[jack]

I have 2 pet lambs both this years. I wonder can anyone tell me when to get them bottom trimmed (dagging I think it may be called), as they are both quite soiled is it best to get them done now before winter.

[Nina]

Firstly, are they up to date with wormers etc as this can cause mucky bums...?  And even at this late time in the year, fly strike (MAGGOTS!!!) are still causing problems, and nice wet, warm mucky bums are a perfect place for flys to lay eggs which hatch into the flesh eating maggots - If you see any tail wagging in your two, you may have a problem already.  Ensure they are up to date with fly repellent type sprays too.

So, in all - They need dagging whenever they are dirty (and deal with underlying cause if possible) - It's quite an easy job if you are fit enough and have a decent (sharp!) pair of dagging shears (manual way, only cost £10 or so, no need for electric shears).  All you need to do is restrain the lambs and carefully cut off all the dirty wool down to the clean white (assume!) wool below.  Go steady at it and you won't cut the lambs, though a slight nick wouldn't hurt them, ensure you get both sides of the tail and the tail and leave them with nice clean bums!

Hope that helps... 

[jack]

Hi yes they are wormed alright and also I use a fly repellent and one of them has been treated with Clik, not too sure about the dagging though I have shears but have trouble holding them still  ( Im 74) is it best to do them when they are standing up, I used to do my goats feet alright but they are or were easier to hold than the lambs . . .

[Fleecewife]

Do you have someone who can hold the front end while you work at the back?  An alternative is to use a halter and tie them facing into a corner, perhaps of hurdles where you caught them. That stops them running away forwards.  We straddle the sheep facing the tail, legs to either side just in front of the animals back legs, and bend over to work.  Some dags can be removed while having the sheep sitting on its rump if you can turn it.  Then you just have the rather horrible job of clipping off all the dags.  Don't pull on the dags as this will cause the skin to 'tent' and you will slice it for sure, but work the tips of your daggers (not shears) under the soiling and clip carefully.
I have been experimenting with sitting lambs on a bale for foot clipping to try to save my back, but they don't like it and wriggle more....

[Nina]

When I was a kid and not very strong, we used to have a loop of rope so once we'd caught the lambs/sheep and got them to the side of the pen, we'd loop the rope around their heads, then we'd only need to keep pressure on their sides against a wall or gate and could do the necessary dagging etc without worrying about the forwards and backwards movement!

Apologies if I'd replied a little simplicitically initially - Never know how much people know about sheep keeping if they've only got a couple - We bought some ewes and ram earlier this year, not wormed, not seperated through the summer so who knows when we'll have lambs... Eek!!!!!  Good luck with it - And as someone else mentioned, if you've a local sheep farmer around, I'm sure they'd either come and do it for you or help - Only a 5 minute job - If I was more local I'd come and give you a hand! 

[jack]

Hi   

thank you for the tips and I think maybe I ought to ask a local farmer to do them for me
as I do not feel that confident to do them the holding of them is the main problem without
scaring them, thank you for the replies . . . Reb

[OhLaLa]

........work the tips of your daggers (not shears) under the soiling and clip carefully.

Confused. Could you put pic up of the daggers and shears so I know which is which?

Thanks.

    

[Fleecewife]

Shears have long blades to work quickly through the fleece when shearing. Daggers have much shorter ones which give much more control in the confined spaces and curvy areas around a sheep's crutch and tail, and when cutting off individual daggs.  Sorry don't have any pics but shearing suppliers online should have some.

[Nina]

Try this for an explanation... http://www.alpacacare.co.uk/product.php?printable=Y&productid=38

[OhLaLa]

Thanks guys. Link very helpful.

Mine are definitely not the small ones - and now I can't even find them......