Docking

Richard took the boys down early this morning to go docking. If you don't know what that is, let me enlighten you. (I didn' t have a clue what it was until I met Richard- I'm a city girl and I don't know these things!) Each year all the baby lambs have to have their tails cut off, have their ears marked (usually a few slits with the pocket knife) and their testicles (for the boys of course) removed. They used to do that last part with a pocket knife as well, but now they use little rubber bands that are tied around the boy parts and eventually they just fall off. It is a very bloody process and they need a whole bunch of people to get the job done. Today they did over 1300 lambs! Richard said that's the most he has ever done in one day! Richard was one of the cutters, while the boys helped with things like holding the lambs and putting powder on their tails to control the bleeding. I've helped with this before and it is very interesting, even though it is bloody and a little sad for the lambies. The boys had a great time and were exhausted by the time they made it home this afternoon.

The boys may still be a bit small to hold lambs, but they did their very best.

Below, Landon is holding the powder that he put on the tails after they were cut. If you zoom in you can see the piles of tails under the truck! Daniel branded a few sheep with the red paint you see next to him.

Just a little video of the boys trying to help.

I wanted to post this picture of one of the older boys who held sheep so you could see just how bloody it can be. Their little tails squirt blood everywhere after they are cut. I've got all their clothes in the wash right now and I'm hoping it all comes out!