It is forbidden to castrate sheep by an elastic band to bind their testicles. The ‘cutting’ of their tail should also no longer happen that way. It is too painful for the animal, says the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
When farmers castrate a sheep or dock their tail, they pinch it with an elastic band. Then it dies completely in a few days. An open wound remains, and it is only healed after a few weeks. Even with pain relief it is very painful according to the NVWA.
Sheep tails are cut to prevent dirt from providing painful skin disease. With a few sheep breeds, the tails can still be cut, but only by a veterinarian. From 2028 it is completely forbidden.