Tail length critical to sheep health and avoiding flystrike

Despite 100-year-old studies showing long tails are critical in dodging flystrike in sheep, new research shows producers are cutting too short.

New research shows that Australian sheep producers are often docking tails too short.

And the latest information correlates with findings from as far back as 100 years ago.

The advice comes from Australian Wool Innovation and Meat and Livestock Australia.

It’s prompted AWI research, sheep health and welfare general manager Dr Bridget Peachey to reinforce the message that tail length helps reduce susceptibility to flystrike.

Dr Peachey said it was important to cut tails to the appropriate length.

She said the survey showed the average tail length for ewes was 2.5 palpable joints from the body, and for wethers was slightly shorter at 2.4 joints.

“This is not long enough for optimum sheep health and welfare,” Dr Peachey said.

“There is ample evidence that a medium-long, or long tail, that is a tail docked at the third or fourth palpable joint, is better than a short tail.”

The correct tail length at lamb marking can help dramatically with animal health and not just flystrike.

She said there were lower rates of a number of conditions including flystrike, prolapse, perineal cancer and arthritis in sheep with long or medium tail lengths.

The link between arthritis and tail length was found by sheep veterinarian Dr Joan Lloyd, who said it was “disappointing that short tails were still prevalent”.

Arthritis was affecting 2 per cent of carcasses in southern Australia.

“Most arthritis in Australian sheep is caused by bacterial infection,” Dr Lloyd said.

“The bacteria enter the sheep’s bloodstream via a wound.

“It can occur through any skin tear, but short tail docking is especially problematic.”

Dr Lloyd said cutting tails short involved more muscle and tissue and took longer to heal, meaning there was a greater chance of infection.

“Arthritis is a serious sheep health and welfare concern from short tail docking, but it is not the only issue with the practice,” she said.

“The damage to muscle and other tissues means sheep with short tails are unable to lift their tails to defecate and in ewes, this also applies to urinating.

“This means short tails tend to lead to higher dag formation and, in ewes, more urine staining. “These things, in turn, lead to higher rates of breech flystrike.”

Tail length can decrease flystrike.

Dr Lloyd said the best length to dock a sheep’s tail was the vertebral space after the third or fourth palpable joint.

“There are many sound reasons to dock in such a way that a medium-long to long tail is created,” Dr Lloyd said.

“There are no good reasons to dock it shorter than that.”