Docking

Oh, I'm still stiff! I spent 5 hours docking lambs on Monday, and the unaccustomed movements have announced the presence of muscles that I generally take for granted. Some of the lambs were small enough for me to lift with one arm, but others I would grab at with both hands, then decide to leave for the other guy. We had to swing each lamb up onto its back on the bench along the side of the pen and hold them there like a great baby. The trick was to hold tight to the upper part of the back legs which generally kept them from struggling while the blue injection-type stuff was scratched on, then the ring was slipped over the tail (and another elsewhere if it was a male), then an ear was clipped: right ear for the males, left ear for the females - unless they were Suffolk breed, in which case they were designated for meat not breeding and earmarked on the right ear. Only once did a lamb have the wrong ear clipped, so it ended up with an earmark on both ears. Somebody was distracted... After the earmark, the lamb was dropped nilly-willy outside the pen so it could run away to find its mother, generally complaining at the top of its voice. Meantime, the pen was being filled up with lambs, and I had to bend and grab another to swing up onto the narrow bench. Sometimes the pen became too full and I had trouble turning around, especially with a lamb or two standing on my foot!
Some of the lambs were sooo cute. They would lie and look up at me like a baby, with a half-worried, half-trusting expression. Made me want to croon. I think I refrained... :c)
Anyway, I enjoyed the whole morning. If I am required again, I shall try to remember my camera so that I can post a photo of myself working at this charming occupation.