ClipFitter is a new tailing and castration system that is legal in Scotland to use on lambs from birth to 3 months of age. It has been developed by specialist husbandry equipment engineer Brian Eadie, with the engineering expertise of Brian Falconer, having been conceived by Professor Vince Molony, expert in animal pain.
How it Works
It’s simple – Plastic Clips replace rubber rings. The ClipFitter is a modernised Burdizzo so all cords, nerves and sperm cords included, are disabled on application. Lambs no longer suffer the pain and distress of rings, and castration is accomplished in the same quick way, with no dependency on blood starvation. The clip remains on the tail and scrotum to ensure that the farmer gets the confirmation of castration success through it’s removal, not achieved with the traditional bloodless systems.
These models illustrate the testicles and their various lifelines. With ClipFitter and it’s powerful action, sperm, and nerve cords are cut and not strangled - the brain is detached from the pain, reproduction is halted, and teats and urethra avoided as usual. Positionally identical to a ring, no additional skills required although there will be some important guidelines to follow.
“Clips are in many ways easier and ‘cleaner’ to fit to new born lambs and the reaction of the lamb afterwards is so much better than rings. Tails were off in 10 days or less and scrotum scars were good looking. The new lamb cradle helped too. We are looking forward to using them on larger numbers next year.”
Andrew Lamb, Foulden, Berwickshire, July 2022
ClipFitter in Action!
The Hume team demonstrate how to use LambClip efficiently despite being their first session.
Lamb Chute System
Using ClipFitter on a (NZ) lamb chute system. The lamb benefits from the welfare point of view, and marking work-efficiency improves with their consequent rapid recovery.
The McSporran Method
Ben and his father Alasdair used ClipFitter for the first time and quickly worked out how they could team up to do the job quicker, more easily and accurately.
Click here to visit the Eadie Bros blog and read up on the developments of this groundbreaking new tool.
Background
In the days or weeks following birth, farmers will shorten tails (long tails can gather excretia) to limit fly strike (maggots), and castrate males to allow all growing lambs to run together without the concern of in-breeding.
FAWC – Farm Animal Welfare Council – demanded in a paper published in 2008 that steps should be taken (urgently then!) to improve the welfare of lambs undergoing this.
Simply called the Animal Welfare Council now (AWC) they are now on the trail of a definitive answer to the challenge laid down in 2008. Surveying no doubt the industry as a whole on this subject and many others, and interviewing those of us that are proposing solutions, they hope to report their findings later in 2022.
ClipFitter, our solution, is a simple clip and a special fitter – the clip crushes the nerve and sperm cords – disabling them both at the same time, swiftly and with minimal reaction. Blood supply is subsequently cut off by the clip remaining on the appendages only as an important visual confirmation of success.
Award Winning Stuff
Professor Vince Molony and Brian Eadie were delighted to receive our Technical Innovation Award from the Royal Highland Agricultural Society’s President Ian Duncan-Millar.
The Highland Show was an enormous success for us with at least 300 of our pocket size ClipFitter booklets taken by interested farmers.
Join the Conversation
We’d like your reaction to this innovation and whether you would consider using it.
Please give us some feedback on marking and the use of rings or alternatives and whether you might even consider castrating later with a legal system. Could it give you tup selection and/or DLWG benefits?
Get in Touch
Eadie Bros & Co Ltd
Beechwood, Philiphaugh, Selkirk, TD7 5LU
T: 01750 700029 E: info@lambkind.co.uk
Credits:
Brian Eadie