The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: bloomer on November 30, 2016, 02:28:36 pm
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can someone point me in the direction of where to start, I'm looking for a basic sheep handling system for my Christmas present to myself and don't know where to start looking.
Light weight and portable are important but I don't have a huge budget...
Some companies to look into would be appreciated...
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I'm going to say steer clear of Bateman.... for no other reason than I have been waiting for 3 months for them to deliver 10 "pin type" hurdles to our local agri merchant. They have mis-communicated every step of the way.
I think one of the companies I normally associate with tags do handling systems.. is it Ritchie? Also I seem to remember a few small outfits in Wales & the welsh borders making bespoke systems. Sorry, can't remember the names.
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What do you mean when you say 'system' Bloomer? At its simplest, that could just be a hurdle pen, and at its most complicated, it could include everything from funnels and races (http://www.modulamb.com/handlingeng.html) to turnover crates or combi-clamps (http://www.combiclamp.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/cc-standard-unit.jpg).
Am I right in thinking that what you really mean is something that can be moved from field to field, such as an alligator system (http://www.modulamb.com/handlingeng.html)?
You've seen our system (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=45470.0), which I have to say works really well. However, if I were you, I'd knock up a pen or two at each of your parcels of land using posts, some short lengths of rylock, pallets and maybe a gate or two. That would be both low cost and non-nickable.
The other comment I have to make is that we designed our system with Manx Loaghtans in mind, who were as mad as a box of frogs, and twice as bouncy. Now we have a nice docile breed instead, it all seems a bit like overkill, so do give careful thought to your future plans before you commit to anything!
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I guess I'm thinking more inter locking hurdles and a shedding gate to make a race and a couple of pens to make sorting easier (I currently use old pallets brute force and bad language)
I can turn them easy enough it's splitting the flick in any meaningful way quickly that's a pain in the butt :-)
Best guess is 20 6ft interlocking hurdles a shedding gate and maybe a couple of smaller hurdles for odd buts as needed.
What else do I need to think about?
Because I have multiple parcels of rented grazing I want something I can move with the sheep as needed...
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If you are going to be moving it around a lot go for aluminium. It will save your back in the long run :) Rappa etc. not cheap though, but worth every penny. Being able to drag it along the ground is very handy - not something you can easily do with standard hurdles.
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IAE make all kinds of panels, shedding gates etc. There will be downloadable catalogues on their website, I'm sure. The outside pens and races on the moorland farm were IAE, I think, and were slick, light, strong and easy to use.
Sorry to hear about your disappointing experience with Bateman, farmershort. My own experiences with Bateman have been excellent. We chose them for the cattle handling facilities at ex-BH's farm, and were delighted with the products and all aspects of the service.
I have also had great customer service from Ritchie. We had them make a slight adaptation to a lamb weigh crate. It was a great piece of kit.
One thing to think about is how specific the connections are. Some systems, e.g. Alligator, are very specific. The only way to attach other, non-Alligator elements to the system is with baler twine :/. Whereas the IAE stuff I've had used a simpler, more open pole and loop system, which other, non-IAE elements were more likely to be able to hook into. (Although we did use baler twine quite a bit, too, of course. :D)
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Are you on face book?
Search colin Duncan, dunmor agri, he is based in forfar.
I got a load of aluminium hurdles from him, very reasonable priced
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Hi Bloomer - as far as I could make out nothing is cheap and as my sheep are now on rented land having one of the mobile units wouldn't work as I would have to tow it to the field - set it up, gather the sheep then drive back for the trailer. So I went for a Modulamb small set up with a pen then could all eat in that has a curved back then they go down the race to a shedding gate - not cheap but very well made and has stopped a lot of bad language - will get you a pic if you'd like
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Modulamb designed a race for our lambing shed and it's saved countless hours' work (and much bad language). Oh, and saved a lot of stress for the sheep too.