Cotter crate

[beardface]

Was a thread on this before but thought I'd start a new one. Anyone got one/used one? Sheep flow any good? How's it handle bigger ewes?

 

[neilo]

I hosted a demo here for them a while back and know a couple of people that have bought one locally.
They’re grand lads and always open to suggestions for improvements I think.

I thought the ramp was a bit steep (as is the CombiClamp imo), which possibly slows throughput if you’re on your own. With someone pushing up you would fly though.
The drop floor works really well for immobilising sheep of varying sizes mixed together. We tried it with yearling rams, Charollais ewes and some small lambs, and it held them all well for treatment.

I was considering buying one on a grant and selling my CombiClamp to help fund it, but didn’t in the end.
It’s fantastic for drenching/bolusing/treating/weighing sheep and is far more mobile than the CombiClamp.
Its main drawback, IMO, is that you can’t alter the position of the sheep once it’s held. With the CombiClamp you can catch sheep at the back for crutching or at the front for drenching/bolusing, and let the pressure off to move between the two. With the Cotter crate they are held in one position. If you release the pressure then they drop down to run out.
You can also pick up the odd foot in the CombiClamp, but that’s not an option in the Cotter crate.

 

[beardface]

Was the version you tried on wheels? How easy was it to move around?

 

[neilo]

Was the version you tried on wheels? How easy was it to move around?

I think so, but they were only little plastic wheels, for moving it round on a concrete yard. A friend of mine bought one and moves it between blocks, to use in several places. Don’t know how though.

No idea if they have put bigger wheels on now.

 

[EasyCareStev]

I replaced my combi clamp with one as much easier on me and I don’t have to run like a mad man anymore to stop the sheep escaping out of the system. Overall simple and easy to use. Links well with Eziweigh and stick reader and easy to get data. Well made and no hassles to date.

 

[beardface]

I replaced my combi clamp with one as much easier on me and I don’t have to run like a mad man anymore to stop the sheep escaping out of the system. Overall simple and easy to use. Links well with Eziweigh and stick reader and easy to get data. Well made and no hassles to date.

Can you crutch in it? Easy to shift about?

 

[Beth P]

We have changed to a cotter crate this year, mainly because of its ability to handle all sizes of sheep. We have been very impressed vaccinating young lambs, not having to pick every lamb up has saved a huge amount of work and staff. As well as putting ewes and rams through it on our own. (The front gate is useful when on your own - you don’t have to run up the race to catch them in the clamp!)
When the floor drops it immobilises them meaning they just sit still allowing you to do multiple treatments easily and without rushing.
When sorting lambs you can also feel them in the clamp before dropping the floor which is very useful and it appears to weigh accurately as the weigh bars are higher than on other clamps.
We have only moved ours around a shed so far which is really easy to do as all 3 sections are on wheels. the main section is fairly heavy so not sure how easy it is to push on uneven ground but I believe they now have a trailer for it.
If you catch them in the right place you can get to back feet as there is a drop down door that you can use for crutching at the back but don’t find it easy to get to front feet.
We are really happy with ours and they have been great to deal with.

 

[beardface]

We have changed to a cotter crate this year, mainly because of its ability to handle all sizes of sheep. We have been very impressed vaccinating young lambs, not having to pick every lamb up has saved a huge amount of work and staff. As well as putting ewes and rams through it on our own. (The front gate is useful when on your own - you don’t have to run up the race to catch them in the clamp!)
When the floor drops it immobilises them meaning they just sit still allowing you to do multiple treatments easily and without rushing.
When sorting lambs you can also feel them in the clamp before dropping the floor which is very useful and it appears to weigh accurately as the weigh bars are higher than on other clamps.
We have only moved ours around a shed so far which is really easy to do as all 3 sections are on wheels. the main section is fairly heavy so not sure how easy it is to push on uneven ground but I believe they now have a trailer for it.
If you catch them in the right place you can get to back feet as there is a drop down door that you can use for crutching at the back but don’t find it easy to get to front feet.
We are really happy with ours and they have been great to deal with.

Is yours right or left handed? Can you get in enough to crutch?