As tails are often docked within the first days of life, studies investigating tail malformations and injuries in sheep do not exist thus far. To address this gap in the literature, this research aimed to analyse the occurrence of vertebral anomalies and fractures in the tail within an undocked Merinoland sheep population. At 14 weeks of age, the caudal spines of 216 undocked Merinoland lambs was radiographically examined, and tail length and circumference were measured. Anomalies were documented and statistical correlation and model calculations were performed. The occurrence of block vertebrae was observed in 12.96% and wedged vertebrae in 8.33% of the sample. Of the animals, 59 (27.31%) exhibited at least one vertebral fracture, which were observed in the middle and caudal third of the tail. A significant correlation was found between the occurrence of fractures and tail length (r = 0.168) and number of vertebrae (r = 0.155). Conversely, the presence of block and wedged vertebrae was not significantly correlated with tail length, circumference, or number of vertebrae. Only the sex showed significant differences in the probability of axis deviation. These results emphasize the importance of breeding for short tails to avoid fractures.

Zusammenfassung: Eine Möglichkeit, das Kopieren von Schwänzen bei Schafen in der Zukunft zu vermeiden, stellt die Zucht auf Kurzschwänzigkeit dar. Dies erscheint vielversprechend, da die Urform der Hausschafe, der Mufflon, einen relativ kurzen schmalen Schwanz besitzt. Es kann folglich davon ausgegangen werden, dass längere Schwänze ein Resultat der Domestikation sind. Ältere Untersuchungen zur Heritabilität der Schwanzlänge beim Hausschaf konnten rasseabhängig Werte von 0,38 bis 0,77 nachweisen. Bei der Zucht auf Kurzschwänzigkeit muss jedoch darauf geachtet werden, dass keine Missbildungen der Wirbelsäule und benachbarter Strukturen auftreten. Bis in diesem Bereich ein Zuchtfortschritt erreicht ist, können durch Managementmaßnahmen die negativen Auswirkungen länger bewollter Schwänze (z. B. Myiasisbefall, Dermatitis) gemindert werden. Dazu gehören die Vermeidung von Durchfällen durch eine ausgewogene wiederkäuergerechte Fütterung, ein betriebsspezifisch angepasstes nachhaltiges Parasitenmanagementprogramm und die gezielte Schur unkupierter Schwänze.

Background: Sheep's tail docking is a widespread practice, which is banned or critically discussed in some countries to improve animal welfare.Objective: The aim was to determine the influence of breeding for short‐tailedness (ST) or long‐tailedness (LT) in sheep on the development of reproduction parameters and lamb performance.Method: One hundred forty‐nine ewes were mated with four rams according to tail length. Pregnancy and pregnancy loss rates were calculated. During pregnancy, the progesterone levels (P4) of the ewes were measured. The weight and length of the 254 lambs were recorded up to 14 weeks of life. Litter size, placenta weight, sex, stillbirths, vitality, morbidity and mortality of the lambs were also documented.Results: No significant differences were found for P4 and placental weight for the two mating groups (ST and LT). Although the pregnancy rate for ST was slightly lower (75.71%) than for LT (87.34%), there was only a low significant difference (p = 0.07). The sex distribution was 61 (48.80%) male and 64 (51.20%) female lambs in the ST group and 67 (51.94%) male and 62 (48.06%) female lambs in the LT group. The twinning rate was not significantly different (ST 75.20%; LT 75.97%), and no significant difference was found in the average body length and vitality of the lambs. However, LT lambs showed better weight gains that were marginally significant (p = 0.09).Conclusion: This study found no evidence that reproductive parameters or lamb performance were affected by selective breeding based on tail length.

