[firther]

Wondering if anyone had any advice on sheep turnover crates. Are the commodore(or similar) ones any good or do i need to look at an iae etc. I use texel tups, cheers

[smudger]

what size ewes though?  We bought a poldenvale but didn't find it lightened the load. On my fantasy farm I'd have a proper race with a turnover crate integrated but it was too much hardwork trying to get the ewes to go into it - worse than trying to tip them up. also too big for our shetlands. And eve with the lleyns the legs seemed to get a bit tangled up and they would twist round as they weren't held tight enough.

[jaykay]

I have one for sale, I bought it second-hand, never got the race set up and then swapped to Shetlands which I can turn without it.

It worked fine when I bought it a couple of years ago (the farmer demonstrated it). It is pretty sturdy, I was going to use it for Rough Fells.

I'll find out what sort it is, and take a photo, if you're interested.

[ferretkeeper]

Jaykay, do these crates work with Shetlands? I keep them too, and other small native types. I have wanted one of these crates thinking it would help me restrain the sheep for vaccinating and the likes, and maybe even to hold the goats still so I can do feet etc. the goats are much bigger but I don't know if you can use a turnover crate with goats?

I was also told that it's quite hard to lift and turn the crate over, and that as you said, it's easy enough to just turn the animal!

Confused, and don't want to buy something I can't/won't use!

[firther]

what size ewes though?  We bought a poldenvale but didn't find it lightened the load. On my fantasy farm I'd have a proper race with a turnover crate integrated but it was too much hardwork trying to get the ewes to go into it - worse than trying to tip them up. also too big for our shetlands. And eve with the lleyns the legs seemed to get a bit tangled up and they would twist round as they weren't held tight enough.

hi  there I got a mixed collection of texels mules lynn ewes all put to texel tups.  My jobs back breaking so I were wondering whether a crate would be a good idea.

[firther]

yea jaykay i'd def be interested if your selling, cheers.

[Tim W]

If you were to cull any animal that gave you trouble then maybe you wouldn't need a crate ?

[firther]

all the sheep are in good condition tim but I like to keep the feet trimmed from time to time, my late father kept sheep for 50 years and never culled a sheep due to foot rot.

[Tim W]

I haven't routinely trimmed feet for (guessing here) 16 years or so
Anything that needs trimming/gets scald/footrot gets culled on the first instance---there aren't many , maybe 2 out of 850 ewes every year
Just seems like we should attack the cause not treat the symptoms ? 

[ScotsGirl]

Does that mean if sheep were people we'd kill them if they need their toenails trimmed?! Seems a bit harsh to me as they will only wear down if ground conditions are tough enough otherwise horn will get long. My goats haven't needed much trimming over the summer whereas when in for winter need regular  trims.

[Sbom]

You cull sheep rather than trim there feet! 

[smudger]

hi  there I got a mixed collection of texels mules lynn ewes all put to texel tups.  My jobs back breaking so I were wondering whether a crate would be a good idea.

Firther where where you when I posted about crossing my Lleyns - may pm you!


I suspect your texel crosses will be bigger than my lleyns.  There is probably a degree of incompetence in getting the crate to close tightly with the poldenvale but the more sprightly ewes would get there legs out and be in wrong position when we dropped it down.  Not being in a race you have to 'push' the ewes in - more back breaking than tipping. Went back to hubbie tipping the me quickly trimming, but not the single handed solution i wanted. I'd see one in operation before you buy.

[Tim W]

I don't have the time or energy to trim sheeps feet every year!
Poor feet ,like all traits, is a heritable trait. Why prolong the problem? Same with mastitis, susceptibility to worms , flystrike (susceptibility to flystrike has a remarkably high heritability) etc

The result of hard culling is a population that needs very little input (note: this is very different from no shepherding)
So I can look after 900 ewes spread over 6 farms and performance record them without any need for external labour---and make a living without any subsidies

[SteveHants]

Do people still routinely foot-trim?


Research has shown that sheep whos feet are routinely trimmed are more susceptable to footrot/scald because you have opened the cuticle.


I thought this was pretty widely accepted nowadays....I'll have to dig out the research although the name L.Green rings a bell.


There is a turnover crate rotting in the corner of a barn on one of the farms I graze - I was offered it for nothing, but honestly can't see a use for it so I told them to sell it for scrap.


I cull for feet too, but again...even in  the wet summer of 2012 I have had to cull....2, maybe - but I only buy off people who do the same.

[jaykay]

Ferretkeeper, I don't think the crate I have would work with Shetlands, I think they could probably turn round inside it. When I had the crate demonstrated, it certainly was easier turning the sheep with it than without it. Never tried it with goats, I just shut mine in the milking stand and pick up each foot like they were a horse.

Firthir I've realised that when the lad next door stacked my hay, he's buried the crate, so it may take me a couple of days before I can shift enough hay to unearth it. Will do so and send a pic as soon as I can.