The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: shearling on April 06, 2011, 07:27:52 pm
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Does anyone know where I could get or construct a sheep crush. type thingy If you read one of my previous questions you will know I am a newbie and poor hand at dagging/feeting and the rest of the the works. I wondered if I could a reasonably priced bit-of-kit to contain the individual sheep whilst I do hooves and bums, etc? Any thoughts or advice welcome.
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what about the sheep stand that the show people use keeps there head steady and you can raise it up to work at a comfortable hight :sheep: :wave: :sheep:
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Thank you, but any idea what these are called or made by? We have only been to one show and only saw them contained in groups
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The thing which is on every sheep farmers wish list is a big handling machine where you walk the sheep in then turn a handle to turn it upside down for doing feet, or contain it the right way up for injections and so on. No use for shearing. But I say wish list because it costs a bomb - nothing I could ever afford at least but I have seen them in use so someone must be able to afford them.
There is also the chair or 'sheep sofa' I think it's called, available from smallholders suppliers, which has been discussed on a past thread here. We had one for our Jacobs but they still squirmed and managed to get out of it half the time plus the metal frame bent in use, so in the end we just went back to learning how to control them properly without any aids. For our Hebrideans and Shetlands, and certainly for Soays, the sofa is too big. We still have a problem with turning big tups, especially Gladstone Laughing Boy my avatar, whose horns get in the way, then dig into his side while he is being worked on. It takes two of us to turn him even though he is the most gentle and co-operative tup you could hope for :sheep:
The simplest thing is to use a halter and tie the head to a gate. Or you could make a mini crush and race using hurdles.
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valley vet dot com they have the stand that i described $320 i am going to have a go at making one myself? :sheep: :wave:
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Modulamb do a lovely crate.
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I have a harrington for crotching and feet. Basically the sheep walk up a little race bit and then you tip them into the craddle. It is great but they are £1500 brand new, although I was given mine! Previously I used to just either clamp sheep against a fence or gate with my leg or put them in my dog halter and tie them up. Never used a sheep armchair but they look like fun once you have the sheep in them!
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We have a sheep sofa and it's hard to get them into and someone still has to hold them there. Though they do sit nicely once in, if someone holds their head.
Just bought a second-hand sheep turnover crate (on eBay), as hubby is going to be away leading expeditions a lot this year, so yours truly has to be able to cope with the sheep herself - and Rough Fells are big!