Author Topic: Sheep handling (Read 3886 times)

Hugo · « **on:** November 17, 2015, 04:54:01 pm »

Hello,

I keep sheep in different locations which are not close and are in about a 20 minute radius of my house in peoples fields. However, I am beginning to find harder to handle them due to not having a good handling system and they are also quite flighty sheep due to being Welsh Mountain. I use the interlocking hurdles at the moment which at a pain to pull behind the sheep once in the pen and seem to spend more time welding them back together due to constantly breaking when to bend them around the sheep.

I am debating on the idea of buying a Bateman portable sheep race which is 8ft long and will fit in my trailer but I will always have to do to runs to get sheep and then go back to collect race and hurdles. I also only have 20 sheep and this does not make it worthwhile to spend serious money in a sheep race.

What I need is a easy portable option of catching and working with the sheep using a race?

Does anyone have any good ways around this or ideas it would be much appreciated as I sometimes have sheep in up to 5 different locations which makes it very hard?

Thank you!

Foobar · « **Reply #1 on:** November 17, 2015, 05:25:00 pm »

You can buy the aluminium hurdles individually rather than having to pull a whole mobile handling system. I have some 5ft ones (Rappa) that fit in the back of my estate car (10 of them), so I can cart them anywhere with ease. Not cheap but you may think the investment is worth while. They will hold their value very well.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** November 17, 2015, 05:35:50 pm »

Can you rig up a basic race at each location just using pallets or framed cleft chestnut fencing? If you can run the sheep through a few times and just feed them rather than doing anything scary it may help - depends on the breed and temperament..

Deere · « **Reply #3 on:** November 18, 2015, 08:38:35 am »

Just adding to the idea from Marche's Farmer.

I do something similar to you having sheep spread across various locations on other peoples land and it can be a nightmare with hurdles splitting, the set up and take down time and also the risk of anything permanent there being stolen or destroyed.

In two of the fields I have driven in 2 1/2 inch tree stakes which are easily hammered in and removed when the field needs to be cleared.
These can then be used to tie your hurdles to and make a secure pen.

One of the fields is fairly safe (location away from most prying eyes) so I have bought some old hurdles and they are left there secured to a large gate post with a chain and padlock, this means I only have the set up and pack away ritual to go through rather than the logistics of going back for them!

Another spot has some bigger posts in with a few lengths of rail on them to create a race, this is on a piece of land that is fairly long term agreement with the owner.

landroverroy · « **Reply #4 on:** November 18, 2015, 10:58:01 am »

20 sheep will fit in a trailer. Presumably you have one for transporting them.
Get a couple of hurdles to tie on each side of the trailer while travelling, park trailer in corner of field to make a gathering pen and arrange hurdles in a splay to get the sheep in. Then move hurdles in to concentrate sheep mainly in trailer. Much easier to handle them as you can get the sheep as tight as you want and the walls won't give way.
Method 2 - get a decent dog that will hold the sheep tightly in a corner so they daren't move. Welsh mountain are easily controlled by a dog because they have more respect for one than many of the lowland breeds.
I've just bought a young bitch for £400 - cheaper than a handling system, doesn't need to left in a field to be stolen, and better company. She's not fully trained but she'll hold my lot in a corner all day. So for casual checking it's a lot easier to get her to hold them while I walk amongst them, than to have to take a load of equipment each time.

Big Benny Shep · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2015, 10:18:12 pm »

Could you make a permanent pen using posts and stock fencing? Can reinforce with a couple of long planks, it's what we used to do

Slimjim · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2015, 07:57:49 am »

Yep, I've done exactly as BBS describes. Made a rectangular pen with posts and stock fencing. I made the entrance just 6 feet wide so I can use a hurdle as a gate and reverse my trailer up to it when I need to move the sheep. As already said above, feed them a few times in there without doing anything else and it should work for you.
It's not that permanent that you can't remove it if you have to. Put it in a corner of the field, preferably near the entrance to the field, and all the grass management activities can still go on without hindrance.

Backinwellies · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2015, 08:18:38 am »

with only 20 sheep wouldn't it be easier to try to rent one or two larger areas . or cut sheep back .. 5 different fields 20 min radius seems a lot of time and fuel (I'm assuming you aren't paying rent on fields)

Hellybee · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2015, 03:24:53 pm »

We got a run of post n rail, but stock with rail would be just as good, as a race, baz has made guillotine gate for end with long rope so we can use it from about fifteen foot back, then just a run of hurdles for sweeping behind them, double tied with twine, so you know they may pop but the twine does its job. Race fits eight to ten at a time, lovely! Or you could use some sheetting?