The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ladygrey on June 15, 2012, 11:00:38 am
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Ok... this is a recent idea of mine..
I need to sort my lambs into two groups, as around 1/3rd of them are alot smaller than the others I want to give them some feed.
But I would like to weigh each one and write down what it weighs and sort them according to weight :)
I cant afford a sheep weight crate and not fond of the sheep weigh tapes as some sheep have different body shapes.
So I found this...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180832528039?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180832528039?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)
I can hang it from a strong tree branch in the sheep field using a chain, and then should be able to sort lambs so I can send some off before the others.
Now my problem is how do I stick the lambs to the weight spring?? I am guessing the bigger ones weigh around 35ish kilo (but have no idea as I cant pick them up :s) I was thinking of a ground sheep with hoops in the corners but what if the lamb weighs 40 kilo and falls straight through the sheet!!
So I need an idea of what to pop the lambs inside and then get two people to lift it up to the weigh spring, the lambs will be restrained so that they cant run/jump out and hurt themselves.
Any ideas?
Thanks :wave:
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What about a canvas sling that goes under their tummies, between their front and back legs? I think, once their legs were off the floor, they couldn't get out of it?
Someone thought of it already scale and sling (http://betterbarnyard.com/scales/)
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Brilliant!! thanks, pity its in usa but maybe I could make a sling similar to his!! :D
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dog lifting slings (http://www.animalrehab.co.uk/animalrehab/Hoists_&_Slings/slings.htm)
Bit fancy and therefore expensive. The agricultural animal ones seem to be mainly horse/cow sized.
Can you tell I'm supposed to be writing a timetable instead of researching weighing sheep ;)
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Haha yeah I know what you mean ;) I am meant to be putting up temporary fencing to keep the sheep off the fruit trees, but I gave up as I need a man and a mallet...
Thanks for your help :) yeah that one looks a little "soft", I have emailed the other link to my boyfreind's brother to see if he could make me something similar :)
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Now my problem is how do I stick the lambs to the weight spring?? I am guessing the bigger ones weigh around 35ish kilo (but have no idea as I cant pick them up :s) I was thinking of a ground sheep with hoops in the corners but what if the lamb weighs 40 kilo and falls straight through the sheet!!
The whole idea tickled me at first but then I thought you may be on to something. With the above are you thinking of a taurpaulin/ground sheet with reinforced eyelets? If you get a strong one I guess that could work. If you can find something lower to hang the scales on, if the eyelets do give way then the sheep won't have too far to fall ....and you could also save yourself from crippling your back manhandling them into the 'sling'!
Can't wait to see a demonstration..... ;D
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...hey, what about a hammock?
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Hi
look at industrial netting, its amazing how strong it is. I got some to repair my childrens climbing frame. It was only about 5mm rope but had nearly quarter tonne breaking strain. They use it for hoisting up things and saftey/fall netts. found a couple of sites were you could buy it by the square metre and it even comes in a choice of colours. think it worked out about £15.00 square metre including shipping.
think it was a company called allplas i used, should be able to google them.
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OK, I'm now spending 'way' too much time thinking about this (excuse the pun).
How's about a modified version of one of these??
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110lb-Scales-T-Bar-Deluxe-Weigh-Sling-Carp-Sea-Fishing-Brand-New-Free-Post-/150803598206?pt=UK_SportingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item231c984b7e (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110lb-Scales-T-Bar-Deluxe-Weigh-Sling-Carp-Sea-Fishing-Brand-New-Free-Post-/150803598206?pt=UK_SportingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item231c984b7e)
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We had the same idea - sort of - last year, with scale, long metal pole to leaver off the ground (no trees around here) and used a grain sack for the sling - Dobbie found the whole experience quite fun and my parents though it hilarious when the pole started to bend!! It worked though
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Not mocking here, I've weighed dogs, piglets and lambs with a spring balance.
You do need straps fore and aft though, they just wriggle free forwards or backwards from a sling under the tummy.
Last time I was trying it, someone told me how they did it, and it was brilliantly simple. Karen, can you send some reiki to make my memory work? ::)
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Depends how big the lambs are but I would try to find an old coat, cut off the arms leaving two holes to put their front legs through, then make some sort of flap up between their back legs. A child's coat might be the best.
We have one of these scales for weighing turkeys. Excellent. We also use them to weigh dogs for worming.
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Last time I was trying it, someone told me how they did it, and it was brilliantly simple. Karen, can you send some reiki to make my memory work? ::)
I can do better than that ;) (but reiki is on the way too :-* )
We weigh piglets & weaners with a hanging scale - and use a big hessian bulk bag to contain them (one of the one tonne feed sacks/builders bags) or, in the case of small piglets one of the oversized blue Ikea bags - loop the handles together so they can't jump out. With the little piglets it's easy to do, but with the bigger one's (40Kg plus) you do have to hoist up the bag and scale once the pig's in - strong branch or shed rafter required ;)
I find the benefit with the big bags to be that they can't see out or get stressed - makes the job easier :thumbsup:
HTH
Karen :wave:
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I thought about this sort of thing for a long time, but in the end gave up as I didn't really have anywhere strong enough to hang them from.
So now, I weigh my lambs at 24 hours old with one of these: https://www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk/lamb-sling-p-1920.html, (https://www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk/lamb-sling-p-1920.html,) and again a month later or whenever they are nearly too big for the sling. Then from then on I use a weigh crate.
