Lamb Welfare: Consultation on proposed changes to castration and tail docking methods (Lles Ŵyn: Ymgynghoriad ar newidiadau arfaethedig i ddulliau ysbaddu a thocio cynffonnau)

Please respond to this consultation using the Citizen Space consultation hub: Please use the link underneath "give us your views" at the bottom of this page. This will take you to the first page of the consultation. Scroll to the bottom and use the "continue" button to progress. Across the UK, castration and tail docking are routinely carried out on lambs. These procedures are typically carried out using the ‘rubber ring’ method without the use of anaesthesia or analgesia. Rubber ring castration and tail docking cause significant acute and chronic pain. The Animal Welfare Committee (AWC), an independent, expert committee of Defra and the Scottish and Welsh Governments, has considered the implications of castration and tail docking for the welfare of lambs. It has produced three reports on this topic, in 1994, in 2008, and most recently in 2022, which provided recommendations to improve lamb welfare.