Castrating and Docking Lambs. 



13 



but the cord must be removed in a few hours or the tail will slough 

 off. 



When hot pincers or docking irons are used, no danger need be 

 feared from loss of blood. Old sheep can be docked successfully in 

 this way. The pincers should be heated to a cherry-red heat, not 

 hotter, and the tail seared off at from 1 to 1J inches from the body. 

 (See fig. 9.) The wound will be seared over and no blood lost. When 



Fig. 9. — Docking with heated irons. 



the irons are used at proper temperature the wound will heal satis- 

 factorily, but probably not so quickly as when the knife is used. The 

 wound is also sterilized and needs no further attention. When the 

 lambs are in a pen near at hand, with one man to catch them and an- 

 other to hold them, from 9 to 12 lambs can be docked without heating 

 the irons again. The lambs should be watched for a few days to see 

 that they are recovering from the operations satisfactorily. 



