(1) Schedule 1 to the Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Act1954 (which lists operations which may be performed without ananaeesthetic) shall be amended as follows.
(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(3) For paragraph 6 (castration of horses, asses or mules, bulls, sheep,goats and pigs below certain ages) there shall be substituted thefollowing paragraphs—
(6) The castration of a male animal specified in the following tablebefore it has reached the age so specified, that is to say—
(6A) The foregoing paragraph shall not apply to the castration of an animalby using a rubber ring or other device to constrict the flow of bloodto the scrotum unless the device is applied within the first week oflife.
(4) Paragraphs 7 and 8 (minor operations which are customarily performed without an anaesthetic) shall not in any circumstances permit—
(a) the castration of a male animal (but without prejudice to the circumstances in which castration is permitted by paragraph 6 of the Schedule as set out in subsection (3) of this section);
(b) the de-horning of cattle;
(c) the dis-budding of calves, except by means of chemical cauterisation applied within the first week of life; or
(d) the docking of lambs’ tails by using a rubber ring or other device to constrict the flow of blood to the tail, unless the device is applied within the first week of life.
(5) In this section “ cattle ” means bulls, cows, bullocks, heifers, calves, steers or oxen.