[Womble]

I'm struggling with intermittent back pain these days, so spent yesterday at the Highland Show looking at sheep turnover crates. They look really whizzy, but also very expensive (typically the best part of a grand). So, in the hope that it might offer a cheaper solution, I spent the afternoon welding up a sheep chair a bit like the one below.





I think I got the design ok, and once the sheep is sat down in it, it works well. It also gives a better position for checking feet etc, since you can be stood up properly in front of the ewe rather than stood behind her bending forwards.


However, my sheep don't have a reverse gear, and  it's really hard to get them backed up in the right place in preparation for tipping. It was also way harder on my back to lift them into the chair than it would have been to just tip them normally. I'm starting to think I've wasted an afternoon and a decent number of welding rods.


Any thoughts?


EDIT: That's not actually the thing I made - it's just a pic I found on google images. I don't normally trim feet whilst wearing a summer dress for one thing!

[SallyintNorth]

Just hugs and empathy for the back twinges.

And advice you won't take - get sheep that don't need their feet messed with.

[Womble]

Thanks Sally,  I'll begin not taking your advice immediately! 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Hahahaha well done finally someone has invented a deckchiar for sheep! Youare quite the inventor [member=2128]Womble[/member]  and cornered the market

[Womble]

No, definitely not my invention WBF, and there are several different commercial versions available. I might have bought one at the show but then the salesman started getting snotty about the fact we only had ten ewes, and then even snottier about them being Zwartbles "I mean, what the hell are they any good for? Unless you're going to use them for Embryo Transfer, stop p1ssing about and get yourself some Beltex for **** sake"  . Mrs Womble nearly lamped him one, but wisely walked away instead!    So b*****ks to it. Have welder, will weld!

[Fleecewife]

Years ago we bought one for our Jacobs, with a canvas seat part.  We got them in by standing them beside the chair, head at the top, then rolling them sideways into the chair, with two people doing it.  Even then they would get their feet caught in the metalwork, and very soon the chair was bent beyond use.  It was immediately replaced by the manufacturers, but we barely used the thing after that.  As you say, easier to tip as usual. 
Another thing we found was that our chair was on the overlarge side for Jacobs, so they wriggled and squirmed and were far less controllable than when sitting on their behookies.  Even worse for Hebs and Soay (we tried it with them to try to bring them to a slightly better height)  Since then the chair/sofa has hung in a shed and not been touched again.
Try tipping your Zwartbles in from the side, but otherwise, yes you probably wasted a lot of time  .

[pharnorth]

No I don't use one pretty much for the reasons you say, it is easier to chase a sheep into a turn over crate than ask it to sit down in exactly the right place.  I bought a second hand one on eBay, there is a chap in Thirsk sells them quite regularly and he will crate and send it to you.  Still not cheap, but closer to £300 including transport than a grand for a new one.

[TheSmilingSheep]

Any chance your zwartbles can be treated like horses, and do their feet whilst they're on all fours?  I'm sure devonlad does that... saves your back a bit..
You haven't wasted your time - I LOVE the photograph, and the image of sheep and deck chairs will keep me smiling all day....

[Marches Farmer]

We have a W M Ironworks turnover crate, although I know several people with IAE ones that wouldn't change.  I've found you need a person with a leg length of at least 32 inches to stand astride the shoulders of a Badger Face while you check feet from the ground.

[sheepandponies]

I have a sheep chair for sale if anyone interested.  The chair which has a full heavy plasticised fabric cover (not mesh) has been used just a few times and works well but I prefer to do their feeting standing so that is why it is for sale.  Ayrshire £70 and could bring as far as Stirling on the 6th as I will be at UA that day.
07939 001542

[silkwoodzwartbles]

I don't turn my Zwartbles over unless I have to - two of them are so big that if I do, I can't reach their feet anyway, so they get tied up and have their feet picked up like a horse. Easy on my back and easier for them too

[Jukes Mum]

I can't tip my tup or a couple of the bigger girls. Even the smaller ones fling themselves about when tipped. They never seem to sit still like you see everyone else's do. The shearer was unimpressed last year and said we should tip them more often to get them used to it. I wonder if its because they are tame and therefore lack any fear which normal sheep do. The more we tipped them, the worse they got until there was no way we could trim their back feet with them tipped. 
I now just trim their feet when needed with them standing. Much easier.

[The Woodsiders]

We use a chair, I bought a webbing belt from an Army Surplus store and put that around the sheeps middle once I have them in the chair, not overly impressed with the chair we bought though, the construction is good but its a real faff to get the sheep in it if your on your own.

[Hellybee]

Big ewes and rams are easier to do like a pony we find x

[Womble]

I actually don't have any trouble tipping the Zs (except Ace, but we just get two people to sit on him when he's cudding instead. Look, I'm not proud, but it worked!  ), it's more the bending over them once they're tipped. But if I'm going to need a second person to help me with the sheep chair, I might as well get them to hold whilst I inspect.


I'll try the 'like a pony' method again, but for some reason they ALL really hate that, and kick like fury. Actually the tamer they are, the more they kick, which doesn't make much sense.

Thanks all!