Historical information

Worldwide, more than 100 million lambs are castrated, and their tails are docked each year. Numnuts is a technological innovation to improve animal welfare. It combines traditions with innovation.
In the mid-1990s it was scientifically shown that the immense pain felt during castration and tail docking could be significantly reduced with the use of anaesthetic. For the next 15 years, the industry said the cost the welfare devices and development were too high. But todays ethical consumer has demanded that sheep have no more pain.
Initiated in Glasgow in 2009, Numnuts took nearly a decade to develop. Here you can see five stages of development, from an early prototype to the Numnuts device farmers use today. Each phase of development took years of on-farm trails to achieve the final product. Today there is even NumOcaine, an approved local anaesthetic used by Numnuts.
Using the simple elastrator ring and adding an anaesthetic injector, Numnuts delivers pain relief during tail docking and castration. In the world’s first rubber ring applicator with a pain relief delivery mechanism. Through innovation and consumer pressure the wool industry is going through a moment of rapid change.

Physical description

Four prototype numnuts tools made from white plastic and stainless steel, each in varying stages of production. FInalised version made with black, orange and clear plastics.

Inscriptions & markings

8097.2 - Mk4

8097.3 - Numnuts Tool V7; 20 10 0

8097.4 - On label - Numnuts NumOcaine 100ml 65 proceedures