Lamb feedback is vital to welfare improvements

Last Spring’s issue of Focus (March 2010) highlighted the news that member producers wishing to castrate or tail dock their lambs must complete a pro-forma for the RSPCA Farm Animals Department providing welfare-related information. This requirement was effective from April 29 last year.

Now, a year on and with the benefit of feedback from some members, the farm animals team would like to clarify several key points.

“The pro-forma you are now being asked to fill in, when you want to seek permission to tail dock or castrate your lambs, is to help us – Freedom Food and the RSPCA – gather the information we need to allow a decision to be made on granting permission, in line with the requirements of the welfare standards,” explains Julia Wrathall, head of the RSPCA farm animals department.

“This follows the change to the standards last April, the aim of which was to encourage everyone to give further thought to whether they really needed to tail dock or castrate and, if so, how best to do it to minimise any suffering. This is in line with the recommendations of the FAWC report on lamb mutilations.

“However, the pro-formas are not in any way a 'declaration' or 'commitment' to anything – we simply ask for a signature and date to confirm who completed the information and when,” confirms Julia. One reason for the change in the standards is the growing scientific evidence of the pain caused by castration and tail docking, regardless of the age of the lamb.

“Research indicates that even very young lambs suffer both at the time of the procedure and for some time afterwards,” says Julia. “We all need to work together to identify ways of reducing both the need for tail docking and castration and the suffering associated with the procedures when they are carried out.

We'd encourage producers and their vets, to give careful consideration to all the issues surrounding castration and tail docking. The RSPCA is aiming to gather information – including via the invaluable feedback in the pro-formas members fill in – to enable progress to be made on delivering pain relief. But at the present time, this is difficult to achieve because of the lack of knowledge and appropriate drugs and of practically viable methods. If any producers or vets have any suggestions or information, and would be interested in being involved in any future initiatives – including discussion forums on the issue – we would like to hear from you.

You can contact the RSPCA farm animals team by email: farm_animals@rspca.org.uk
or telephone: 0300 123 0183.