Longer tails have long given sheep producers across the globe problems – but a research project spearheaded by Washington State University graduate student Brietta Latham could eliminate the trait. While breeds in other regions naturally have short tails, most domestic sheep have longer tails that can lead to hygienic concerns and health issues, including fly strike, a painful and potentially deadly condition caused by blowflies that lay their eggs on sheep. Industry standard has been to dock the animals' tails, which can be painful for the sheep and time-consuming and costly for producers.

https://dailyfly.com/gene-edit-could-rid-long-tails-docking-in-sheep/

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