I wish my only uncle was still around as I could have asked him, an agricultural vet for many years The reasons I have come across for docking are to stop the tails flicking the herdsman/milkers whilst doing their duties and to keep the udders cleaner Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) >> Fellow researchers >> >> I have been looking into Ulster history in the 1850s and wondered if >> anyone could explain the practice of cutting the tails off cows and what >> it meant >> >> Cheers >> Graham