The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: shropshire_blue on February 22, 2013, 03:35:09 pm
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Hi guys,
I think I need a crook. Lambs are bloomin impossible to catch! Any recommendations? Neck, Leg or Combi?
Cheers
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I have a Colroy Neck crook, that seems to do the job. Never felt the need for a leg crook ... yet.
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if you look at 'Parliament Today' on televivion, you will see over 600 varieties of crook to choose from :innocent:
sorry couldn't resist :roflanim:
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ha ha nicandem :roflanim:
A sheep leg crook is a neck crook for lambs ;) - that's what I use.
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The longer the better, i have leg and neck aluminium crooks, they can be bent and straightened no problem
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The longer the better, i have leg and neck aluminium crooks, they can be bent and straightened no problem
Trouble is they tend to straighten just when you don't want them to :roflanim: Neither OH nor I use a crook, except to pose when judging :innocent:
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The trouble I find with using a crook is that unless you have it with you all the time, when they see you with it they cotton on to the fact that you want to catch one of them, and they do a runner quick fast!!
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We purchased a long neck aluminium crook from Mole Valley Farmers - fantastic!
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We have sold a few recently, both leg and neck models - and had some good feedback.
My advice is to go for a tubelar version as they are lightweight but incredibly strong.
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I bought a crook a week ago - - and used it for the first time yesterday : to catch
an escaped guinea fowl!
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Pipsa, you have given me ideas for an escaped dog :roflanim:
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I have one of those leg/neck combi crooks, seems to work fine. The trick when catching lambs is to keep it down till you can lift and catch. Having said that, I like to take the whole litter to mark/tag at the same time and so its pointless with multiples. Its handy I was once good at rugby.....
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Thanks for all the feedback guys! I think the dual neck/leg one will be best for me, and yes - as long as possible.
I'm hoping that by catching them quickly I'll prevent disturbance to the rest of the flock, as at the moment I end up chasing them all round the yard for ages!
They're already numbered and ringed, but we have orf on the farm, and catching them to baktakill is taking a while!
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try a salt lick - normally works for me.
I reckon you can forget about getting hold of lambs after they get to 4 days old.
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Different tools for different jobs - Tim uses a leg crok for catching ewes, but it does need practice. I use a neck crook for ewes and use a combination crook when checking round ewes and lambs.
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Tim uses a leg crok for catching ewes, but it does need practice.
You're not wrong about it needing practise - and for anyone hasn't tried it yet, be warned that you can put your back out or dislocate a shoulder very easily if you try to catch a full grown Mule or Texel ewe by the leg in other than a very confined space.
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Tim uses a leg crok for catching ewes, but it does need practice.
You're not wrong about it needing practise - and for anyone hasn't tried it yet, be warned that you can put your back out or dislocate a shoulder very easily if you try to catch a full grown Mule or Texel ewe by the leg in other than a very confined space.
Sally does that mean a neck crook should be easier for us newbies?
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Well, my own experience of large experienced ewes was that I could never catch them at all with a neck crook. On the odd occasion I did get one around a ewe's neck I bottled and let her go, fearful of throttling her if I stopped her by the neck at the pace she was moving. I could get a leg crook on an adult ewe ok but found that unsafe for me unless I was in a restricted area.
You can catch them by the leg when they're feeding, but a hefty adult ewe will quite quickly pull free of a wee human lassie (or even a fairly hefty human lassie ;) :D) in an open space. And you'll not get close to them with your crook while they're feeding a second time. (Who is it says sheep are stupid? If they were stupid why would we all have to spend so long discussing how to outwit them??? :D)
If you can get the ewe or lamb into a restricted area, you can probably catch her/it without a crook at all once you have a bit of experience. But until then, I found the leg crook the better.
I can catch lambs in the open for the first day or two, using a crook which is sold as a leg crook for adult sheep; the hook is just the right size for the neck of a young lamb.
In a confined space I now generally scoop lambs up with my hands - you learn how to confuse them into falling over their own or another lamb's legs after a while. ;)
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In a confined space I now generally scoop lambs up with my hands - you learn how to confuse them into falling over their own or another lamb's legs after a while. ;)
I think it will be me who ends up confused and falling over my own legs :roflanim:
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I think you will need to practise with whichever type you go for.
Wear something well padded ... because you are bound to end up on the floor :).