflammatory response to tissue trauma. Lambs were also weighed every day during the study to evaluate performance. Lambs with the lidocaine ring showed fewer painful behaviors immediately after banding, could tolerate more pressure below the site of tail docking, and had lower haptoglobin levels 2 d after banding, suggesting less inflammation. Growth rates and tail detachment time were the same between the 2 groups. Switching to the lidocaine band offers farmers a practical, one-step procedure to reduce pain and stress during tail docking without slowing growth or changing management routines.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.