(getting the sling on mind does require three hands, if your lambs are anything like mine!!)
SfS ... you should contact the manufacturers of the lamb sling and see if they'll make a bigger version. :)
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We weigh piglets & weaners with a hanging scale - and use a big hessian bulk bag to contain them (one of the one tonne feed sacks/builders bags)
Do you have a cunning method of getting them in the bag? I'm sure they don't just deposit themselves there willingly??
.....my oh my, the things we have to do for our animals :o
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Do you have a cunning method of getting them in the bag? I'm sure they don't just deposit themselves there willingly??
.....my oh my, the things we have to do for our animals :o
The small ones we pick up and put in ;) We've all become very proficent at piglet catching - get 'em in a corner and block them with a board (all done while mum is eating/out having a leg stretch) :thumbsup:
The bigger one's - we put one side of the bag on the floor with a handful of pignuts in it and one of us at each side to lift the front once the pig walks in. To be honest we spend most of the time pushing pigs back OUT the bag, cos they all want in for pig nuts - especially if you do it just before their evening feed (or delay it by half an hour) ;)
HTH
Karen
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Thanks for all your (amusing) replies! :)
I did think about a net hammock but then If the sheep panicked and wiggled around im pretty sure its legs/head/ear tags may get stuck/come off...
Also yes with piglets and lambs I can just pop them into a sack and weigh that but these are large lambs and I am not very big and strong, I can tip sheep/shear sheep all fine but I just cant lift them up! I was thinking about using to weigh my kk pigs aswel, as I always have to guess thier weights for injections. And they dont weigh as much as bigger pigs (the smaller ones) so I could use the weighing/gallows for the piggies aswell :)
Yes the idea was to scoop the sheep up into the groundsheet/canvas that has metal rings at each corner and hang it on the weight spring. However I clearly remember as a child tying one up in a tree and sitting in the middle, and not long after falling through it and hitting the ground! (with brother and sister landing on top!) so I dont trust the strength of the canvas to be able to pick up 40-50 kilos of live wriggling lamb!
I cannot use a weigh crate as I simply cannot afford one and then cannot afford the hurdles/race to go with it
I will attempt to create a harness/net/something and see how it goes! I will keep you all posted :)
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Ladygrey, one of your local farmers will have a used dumpy bag s/he can let you have. They'll comfortably - and safely - hold half a tonne and have strong handles at each corner :)
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Oh, they would work, wouldn't they :thumbsup: Deep enough for most things not to jump out of too, but can be collapsed on the floor to walk them in. Nice one Sally :thumbsup:
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thats a great idea! thanks! I have accsess to nitrogen half ton bags so could clean one out and use it!
My boyfriend and his brother are keen on making one, they have alot of the materials already so will be interesting to see how it goes!
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I have a bathroom scales.
I pick up a lamb. and stand on the scales.
Job done.
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great!
can you please come to mine and pick up my 35-40 kilo ish, full of life and extremely wriggly large chunky lambs and stand with them on the bathroom scale for 10 seconds whilst it calculates the lambs weight without dropping it/getting head butted/hoofed in the face :thumbsup:
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LG has a point.
I can hold a lamb while OH reads the scales but our combined weight now exceeds the maximum reading. At only 55kg OH for some reason feels unable to lift or even hold 40kg. So the big bag route is a great idea.
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Oh, they would work, wouldn't they :thumbsup: Deep enough for most things not to jump out of too, but can be collapsed on the floor to walk them in. Nice one Sally :thumbsup:
:takes bow: - but I can't take the credit; I am only restating what Karen suggested earlier on :trophy:
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Sorry I didn't realise you were handleing lambs that big. :innocent:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=+scales&_sacat=11752&_odkw=lamb+scales&_osacat=11752&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEFSRCHX%3ASRCH (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=+scales&_sacat=11752&_odkw=lamb+scales&_osacat=11752&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEFSRCHX%3ASRCH)
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lol its fine :) yup big lambs not little ones, I used to use the stand on scale method but stopped when I could no longer pick up a lamb :-\
Small Farmer I also weigh around 55 kilo and I struggle to pick up a lamb weighing 35-40 kilos... ::) well its more than I struggle, I simply cant!
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That's just what OH says too! You're just not determined enough.
To be honest - and I'm 100kg - its too much for me too these days, what with the wriggle multiplier. I can tell the difference between 20kg and 25kg feed bags too. Years ago I remember seeing the groundsman at school carry a hundredweight bag of fertiliser on each shoulder for 200 yards - and then come back for another couple.
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There's an old picture of my grandad with a hundred weight sack of coal on each shoulder :o
I can tell the difference between 25kg and 20kg sacks of feed too. I can still get the 25kg sack up onto my shoulder for now - but the 20kg ones are definitely easier :thumbsup: And yes, they don't wriggle!
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Haha, yes I can pick up a 25 kilo sack of sugar beet just fine ;D (not quite on my shoulder...) but not sure about two of them...
I could probly pick up a 30-35 ish sack of feed, but when its wriggly and has foor legs with a hoof at each end and a large rock hard head... If I have to move the sheep it gets flipped onto its back side and shifted along backwards by its front legs (sounds complicated but im sure everyone does it) or walked along with a bucket/chest rubs (depending on the sheep)
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Another way to move 'em, particularly 'ornery hill sheep, is to take the chin in your hand and walk it backwards. They think they're getting away from you and can go quite fast! :D You get good at steering using your body position and their chin...