Gegenstand und Ziel Um eine gezielte Zucht auf Kurzschwänzigkeit zu etablieren, müssen initial geeignete Verfahren gefunden werden, welche eine Phänotypisierung des Schafschwanzes über die Schwanzlänge hinaus ermöglichen. In dieser Studie wurden neben der Messung von Körpermaßen erstmals weiterführende Untersuchungen wie die Ultrasonografie und die Radiologie an der kaudalen Wirbelsäule von Schafen durchgeführt. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die physiologische Variation der Schwanzlängen und -wirbel innerhalb einer Merinolandschafpopulation zu analysieren. Außerdem sollte der Einsatz der sonografischen Grauwertanalyse und Perfusionsmessung am Schafschwanz validiert werden. Material und Methode Bei 256 Merinolandschaflämmern wurden am ersten oder zweiten Lebenstag die Schwanzlänge und der Schwanzumfang in Zentimetern gemessen. Im Alter von 14 Wochen wurde die kaudale Wirbelsäule dieser Tiere röntgenologisch untersucht. Bei einem Teil der Tiere wurde außerdem eine sonografische Graustufenanalyse und die Messung der Perfusionsgeschwindigkeit der Arteria caudalis mediana durchgeführt. Ergebnisse Die getestete Messmethode zeigte einen Standardfehler von 0,08 cm und einen Variationskoeffizienten von 0,23% für die Schwanzlänge bzw. 0,78% für den Schwanzumfang. Die Tiere wiesen eine mittlere Schwanzlänge von 22,5±2,32 cm und einen mittleren Schwanzumfang von 6,53±0,49 cm auf. Die mittlere Schwanzwirbelanzahl dieser Population betrug 20,4±1,6. Der Einsatz einer mobilen Röntgenanlage eignet sich sehr gut dazu, die kaudale Wirbelsäule bei Schafen darzustellen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Arteria caudalis mediana sich für die Messung der Perfusionsgeschwindigkeit (cm/s) darstellen lässt und auch die sonografische Graustufenanalyse eine gute Durchführbarkeit aufwies. Der mittlere Grauwert beträgt 19,74±4,5 und der Modalwert für die meist aufgefundenen Grauwertpixel 191,53±120,2. Die mittlere Perfusionsgeschwindigkeit für die Arteria caudalis mediana beträgt 5,83±3,04 cm/s. Schlussfolgerung Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die getesteten Methoden gut für die Charakterisierung des Schafschwanzes geeignet sind. Zum ersten Mal konnten Grauwerte für das Schwanzgewebe und die Perfusionsgeschwindigkeit der Arteria caudalis mediana ermittelt werden. Objective In order to establish targeted breeding for short-tailedness, a suitable method must initially be found that allows phenotyping of the sheep tail beyond tail length. In this study, in addition to assessing body measurements, more advanced studies such as ultrasonography and radiology were performed on the caudal spine of sheep for the first time. The objective of this work was to analyze the physiological variation of tail lengths and vertebrae within a merino sheep population. It also aimed to validate the use of sonographic gray scale analysis and perfusion measurement on the sheep tail. Material and method Tail length and circumference in centimeters were measured in 256 Merino lambs on the first or second day of life. At 14 weeks of age the caudal spine of these animals was examined radiographically. Sonographic gray scale analysis and measurement of the perfusion velocity of the caudal artery mediana were also performed in a portion of the animals. Results The tested method of measurement showed a standard error of 0,08 cm and a coefficient of variation of 0,23% for tail length and 0,78% for tail circumference. The animals had a mean tail length of 22,5±2,32 cm and a mean tail circumference of 6,53±0,49 cm. The mean caudal vertebrae count for this population was 20,4±1,6. The use of a mobile radiographic unit is well suited for imaging the caudal spine in sheep. It was demonstrated that the caudal median artery could be imaged for measurement of perfusion velocity (cm/s), and sonographic gray-scale analysis also showed good feasibility. The mean gray scale value is 19,74±4,5 and the modal value for the most commonly found gray scale pixels is 191,53±120,2. The mean perfusion velocity for the caudal artery mediana is 5,83±3,04 cm/s. Conclusion The results show that the methods presented are well suited for further characterization of the ovine tail. For the first time, gray values for the tail tissue and the perfusion velocity of the caudal artery mediana were determined. Received: 09 December 2022 Accepted: 27 December 2022 Article published online: 13 March 2023 © 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

The morphology of sheep tails remains relatively understudied. Given the escalating discourse on routine removal of the caudal spine in sheep, a thorough exploration of the anatomical structures within this region is imperative. To examine the tails in detail, this study undertook histological characterisation of three segments (the cranial, middle, and caudal segments) of the tails of 12 undocked Merino sheep lambs. Six lambs were selected for having short tails (37.1 ± 3.0 cm) while the remaining six were chosen for their long tails (49.4 ± 1.7 cm). Immunohistochemical labelling using neuron‐specific enolase antibodies was performed to examine the nerve structures in the tail tip. The general structure of the skin resembles that of other domestic mammals. Interestingly, many sweat and sebaceous glands were found in all three tail segments. These findings support the hypothesis that the tails of sheep play a significant role in thermogenesis and perhaps olfactory communication. The study also revealed nerve fibres extending to the tip of the tail. This observation supports the requirement for pain elimination during tail tip amputation.

This study aimed to provide an overview of the most frequent animal welfare cases documented by the authorities involved in sheep farming in Germany. A questionnaire with 26 questions was developed and sent to all German veterinary offices (supervisory authorities). Furthermore, publicly available court decisions on animal welfare cases over the last 30 years were consulted and analyzed. Approximately 18.1% (n = 71) of all veterinary authorities participated in the survey. The most frequently reported animal welfare cases included inadequate water supply (n = 63) and a lack of weather protection (n = 60). Other common issues were lameness (n = 56) and poor shearing management (n = 52). A total of 52 animal welfare cases presented in courts were found in the online search. The most common problems were nutrition (50%), water supply (34.6%), weather protection (32.7%), and shearing management (21.2%). These results provide information on the areas of sheep farming in which animal welfare violations occur most frequently. Based on these results, conclusions can be drawn regarding the development of preventive measures.