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Original poster

Lambs have tails

96 replies

ambereeree · 04/05/2020 14:05

Today I went for a walk in the country. As an ex city dweller I have little experience of animals. I saw baby lambs and was shocked to see they have long tails. Has anybody else discovered that after 4 decades they really lack basic knowledge?

OP posts:
LeopardsCANTChangeTheirSpots · 04/05/2020 16:40

"...loads of entire rams ..." !

maggiecate · 04/05/2020 16:46

As soon as they latch onto the ewe's udder their tales start whirling, it's so funny to watch. It's like they're going "wheeeeeeeee lunch!"

ErrolTheDragon · 04/05/2020 16:53

I was surprised to recently discover corgis naturally either don’t have tails or have tiny, stumpy tails.

Yes and no... apparently they traditionally had short 'bob ' tails, but then because docking was possible that trait wasn't bred for and so now they may well have tails - so some breeders are now selectively breeding for bob tails again.

Soubriquet · 04/05/2020 16:55

Check out Manx cats for odd animals. They don’t have tails either Grin

Ski4130 · 04/05/2020 17:00

Yep, we had friends who are lambs tails (NZ) which I always thought was properly grim!

On the subject of docked tails on dogs from page 1 of this thread, our dog has a docked tail, she’s meant to be a working dog (she’s an utterly shit working dog, who wouldn’t know hard work if it hit her in the arse though!) but we’ve got a certificate and it was done by a vet before we got her (her whole litter was done as she’s from working farm dog stock) I always feel I have to tell people that when they look at her tail, to explain that I didn’t do it, I just choose a dog who happens to have been docked.

Ski4130 · 04/05/2020 17:01

** Ate lambs tails, not are lambs tails!

purpleheathers · 04/05/2020 17:05

They are so funny when they are having milk and their little tails are wagging 19 to the dozen Grin

They are usually banded so they fall off to stop fly strike

To the PP who said it was an unhelpful post, it's not rocket science to work out what 'banded' or 'fly strike' mean in this context.

Bargainhuntbore · 04/05/2020 17:34

We dont dock. Welsh mountain sheep are rarely docked. You get a lot of farmers who have their fancy sheep breeds who do it but its not natural. If strike happens we deal with it. All depends on the weather too.

BadApe · 04/05/2020 17:59

Tuna aren’t the size of a can. That amazed me when I was younger

Fuss · 04/05/2020 18:05

If I asked how long something would be as a child my Mum would often reply:

"2 shakes of a lambs tail"

ErrolTheDragon · 04/05/2020 18:12

To the PP who said it was an unhelpful post, it's not rocket science to work out what 'banded' or 'fly strike' mean in this context.

Especially with google, Wikipedia etc. I didn't actually know anything about corgi tails before this thread, other than vaguely being aware that some were lacking but others weren't.Grin

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 04/05/2020 18:12

I am breathing a huge sigh of relief here. I'm a sheep farmer and I was dreading opening this thread thinking there would be loads of shouts of "animal abuse" and ignorance induced farmer hate! Thank you to the people who explained the reasons why tails are docked. Faith restored.

I used to look after a small flock years ago, and I opened the thread with the same concern!
Fly strike is really, really horrible. I've seen it once and hope never to see it again.

Original poster
ambereeree · 04/05/2020 19:54

Well I was just amazed they have tails. In my ignorance I assumed maybe they just grew into them and thats why I couldn't see them on adult sheep!
Yes I saw them drinking milk and wagging tails in excitement. It was very sweet.

OP posts:
SamanthaJayne4 · 04/05/2020 23:03

I had to look up this word when writing a letter. Good job I checked as I was going to write wether when I actually meant whether. Letter was to a teacher so they would have had a laugh! www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/weather_whether_wether.htm
I did know about lambs tails as DH worked on a farm when he was at school.

T0tallyFuckedUpFamily · 04/05/2020 23:10

OMG, SamanthaJayne4. I’ve been talking about castrated rams, every time! 😳

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 04/05/2020 23:26

Awwwwwwwww baby lambs ( misses the point of the thread)

Celeriacacaca · 04/05/2020 23:44

I'm a NZ sheep farmer's daughter and have NEVER eaten docked tails. Practically every other part of a sheep but never that.

RebelWhoWashesFor19Seconds · 04/05/2020 23:52

This brings back memories of our first lot of lambs. Their tails weren't docked and unfortunately at around a year old, little Mary, got fly strike. It was horrendous. The farmer next door who had sold them to us but had forgot to ring their tails first came over every day with his farm hand and they had to wash out the maggot filled sores with a painful strong antiseptic wash and squeeze as many maggots out of the tail and backside as they could. The memories of maggots and blood will stay with me forever. Her tail was so bad they just cut it straight off then and there. Poor Mary. All she wanted to do after was cuddle. We felt so guilty but hadn't thought to check under her tail very often to be honest.

I have no idea why my parents hadn't thought about fly strike. They were pretty clued you on farming but I suppose it was a lot different pre-internet.

RebelWhoWashesFor19Seconds · 04/05/2020 23:54

*clued up

Shelanagig · 05/05/2020 00:05

Is mulesing done in this country? That seems so cruel.

DollyDoneMore · 05/05/2020 00:49

To the PP who said it was an unhelpful post, it's not rocket science to work out what 'banded' or 'fly strike' mean in this context.

Why would you post something where someone has to work out what you mean?

It’s needlessly obscure - a sign of someone who is happier to parade their own knowledge than actually enlighten someone asking a question.

Plenty of people later in the thread have been able to explain in very simple terms what banded means. There is actually very little context in the word itself.

DollyDoneMore · 05/05/2020 00:52

Fly strike is when they get poo on their fleece, flies lay eggs in it then maggots hatch out and eat at the lambs flesh. It’s ‘orrible!

Thanks!

I defy anyone to have got to this definition just from the term ‘fly strike’!

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 05/05/2020 00:59

Corgi tail poster - google cardigan corgis. My friend has one and they have normal long bushy tails.

user1473878824 · 05/05/2020 01:02

Tail docking is illegal for dogs in the UK apart from working dogs because it’s much safer for them being docked.

Ninkanink · 05/05/2020 01:02

@Dolly

It’s a helpful post in that it explains and also signposts things to research.

Your comment is ridiculous in that it presumes that wanting to ‘parade one’s knowledge’ is the only possible motivation for making that comment, when actually the poster was likely just making a relevant contribution to the discussion. And actually, the OP hadn’t asked any question about why grown sheep don’t have tails, nor asked for clarification of anything else to do with sheep or tails, so there was no question to be answered which that poster ignored in favour of apparently showing off their knowledge, so in fact your entire premise is incorrect.

Knowledge doesn’t have to be spoon-fed, and an adult should be perfectly capable of looking up a term to find out what it means or researching a subject of interest.