Farmgate: Animal modifications are on their way out

Standard-Freeholder column summarizing what surgical modifications to animals are banned, will soon be banned, or continue to be allowed.

Article content It appears that in recent years there has been a strong movement to stop causing animals unnecessary surgeries, especially when there are non-surgical alternatives or the surgery is meant for beautification or convenience purposes by breeders and/or owners. A friend sent me an article that the Budweiser Clydesdales are no longer having their tails docked as foals and will be shown with their full tails from now on. This latter part surprised me as I am fully aware that the reason for docking harness horses is to keep their tails from becoming caught in their harness, vehicle, or equipment.

It didn’t take much to confirm that their tails will not be loose but wrapped and tied. Recommended Videos This was somewhat old news as it was announced in September 2023. If they started with the 2023 foals, we have a few years to go yet before we see their new look.

In Canada, the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) Codes of Practice also specifically prohibit the practice of tail nicking, blocking, or setting of horses’ tails, all of which are surgical manipulation of the muscles at the base of the tail to alter the natural tail carriage of the horse. The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the top level governing horse competitions in the world, announced a few years ago it was banning the clipping or shaving of horses’ muzzles since it had been found that these hairs are actually full of nerves and are essential to a horses well-being and safety.

The code of practice also prohibits the docking of milking cows’ tails, which was done for sanitary and safety reasons in milking parlours. Imagine getting swatted across the face with a wet and smelly cow’s tail? The same applies to lambs, all of which are born with long tails.

While many breeders now leave the tails alone, from personal experience, the tails can get very dirty and can attract flies. Pigs still have their tails docked and needle teeth removed at less than seven days of age, but pain killers are required. Dehorning of cattle, goats, and sheep (for horned breeds) is still permitted but again, must be done at an early age and with paste applied to the horn buds.

This is purely a safety issue, both for other animals in the herd and the handlers. Chicks having the ends of their beaks cut off is to stop aggression. The most surprising bans to come in effect in Canada and around the world have been in relation to breed-sanctioned surgeries to create an ideal representative of the breed.

As of Jan. 1, 2027, every Canadian province will have banned the practice of cutting a dog’s ears and debarking. For reasons unknown, Ontario will still allow canine tail docking. The other provinces have banned travelling to another province to have any of these procedures done.

Cats have also benefited from this latest Ontario legislation as declawing will also be banned Canada-wide on that date. It might have taken a long time to get to where we are now, and it obviously is not finished in regard to tail docking, but it will be well worth it.