Darryl,

Unless the current fellow may pass on bad traits. My fault, not his.

As for docking lambs vs pointers, you need to understand how things work. NO DOUBT the animal libbers hate it as well. They hate domestic sheep themselves. They hate wool. They hate everything and anything. They are depressive self hating humans, who hate all of mankind, and so latch on in emotional desparation to "animals". They have a pussy or horsey they "love".

As for lamb docking bans, it has been talked about. But even many Labor politicians realise or can be educated on the importance of the Australian sheep and wool industry for the Australian economy. Australia "once rode on the sheep's back". Now the industry is less important. Minerals and mines owned by Chinese and Indians, shipped on railway tracks owned by the same, to Port and Ships owned by the same is far more important for "Australian" prosperity ...

But wool and sheep are important still to the Australian economy.

Also tail docking has a animal welfare aspect, positive to the animals welfare. Rotting with maggots from the rear end is an awful slow agonising death. A relatively short bit of pain docking a tail is an aid for sheep and flyblown hygiene.

Not the same for pointers. Largely it is fashion and affectation only. Some might argue about dogs breaking their tails. If so, this could be demonstrated statistically from vets if true with solid numbers. Maybe all the pet non working dogs would have to be discounted. I believe it was reversed in Sweden.