[jacob and Georgina]

i am constructing a sheep race to take some of the stress out of bringing our ewes in (both for us and the sheep!)   The only piece of information which i have not been able to find on the internet is the width that the race should be? obviously i only want the sheep to go through in single file but dont want them to not want to go in because it looks too narrow, i suppose the obvious answer would be to measure the width of a sheep but if anybody knew of a recommended size then that would be a lot easier!

many thanks in advance

[Rosemary]

16" is the width I've seen although Dan says our Juno will never fit through that 

[tizaala]

Look in the handbook and see what the turning circle is !
 I would have thought a 2ft space should be ok if you start it off funnel shaped it will feed them in single file.

[VSS]

16inches x 16 feet.

Any wider and you will get sheep turning round anf any shorter and the sheep won't draw through it properly. You should get 8 - 10  ewes in a race that size, depending on your sheep.

[Rosemary]

16inches x 16 feet.

See, I've read the book 

[VSS]

 

[jacob and Georgina]

thanks for all replies, had to convert all of the measurements into English first (mm i mean!) i initially thought about 500-600 mm but that would be too wide so will go for what VSS says and make it 16 inches x 16 feet!



i stumbled across this website late last night an interesting read with some useful information http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/02-057.htm  well worth a read  http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/02-059.htm sure most of you know it already but for a newbie to sheep i found it very interesting

[humphreymctush]

I've just gone out in the rain to measure mine and its 18" wide at the top but only 10" wide at the bottom and 38" high and 12feet long.

Sloping sides are a really good way to make sure they cant turn round but are not squashed. The easiest and least stressfull way of getting them into the race is a forcing pen. If you still have trouble getting them in then leaving a sheep at the end as a decoy will encourage the next bunch in.

[jacob and Georgina]

many thanks humphreymctush for going out in the rain, i have been contemplating sloping sides however as i am making it all from timber (being a carpenter that is generally the way round here) i think that will make it a lot more time consuming so i am going to take an average from what everyone has advised and go for 16" wide and as long as i can go hopefully somewhere between 12-16 feet. i will be making a forcing at one end so hopefully it should all work OK???   

[shropshire_blue]

Hi jacob and Georgina,


I know this is an old thread, but wondered if you have finished and if you could post some photos.


I am also building a race out of timber and wondered if you had any top tips and handy hints?


Cheers,
Neil

[jacob and Georgina]

hi neil, yes a very old post but as they do many other jobs have popped up and i have not had chance to finish it!! will post pics as soon as i am done!

[bazzais]

It would be great to see some pictures of your race.  I have contemplated making one for ages - I have a few collecting areas and always end up having to cart hurdles around for makeshift 'races' - Have just welded bars together that I insert in the bottom and tops of my hurdles - (they sometimes break under the strain and crap welding)

I am starting to think that it would be easier to have one specific area for doing 'sheep stuff' and bring the sheep to that - it just sometimes seems harder to move sheep across loads of fields than move the hurdles to them.

A race would be great for all kinds of things - I think I would prefer giving wormers, meds, vits and s**t in a race than my current method of penning in and struggling round in the crowd.

I imagine it would be great for a little footbath in-line too?

Do you plan to move your around maybe make it modular or are you attaching it to the floor in situ?

Baz

[shropshire_blue]

Well mine will be cobbled together and bolted to the floor along the side of a barn.  One of the guys that collects pallets has a whole load of 3'x3' chip board for £1 a sheet, which is what prompted me to get started, that and we're sponging on Sunday!


So I have brackets bolted to floor with 3" uprights screwed to them, 6' apart running in a line along the edge of the barn.  2 Rails will go horizontally, then screw the boards on to get a solid sided race.  All creosoted and then black bitumen paint on top edge to seal the chipboard.


Thoughts and suggestions welcome...

[jacob and Georgina]

mine will be definatley permanent i have concreted posts at 2m intervals and will now concrete the floor, between the posts i will use 6"x2" rails to make the sides. included in the race will be a turnover crate, a foot bath and a shelf all the way along to keep medicines and sprays whilst treating the sheep. i will make a forcing pen at one end with a guillotine gate, a drafting gate in the middle and at the end a small pen for shearing and dagging! will be cracking on with it this weekend if the weather stays nice 

[SteveHants]

I've just ordered a Rappa mobile yard - should be delivered oct. I would be excited, but I get chronic buyers remorse......