[Skye Byrd]

We are needing to get a sheep handling system as our current method using wooden pallets isn't the best 

We have 25 ewes so I will need something that will do them and thier lambs.

Does anybody have any recommendations of systems and/or manufacturers or even any tips for what I need to buy?

Thanks in advance.

[Backinwellies]

LOTS of hurdles!

[Buttermilk]

LOTS of hurdles!

When I got my first few sheep I bought a dozen hurdles and OH complained that I had more hurdles than sheep.  After lambing he told me to buy some more as I had gone up to more sheep than hurdles.

[Tim W]

25 ewes? Get a few cheap hurdles and then a dog to round them up
I used to run 300 ewes with a trailer and 20 hurdles and a dog to gather them

If you really want one of the posh handling systems (Scotpen/Polden Vale/Modulamb/Rappa etc) they are good
I have used most and at the moment have a Scotpen and a Polden Vale
But you may be shocked at the price!

They come with clamps/scales/gates/chutes and all sorts of gizmos so it all depends on what you want to do to your ewes 

[Womble]

A lot depends on how tame your sheep are. We started out with Mad Manx Loaghtans, who took the word 'hurdle' quite literally, so we ended up building a substantial handling pen for them (yes, total overkill, but money well spent in that it's one of those things that just works, and will last a lifetime).





Then we switched breed to Zwartbles, and really we'd be fine with just hurdles these days as they're so much more biddable. A bucket of nuts is also much cheaper than a collie! We still use the pen though, and seeing as I'm starting to have back trouble, I'm now on the lookout for a 2nd hand turnover crate to add to it.

As Tim says, what do you want to achieve with your system?  Shedding into different pens or fields?  A race for dosing? Weighing? Foot bathing? Foot trimming? Dagging? Also do you need to be able to operate everything on your own, or will you have help?  Once you know the answer to these, I reckon you'll be well on the way to knowing what to do.

[Bramblecot]

If you are going to buy hurdles, try and buy them of one type as nothing is more infuriating than hurdles that don't quite fit together - or fall apart at the first bit of pushing and shoving. 

We bought ours in dribs and drabs secondhand and I wish we had shelled out and bought the lot in one go.
On the other hand, a few old manky ones will probably not go walkabout if you need to leave them in a field, the new ones will certainly vanish.

[Backinwellies]

To add to Bramblecots post (all of which I totally agree with)  get ones with round hole connections ... the rectangular connections are a pain to connect in anything but square shapes .... which makes reducing pen size once sheep are in difficult.

[Womble]

Good point Backinwellies, though we have some of the AIE ones with square connectors and a ring at the top, which work fine at any angle. The only problems with them is that you have to remember which way you're going (ring always on the right for instance), and also the square ring stops you from butting right up to the wall if you're using them in a barn.

[Marches Farmer]

If you can get to one of the National Sheep Association shows most of the manufacturers will be there.  We have a Modulamb handling system with W M Ironworks turnover crate which works well as our ground mostly slopes and rod type joiners are more forgiving of uneven ground.  The thing you have to remember about hurdles is they're rarely the size you need and where you need them.

[Backinwellies]

If you can get to one of the National Sheep Association shows most of the manufacturers will be there.  We have a Modulamb handling system with W M Ironworks turnover crate which works well as our ground mostly slopes and rod type joiners are more forgiving of uneven ground.  The thing you have to remember about hurdles is they're rarely the size you need and where you need them.

But they only have 25 ewes....

[Buttermilk]

But they only have 25 ewes....

At the moment...

[henchard]

Mine is pretty simple (not the best photo). Easily built when I fenced the field; just had to knock some extra posts in.

The gate that is closed also closes against a post to the left (off screen) that has a fence that foms a 'funnel'. The sheep are driven down this and turn into the holding pen. The gate is closed behind as in the photo.

There is a small forcing gate that leads into a narrowing race (built with rails) that turns the sheep back into the race against the container. The space between the holding pen and the race is a clean area to work in. Costs; some posts, some fence rails, some sheep wire, two gates and an old S/H race. Has made life much simpler

[henchard]

Have now taken another photo from a better angle that shows how the above flows. Really simple but works well.

You could even build a simplified race from posts and marine ply to keep costs down as well.

[Backinwellies]

I need you here Henchard!! 

[Marches Farmer]

Modulamb came in and designed ours for us, using our existing lambing shed and making it easy to dismantle and use many of the hurdles to set up for lambing.  The swing gate and trombone design, with race, then turnover crate then two-way shedding gate suits us very well.  It cost quite a lot but was so, so worthwhile in terms of time and absence of stress for both ourselves and the sheep.