Worth noting is that in placing the clip axially along the line of the lamb’s spine – in what we call the north/south direction – there is a far greater risk of pinching the urethra/penis. Closing the urethra will result in the death of the lamb, so choosing an alternative orientation would be far safer and advisable. In the illustration you can see the left hand end of the clip is interfering with the penis and it is a real risk unless care is taken and operators made aware of the hidden anatomy of the lamb. Please note, we have seen this occur even if on the very rare occasion, and yet the teats, often used as a guide to correct positioning even of rings, were clear of the clip.
This is an acceptable way of fitting a clip in the north/south direction if necessary. Care has been taken to lift the tip of the far end of the fitter, away from the body of the lamb. The vast majority of operators will use their common sense on orientation and choose the safest direction – east/west – as the testicles normally hang.